District of Columbia: Inaugural Summer Scholars class graduates 400 students

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, more than 400 high school students from District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) received their diplomas in front of family and friends at McKinley Tech High School.As the first graduating class of the inaugural Summer Scholars program, these students came from 26 high schools across the District including: Ballou, Anacostia, Duke Ellington, Bell, Dunbar, Eastern, Luke More Academy, Spingarn, HD Woodson, Wilson, Coolidge, Roosevelt, and Cardozo.

Last fall, as part of an effort to ensure as many students as possible were able to graduate, DCPS Chancellor Michelle Rhee ordered a transcript audit of all 12th grade students.

DCPS discovered that many high school seniors were not on track to graduate due to the school system's failure to identify deficiencies in students' course sequences and selections. As a result, DCPS implemented a credit recovery intervention to help students identify and select the appropriate classes they needed in order to graduate.

The administration then decided to expand summer school to encompass more sites and accommodate more students. Students had the option of attending 12 different sites, up from three the previous year, and unlike before, all locations offered the same core content subjects required for graduation.

"We're ecstatic that close to double the number of students graduated this year than in 2007," said Chancellor Rhee. "This is a testament to their hard work and resolve, and it once again demonstrates what our kids are capable of, when they have the proper tools and resources they need to succeed."

After the commencement exercise, students attended the first-ever, post-graduation education and career fair, where they were greeted by more than 70 local colleges, trade schools and businesses. Participants included: The Art Institute of Washington, Coppin State University, The Aveda Institute, Howard University, Montgomery College, North American Trade Schools, University of District of Columbia, Chevy Chase Bank, the DC Fire/EMS Cadet Program, and the Department of Employment Services.