Addressing Structural Barriers to High School Graduation: Examining the Impacts of the Éxito program at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts

Posted by Research for Action on April 12, 2022

Research for Action studied the Éxito program run by Congreso, finding it highly effective at getting students back on track to graduation.

Earning a high school diploma is a milestone that has been linked to many later life outcomes, from employment to incarceration to physical health, and impacts society as a whole through tax revenues and government spending. Yet, youth leaving school prior to obtaining a diploma remains a challenge nationwide, particularly in large cities.

Given the importance of a high school credential, many interventions have been tested to curb school-leaving and support students through graduation. Congreso’s Éxito program, the focus of this report, is focused on providing that support and consists of an afterschool program combined with case management services provided to a subset of students. This report focuses on the impact the Éxito program had on participating students at Kensington Creative and Performing Arts (KCAPA) who started high school in 2016-17 and examines their outcomes through 2019-20, what should have been their senior year.

Read more and download the report.