The Kalamazoo Promise: Building Assets for Community Change

Michelle Miller-Adams, Research FellowW.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research

March 2014

What is the Kalamazoo Promise?

• Announced November 2005, to continue in perpetuity• Funded by anonymous private donors• First-dollar program (before other financial aid)• Place-based: Kalamazoo Public Schools

– Covers 65–100% of tuition and fees at any in-state, public post-secondary institution for KPS graduates

– Minimum 4-year residency and enrollment requirement

• Universal: every graduate is eligible– Students have 10 years in which to use funding

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What makes Promise programs potential tools for community transformation?

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Promise programs seek to change the culture of a community, not simply award scholarships.

They are:

• Place-based – focus on a geographically bounded community

• Universal or near-universal – everyone has a stake; broad buy-in throughout the community

• Long-term – allow time for people to make choices based on the program’s benefits

The Promise movement takes off . . .

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• Since the Kalamazoo Promise was announced, more than 35 communities have created Promise programs, with others in the planning stage.

• Annual PromiseNet conferences draw representatives from 50+ communities.

• Promise programs exist in all parts of the United States, in communities of varying sizes and types.

Promise Scholarship Programs(as of 2013)

Kalamazoo Promise

College Bound

Denver Scholarship Foundation

El Dorado Promise

Pittsburgh Promise

Peoria Promise

Bay Commitment

Baldwin Promise

Syracuse Say Yes to Education

Garrett County

New Haven Promise

Arkadelphia Promise

Great River PromiseSparkman Promise

Benton Harbor PromisePontiac Promise

Leopard Challenge

Northport Promise

San Francisco Promise

Ventura Promise

Promise for the Future

Hopkinsville Rotary Scholars

LaCrosse PromiseSaginaw Promise

Lansing Promise

Pensacola Pledge Scholars

Detroit Scholarship

Jackson Legacy

Promise programs are not all alike . . .

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Models vary by:– Student eligibility

• Universal (all graduates eligible) or minimum GPA (usually 2.5) and/or attendance requirement

– Eligible post-secondary institutions• Local, in-state public, or any institution (with tuition cap)• 2-year only, 4-year included• Public or private (with tuition cap)

– Level of student support services provided• Investment in Future Centers in high schools

– Funding• Private (businesses, individuals); philanthropic; public (tax

resources)

How Promise programs work

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• Scholarship program serves as a catalyst

• Changes incentives for many types of actors– Students, teachers, parents, businesses, residents, realtors, other

school districts, etc.

• Leads to creation and/or growth of human, social, and economic capital for individuals, the city, and the region...

... IF the community is aligned.

“There’s the money, and then there’s everything else.”Dr. Janice Brown, Kalamazoo Promise

Potential Outcomes: Human Capital• Creation of college-going culture in K-12 system• Reduced high school dropout and increased graduation

rates• Narrowing of college attendance gap by income and race• Increased college attendance & completion rate• Narrowing of K-12 achievement gap• Creation of better-educated local workforce

Key Challenge: Ensuring that all students are sufficiently prepared to make use of their scholarships

Potential Outcomes: Social Capital• Boost to community morale, sense of identity• Mobilization of multiple actors around education and

economic development• Increased volunteer activity in schools, new

tutoring/mentoring programs• New philanthropic resources • Greater social cohesion due to better-educated

residents

Key Challenges: Coordinating and paying for support services

Aligning multiple efforts around a common goal

Potential Outcomes: Economic Assets• New financial resources for school districts• Freed-up savings for families• Higher national profile (awards, media coverage, etc.)• Alignment of organizations around education as engine of

economic development• Stronger housing market & rising property values• New business investment• Population growth leading to revitalized urban core

Key Challenges:Leveraging new business investment;

overcoming stagnant economic climate

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Kalama-zoo Promise An-nounced

State of Michigan Comparison

1991-92

1992-93

1993-94

1994-95

1995-96

1996-97

1997-98

1998-99

1999-00

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

1,450,000

1,500,000

1,550,000

1,600,000

1,650,000

1,700,000

1,750,000

0

2,500

5,000

7,500

10,000

12,500

15,000

State Enrollment Kalamazoo Public Schools

1991-92

1992-93

1993-94

1994-95

1995-96

1996-97

1997-98

1998-99

1999-00

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2005-06

2006-07

2007-08

2008-09

2009-10

2010-11

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

Kalamazoo Public Schools

Battle Creek Public Schools

Grand Rapids Public Schools

Lansing Public Schools

Flint City School District

Saginaw City School District

Pontiac School District

Similar School District Comparison

Initial Impact on Students

Percent Unemployed for More Than 27 Weeks

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• Higher student achievement– Bartik and Lachowska (2013) – increase in probability of earning

credits, decrease in number of days suspended, increased GPA for African-American students

• Strengthening of college-going culture– Tripling of Advanced Placement enrollments (2007–11)– Pronounced gains among low-income and minority students

• Emergence of new student support programs– Early literacy, family literacy, tutoring , mentoring, credit recovery– The Learning Network of Greater Kalamazoo

• Shift in post-secondary choices– Four institutions receive 84% of Promise students– 63% go to local institutions, 21% go to flagship schools (U-M, MSU)

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Use of Kalamazoo Promise Scholarship

• For first eight classes of Promise-eligible graduates:– 3,236 students used scholarship (84% of those eligible)– Approximately $50 million paid out in scholarship funds (first dollar)– 93% of Promise-eligible students attempt college

• Percentage of use by ethnicity• African-American 83%• Hispanic 81%• Caucasian 85%

• Positive outcomes vary across type of institution (Class of 2006)– Students at 4-year institutions: 82% retention/completion– Students at 2-year institutions: 37% retention/completion

• Met academic requirements (2.0 GPA & completion of 75% of credits attempted)

– 84% university v. 61% community college (Fall 2013)

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Initial Impact on Local Economy

• Economic impact has been constrained by weak state and regional economy

• Indirect economic benefits– Students relocating to/remaining in district– New financial resources for school district– Local use of scholarships– School construction – first new buildings in 40 years– Higher national profile (awards, media coverage, etc.)– Alignment of organizations around education as

engine of economic development

Lessons Learned

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• The Kalamazoo Promise has been shown to:– Create incentives for college-going and help build a

college-going culture in the K-12 system.– Have positive effects on academic performance and

behavior.– Support community alignment around education.– Challenge K-12 schools to adequately prepare students for

college success.– Challenge community college around progression and

completion.– Challenge broader community to address barriers that

prevent academic success in low-income youth.

Additional Resources

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• Questions or comments:– Michelle Miller-Adams, miller-adams@upjohn.org

• The Promise of Kalamazoo blog

• PromiseNet conference– PromiseNet 2013

• W.E. Upjohn Institute Kalamazoo Promise Research