Demand for Change Grows Nationally for Better High Schools

Demand for Change Grows Nationally for Better High Schools

"Oprah" to Report on American Schools in Crisis on April 11th and 12th

CINCINNATI, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Oprah Winfrey will turn her powerful spotlight on America's education crisis, bringing a new level of public attention to bear on this troubling issue.

In a two-part series, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" will examine why too many young people are not graduating from high school and why too many graduates are unprepared for college and work.

The story is one that will resonate in Ohio, where only 7 in 10 students graduate, 5 in 10 enroll in college, and less than 3 in 10 complete a bachelor's degree within 10 years. A majority of our urban high schools are in academic emergency.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" will devote two episodes to the condition of our nation's high schools with guests Bill and Melinda Gates, founders and co- chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation has invested more than one billion dollars to support the creation of more than 1600 high- quality high schools.

One of the largest concentrations of the Gates-supported school redesigns in the country is occurring in Ohio in partnership with KnowledgeWorks Foundation, Ohio's largest education philanthropy. Called the "Ohio High School Transformation Initiative," the $50 million partnership has transformed 15 struggling, urban high schools into 56 new small high schools. Over 30 years of research reveals that small schools in other states have improved student performance, reduced violence, and increased student graduation rates.

In addition to the Transformation initiative, KnowledgeWorks Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have partnered in the creation of six Early College High Schools that are making higher education more accessible, affordable, and attractive for disadvantaged students who have been labeled and even dismissed as "not college-going material." We are demonstrating that they can in fact not only graduate from high school, but also succeed in postsecondary education.

The first part, "Exclusive: What Bill & Melinda Gates Want You to Know," will air on Tuesday, April 11th. It will focus on the crisis in our public high schools and the risks our nation faces. The second program, "Oprah's Special Report: American Schools in Crisis" airs the next day on Wednesday, April 12th. That episode will profile several Gates-funded schools that are leading the way in innovative improvements.

Check your local listings for "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

KnowledgeWorks Foundation is Ohio's largest public education philanthropy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation provides funding and leadership for education initiatives throughout the state and is focused on removing barriers to quality education. The Foundation is committed to sharing knowledge gained and lessons learned with others in Ohio and across the nation to help inform public policy. KnowledgeWorks Foundation is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH, and currently holds more than $200 million in assets. Learn more about KnowledgeWorks Foundation at www.kwfdn.org.

Source: KnowledgeWorks Foundation

CONTACT: Emily Hedrick of KnowledgeWorks Foundation, +1-513-929-1132, or
+1-513-265-5709

Web site: http://www.kwfdn.org/

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