Meet DaJuan Jackson or “DJ” as family and friends affectionately call him. He is a graduating senior from Edison Career & Technology High School. This fall, he’ll be attending SUNY Brockport to major in Journalism & Broadcasting with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism.
DJ was incredibly involved during his time at Edison. He played varsity football, ran indoor and outdoor track, was president of the SkillsUSA Club, and served as vice president of the Student Leadership Academy. His favorite activity was being an anchor for ET News, the school news station.
This year, DJ participated in a ROC the Future Alliance (RTFA) Youth & Family Café. These Cafés are designed to be safe spaces that foster community support, highlight the strengths of youth and families, and help us understand how to address barriers to success in high school.
Our goal is to have an 80% graduation rate across the district and charter schools by 2030. The café model allows us to collaborate directly with youth and families to explore strategies related to the High School Graduation Outcomes Team’s three focus areas: attendance, the 9th-grade experience, and college & career readiness.
This approach helps us identify what those most impacted by these barriers need to succeed. Then we work with high school service providers to implement strategies and improve outcomes.
It’s worth noting that Edison Career and Technology High School had a graduation rate of 60% in the 2022-2023 school year, which decreased to 56% in the 2023-2024 school year. The research gleaned from cafés becomes part of a collaborative process that guides our alliance and community to improve graduation rates for all students.
Edison Career and Technology High School students engage in rigorous academic and technical coursework along with work-based learning in four distinct career pathways: Construction/Architecture and Design, Engineering and Manufacturing, Digital Media, and P-Tech. Their mission is to ensure graduates are well prepared for jobs in high-demand, rewarding career fields.
The partnership with Edison was led by Nicolle Haynes, RTFA High School Graduation Outcomes Team co-chair and Executive Director of the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support for RCSD. Based on the outcome team’s work, Edison was an ideal fit for implementing strategies to improve graduation outcomes.
To learn more about Edison, visit Edison Career and Technology High School / Homepage.