donors of the Kalamazoo promise. Success rate of students As of 2011 half of the students who have started programs have dropped out before finishing degrees or certificates. In response to this executive director of The Promise Janice Brown has said, "stage II of The Promise is improving the preparation and support for low-income and first-generation college students who are more likely to start at community college and more likely to drop out because they are academically unprepared and/or because they lack the support system that middle-class and affluent college students take for granted". Yet as Ted C. Fishman notes in a New York Times Magazine piece, the Kalamazoo Promise "stokes hometown pride, prods citizens to engage and pulls businesses and their leaders into the public sphere." He also points out that "High-school test scores in Kalamazoo have improved four years in a row. A higher percentage of African-American girls graduate from the district than they do in the rest of the state, and 85 percent of those go on to college. Overall, more than 90 percent of Kalamazoo’s graduates today go on to higher education. Six in 10 go to Western Michigan University or Kalamazoo Valley Community College. And over time, a greater number of students are landing at the more selective University of Michigan and Michigan State." Additional media reports substantiate these statistics. Kalamazoo promise 2020 The Kalamazoo Promise reached its 14th year in 2020. It continues to help graduates find good job opportunities. Kalamazoo Promise collaborated with employers such as Urban Alliance to offer opportunities for creating outstanding resumes, offer internships, and promote skills training. The W.E. Upjohn Institute was also awarded a grant to conduct research on employment data and salaries of graduates which are projected in 2019. The first cohort of Kalamazoo Promise students finished high school in 2006. The Promise has been a factor in increasing the possibility of children enrolling in college and completing college degrees. The Strada Education Network grant worth $360,000 will allow the Institute to research how students can be employed after their graduation, their probable earnings, and residence. Kalamazoo Promise recognized teachers and staff from West Michigan who made a considerable impact on their students in June 2018. Over 6,000 students have already gained benefits from the Promise since it was established. References External links Kalamazoo Promise website Research on the Kalamazoo Promise Kalamazoo Gazette coverage 2007 CBS coverage