MassGrad Implementation Awards Case Study: Alternative Diploma Program of the United Teen Equality Center in Lowell, Massachusetts
May 2015
The MassGrad initiative from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE) targeted the 133 schools from 76 districts that exceeded the statewide annual dropout rate of 2.9% during the 2008–09 school year. Twenty-eight of the MassGrad high schools in 17 districts received Implementation Awards through a competitive application process.
This case study describes an alternative high school diploma program targeting at-risk youth in Lowell, Massachusetts. The Alternative Diploma Program (ADP) was developed and implemented through a partnership between the Lowell Public Schools and United Teen Equality Center (UTEC), a community-based organization focused on youth development. The case study’s main purpose is to support youth organizations and school staff throughout Massachusetts who plan to conduct or are already conducting similar programs.
The Lowell Public Schools received an Implementation award for $296,876 through the MassGrad initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (ESE). The award supported their partnership with UTEC during the 2010–11 through 2014–15 school years. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, MassGrad’s primary goal was “to substantially increase the number of students who earn a high school diploma.”
