Project Graduation: The Digital Advantage

Project Graduation: The Digital Advantage is a comprehensive program designed to decrease the dropout rate and increase the graduation rate in the Sunnyside Unified School District. The program, based on creating student success through measurable outcomes, rewards students who achieve goals in the four A’s — Academics, Attendance, school Activity and Attitude — with their own personal netbook computer. Since the program began in the spring of 2008 the district has awarded nearly 2,000 netbooks that students keep. The Digital Advantage component of Project Graduation sparked the hope of the entire community. The community saw it as a bold new idea, based on research and motivated by a sense of urgency. Due to the excitement of Project Graduation and Digital Advantage, the district was able to raise $1.2 million, in only six months, to fund the Digital Advantage component for Project Graduation.