Graduation Matters

Graduation Matters Gallatin is a local coalition of diverse individuals and organizations sharing their expertise and resources to develop and implement innovative strategies to ensure all students have the opportunity to succeed in school and in life. 

Aligned with the Montana Office of Public Instruction, Graduation Matters Gallatin objectives include:

• Increasing Gallatin area graduation rates
• Ensuring graduates are college and career-ready, engaging families from birth through graduation
• Creating school and community-based opportunities for student success
• Establishing a support network among schools families, businesses and community organizations

Why Graduation Matters?

• Over 2,000 students drop out from Montana schools every year.
• Only about 20% of a student’s waking hours are spent in school, so out-of-school-time learning is a key part of the success equation.
• For every 50 children who don’t learn to read in kindergarten, 44 of them will still have trouble in third grade.   Children without reading skills by third grade are unlikely to graduate.
• As global competition demands for high workforce skills increases, the U.S. economy is producing fewer educated workers.