SOUTH BEND — Since winning a competitive school improvement grant in 2023, officials say, South Bend’s Rise Up Academy has seen significant progress in its graduation and attendance rates.
Now, with the grant set to end next year, administrators have outlined a plan to ensure the upward trajectory continues.
According to previous Tribune reporting, the Indiana Department of Education awarded Rise Up the Next Generation School Improvement Grant in 2023, worth up to $3.3 million, to offer students extended learning opportunities.
Of the 24 schools that applied and five schools that received it, Rise Up was the only traditional public school awarded the grant in 2023.
During a presentation at a school board meeting on Monday, June 15, Rise Up leadership said the school had three overarching goals when it received the grant in 2023: Increase graduation rates, student attendance rates and Multiple Tier Systems of Support (MTSS), which includes socio-emotional and restorative justice practices.
And, officials said, they’ve achieved those goals over the last four years.
Graduation and attendance improvements
According to officials, Rise Up has seen a positive trend in its graduation rate, jumping from 43% in 2022, the year before winning the grant, to 81% in 2023. This past year saw a slight dip, though, from 92% in 2024-25 to 90% in 2025-26.
When asked by trustee Bill Sniadecki whether the allegations of grade inflation and manipulation brought to light last spring affected those graduation numbers, officials were adamant that Rise Up did not engage in grade changing.
They added that for the last two years, the school has had a policy that students cannot take a test without an adult being present.
Officials also touted improvement in Rise Up’s student attendance. While 2023-24 saw exclusively “red” days, which signify the lowest rank of attendance numbers, 2024-25 saw improvement.
And this past school year, officials said, Rise Up even had four “green” days, which signify at least 90% attendance. They also project that the upward trend will continue next year.
“For Rise Up, especially with our chronic history of absentee students,” Assistant Principal Sarah Sweet said, the improvement “has really shown that we are going in the right trajectory on the student path with our grant.”
How has Rise Up used its grant?
Rise Up administrators said the grant has gone toward three key areas: Improved instructional strategies and educational resources; school environmental changes; and school culture rebranding.
To address the school’s instruction and resources, officials said, they prioritized professional development for Rise Up staff and worked to ensure the school is reaching each child in the building.
A major change within this target area was the school’s expanded learning times, officials said. Rise Up students attend after-school programs, “Saturday Accelerator” programs and learning days during school breaks, which, administrators said, have contributed to the increased attendance and graduation rates.
For the second focus area, Sweet said, the school is “looking to take an elementary school that was handed to Rise Up Academy and change it into the high school that we’re asking these kids to attend.”
“I don’t think you’ll find a teacher or educator out there that wouldn’t tell you that the environment matters,” she said.
For the culture rebranding, administrators said, they’re working to foster a sense of community among students and staff. For example, they said, Rise Up students participate in community service projects, and the school prioritizes restorative justice practices.
Goals for next year
With the school’s grant running out at the end of 2027, Rise Up administrators said they have several goals for the coming school year to establish a plan for sustainability.
Internal resources like the after-school program will continue, they said, but the school will seek district support for initiatives like the school’s summer school and Saturday Accelerator program.
Rise Up will also continue fostering relationships with the community, the University of Notre Dame and the City of South Bend while seeking out additional partnerships.
Email South Bend Tribune education reporter Rayleigh Deaton at rdeaton@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend’s Rise Up says grant helped improve graduation, attendance
Reporting by Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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By Rayleigh Deaton, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
