The GRAD Partnership
Implementing evidence-based student success systems to help all students graduate prepared for college and careersAbout The GRAD Partnership
CELL is proud to serve as an intermediary for the GRAD Partnership on two projects in Indiana–the Connectedness Project, an initiative to strengthen students’ sense of belonging and connectedness, and the Student Success Team effort, designed to develop and implement high-impact student support structures.
The GRAD Partnership is a network of twelve national education organizations in collaboration with Johns Hopkins University coming together to advance student success. The GRAD partners engaged with CELL are the Everyone Graduates Center (EGC) at Johns Hopkins University, the Connectedness Project manager, and the Network for College Success (NCS) at the University of Chicago, with work centered on Student Success Teams.
Connectedness Project
The pilot Connectedness Project aims to strengthen positive relationships for students in three Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS): Crispus Attucks, Arsenal Tech, and George Washington High Schools. In this project, CELL is providing professional development and technical assistance to implement intentional, research-based strategies coordinated with the school’s leadership, teachers, and staff to increase student belonging and engagement, leading to greater academic success. EGC provides direct support to CELL and IPS in this collaborative effort.
Student Success Team
Through the Student Success Team effort, CELL collaborates with district and school leaders to determine the best support structures, data collection and monitoring, and practices to increase student achievement. NCS provides support to CELL in assessing and refining the efficacy of student success teams.
The project will expand by 10 more schools in the 2026-2027 school year, with a goal of 60 schools by 2029. This work is funded, in part, by the Gates Foundation.