Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge

Congratulations Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tennessee!

Today, the White House announced Booker T. Washington High School in Memphis, Tennessee as the winner of the 2011 Race to the Top High School Commencement Challenge.  Vice President Joseph Biden called Principal Alisha Kiner today to tell her the school had won.

Check out Booker T. Washington’s finalist video:

We want to thank all of the schools who participated in this year’s Commencement Challenge, especially our six finalists. These schools represent the very best American public education has to offer. We are so proud of the all the teachers, students, administrators, parents and communities who are working together to help meet President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.

Background

The Commencement Challenge invites public high schools across the country to demonstrate how their school best prepares them for college and a career, helping America win the future by out-educating our competitors and achieving President Obama’s goal of having the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.

The application includes essay questions and statistical information that illustrate how schools are promoting college and career readiness for all students while establishing a culture of student success and academic excellence.  The winning school will host President Obama as their 2011 commencement speaker.

The White House has partnered with Viacom and the Get Schooled Foundation to launch the 2011 Commencement Challenge.  In a video launching the challenge, Simon Boehme, the salutatorian from last year’s winning school - Kalamazoo Central High - and current freshman at the University of Michigan, came to the White House to discuss the Commencement Challenge with President Obama. Watch the video above and check out the expanded version here.