Fulfilling The Pittsburgh Promise®

This report presents a detailed assessment of the extent to which The Pittsburgh Promise — a postsecondary education scholarship intended to remedy the area's population decline, foster high school completion and college readiness among Pittsburgh district students, and prepare a capable and energetic workforce for the city — has met its goals to date and offers recommendations for improving the program's short- and long-term effectiveness. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to address questions concerning (1) changes in enrollment in PPS district (traditional and charter) schools, (2) the effect of The Promise on parents' decisions to send their children to district schools, (3) its effect on students' attitudes toward completing high school and going on to postsecondary education, (4) changes in rates of enrollment and persistence in postsecondary institutions since the inception of The Promise, and (5) what can be learned from progress to date to inform future improvements. The results of the analyses are synthesized to develop a conceptual model that Promise administrators can use to ensure continual improvements and to evaluate the extent to which the program is meeting its goals in the coming years.