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Nearly 7.5 million students (K – 12th grade) are chronically absent every school year – missing enough school to put them at severe risk of dropping out or failing to graduate. Chronic absenteeism, which is defined as missing at least 10 percent of school days in a given year, or about 18 days, affects the educational outcomes of millions of students. In order to inspire parents of 5th through 8th graders to recognize the crucial role regular attendance, even in the early years, plays in high school graduation, the U.S. Army and the Ad Council are unveiling a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) created pro bono by advertising agency Publicis Kaplan Thaler. To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/58503-ad-council-boostup-high-school-dropout-prevention

Carol Platt was caught in the middle of the economic downturn with no backup plan. Searching for a stable job in an unstable economy proved to be difficult without a college degree. Her work history and past successes were overlooked. It had always been a dream of hers to complete her degree; after a failed first attempt, she was unsure of her ability to follow through. She began researching online education options and felt that Kaplan University stood out; she decided to complete her college degree online. Carol enrolled in Kaplan University’s School of Business and Management and earned her bachelor’s degree online, focusing on business with an emphasis in human resources. The adult continuing education program at Kaplan University is designed for working professionals who seek to further their career or, like Carol, want to earn their university degree online.* Students can complete assignments on a schedule that fits their lives. It’s this type of flexibility that helps prepare Kaplan University online students for success. Even if you already have an established career, it’s never too late to consider online business school to further your knowledge and update your skills. Increase your marketability with one of Kaplan University’s online bachelor degree programs without taking time off of work to attend class. * Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for job advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required. “I grew up in Graham, North Carolina. My parents both worked for the textile mills, both had fourth grade educations and my mom always wanted me to get an education. When I graduated from high school it was my dream to go to college. I failed the first class of my life which was my chemistry class. I was just overwhelmed so I left after about a year and half, got a job and kept trying to go back to school. For me it was personally devastating. It really bothered me. I felt like I was failing. I had one shot and I blew it. When Jenna left for boarding school I couldn’t even open the door and go in the room and I was almost 52. All of that coincided with the downturn of the market. I had almost $6 million dollars in contracts waiting to close and they all fell through—every single one of them. I thought, ‘now what? I don’t have a degree, there are no jobs.’ It doesn’t matter what I had done or how much success I had, the requirements are to have a degree. Not only that, I had to walk back in the door competing with people half my age and many of them had MBAs. It was just a matter of figuring out how to do it—so that’s when I started to check into what were the institutions, what was the cost, how were they respected. Kaplan [University] had a degree in business with a specialty in human resources. As I started narrowing the options down, it made it into about the final three. I took those three finalists to my traditional education friends and I said, ‘I want to know what the most respected online degree would be if someone was coming into your office looking for a job.’ The IT Dean, the Computer Science Dean, felt like Kaplan [University] had the best online delivery program that was out there. The Academic Dean’s advice was that this is a respected degree that you’re not going to have people questioning whether you were competent when you came out. Everything that you take there will be accepted if you go on to a master’s [program] anywhere so that was a very good recommendation. When I sat down at graduation, 31 years later, and I’m looking up at the podium and it says, ‘Kaplan University: a Different School of Thought’ that was probably more me because I do think a little differently. I’m willing to work on things that innovate and I think that’s more of an opportunity for me and many students like me.~N

To coincide with the start of a new school year and Attendance Awareness Month, the Ad Council and U.S. Army are releasing a series of new public service advertisements (PSAs) addressing the importance of regular school attendance in middle school in order for students to stay on course to graduate high school. Created pro bono by Publicis Kaplan Thaler, the PSAs illustrate the fact that every absence, in any grade, excused or not, can negatively impact a child’s academic achievement and put their high school graduation at risk. To help parents keep track, two tools are being offered on the campaign website: a “Text2Track” mobile SMS program and a redesigned Attendance Calculator. To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/mnr/63028-ad-council-boost-attendance-absences-add-up