Moving the Needle Exploring Key Levers to Boost College Readiness Among Black and Latino Males in New York City

Key findings from this recent report by Research Alliance for New York City Schools:

1. Focus explicitly on college readiness: ESI schools not only work to increase academic preparedness, in terms of mastery of specific content and “higher-order” skills like critical thinking and problem-solving; they also aim to enhance “college knowledge” and other aspects of readiness, including help navigating the application, financial aid, and matriculation process as well as the cultural norms on college campuses. These college-focused

supports are especially important for students who are first-generation college goers and/or lack the social network to help them through the college admission process and the transition to college life.

2. Invest resources in the 9th grade: In Year 1 of ESI, all resources and programming must be allocated to the 9th-grade cohort in ESI schools (programming will then follow this cohort through their scheduled graduation). Several schools are using these resources to provide bridge programs that help students transition more smoothly from middle to high school. Moreover, many of the college-focused efforts that ESI schools were previously implementing with juniors and seniors are now being targeted toward 9th graders. Focusing on the 9th-grade cohort allows schools to identify students who are off-track for graduation early—an important strategy considering that students off-track by the end of their 9th-grade year are 56 percent less likely to graduate, much less enroll in college.

3. Increase opportunities for rigorous coursework: ESI’s academic component encourages schools to revamp their curriculum to better align with the Common Core, to increase the number of Black and Latino males taking AP and honors courses, and to reprogram academic schedules so students can take a higher number of math and science courses. But simply improving access to more rigorous courses is not enough—students must also be adequately supported to succeed in those classes. It will be important to understand how (or if) ESI schools are building in ramp-up courses or providing academic support in foundational skills to the students who will be taking these more advanced classes, particularly in math and science.

4. Cultivate student leadership/student voice: Socioemotional supports are critical to help address the environmental factors impeding the success of many Black and Latino boys. ESI’s youth development component encourages schools to provide students with peer and adult mentoring, leadership opportunities, and structures such as advisory periods and Freshmen Seminars. T aken together , these efforts should help create a school environment in which male students of color can find support more easily, can have more of a voice on campus, and are less likely to fall through the cracks.

  1. Form strategic partnerships: ESI’s design calls for schools to allocate some of their ESI funding to partner with organizations that provide a range of support to educators and schools. Many of the organizations approved as potential partners provide enrichment programs that are geared toward young men of color and intended to increase their school engagement and improve their relationships with adults in the school. Other partner organizations provide schools with training in particular content areas, including writing instruction and high-level math curricula. In addition, many ESI schools are partnering with higher education institutions to provide students with opportunities to take courses on college campuses and get valuable internship experience while still in high school.

  2. Train school staff in culturally responsive education: Perhaps the most unique feature of ESI is its focus on confronting underlying biases against young men of color and infusing ESI programming with culturally relevant or responsive education. While it is too early to say how widespread this will be among the 40 ESI schools, there are signs that principals and teachers (of all races and ethnicities) are having explicit conversations around race and gender, confronting their own biases, and challenging each other to rethink their expectations of Black and Latino young men. Schools are working to create a culture in which staff and students value the experiences, perspectives and cultural capital of students typically labeled as disadvantaged and believe in their ability to thrive in high school, college, and careers.

Click here to read the full executive study.

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