office of multiple pathways to graduation:

DRAFT DOCUMENT

OFFICE OF MULTIPLE PATHWAYS TO GRADUATION:

Developing and strengthening differentiated pathways to high school graduation and post-secondary opportunities for overage, under-credited youth

THE NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

JOEL I. KLEIN, Chancellor

Presented to the American Youth Policy ForumSouth Brooklyn Community High School

May 25, 2006

2DRAFT DOCUMENT

“The problem is that our educational system is not delivering on the promise of a second chance. Only one in ten of the high school dropouts who persist and get a GED and then persist and enroll in college actually come out with a degree. What that says is that the young people keep trying and we keep failing them . . . .

There is a need for more pathways that help dropouts pursue an education: we cannot continue to base policy on the erroneous belief that all students will proceed through a traditional four years of high school followed

directly by two to four years of college. Instead, communities and states need to be strategic in the way they carry out high school reform -- especially in low-

income central cities with high concentrations of dropouts. Such activity includes the creation of new school options and a more diverse portfolio

of options and pathways for young people, all of which lead to postsecondary credentials.”

Making Good on a Promise: What Policymakers Can Do to Support the Educational Persistence of Dropouts , Cheryl Almeida, Cassius Johnson, and Adria Steinberg, Jobs for the Future, April 2006

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MISSION: To create a differentiated portfolio of educational options integrated with secondary reform that will provide systemic opportunities to improve student high school graduation rates and the long-term plans of overage and under-credited youth — or multiple pathways to graduation:

Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation

Universe of overage, under-

credited youth

Transfer Schools

Young Adult Borough Centers

Blended GED Programs

Learning to Work Program

NYS Regentsdiploma

NYS Localdiploma

GED

Post-secondarytraining

Workforceconnections

4DRAFT DOCUMENT

Multiple Pathways options meet New York State graduation requirements

• Click to add Text



Regents Exams: 5

• Comprehensive English

• Global History and Geography

• U.S. History and Government

• Mathematics

• Science

Courses: 44 credits

Area # of Credits

• English 8

• Social Studies 8

• Mathematics 6

• Science 6

• Second Language 2

• Art 1

• Music 1

• Health Education 1

• Physical Education 4

• Elective Areas 7

Total 44

Define and understand

student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT

Conduct a segmented population analysis

Research best practices and design models for schools and

programs

Create a differentiated

portfolio informed by analytics

STRATEGY

Build capacity system-wide

Develop tools to start, sustain,

and strengthen schools and

programs

IMPLEMENTATION

GO

AL

AC

TIV

ITY

Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation Methodology


programs



STRATEGY


programs



STRATEGY


student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT


GO

AL

AC

TIV

ITY

Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation Methodology




programs

IMPLEMENTATION




programs

IMPLEMENTATION

7DRAFT DOCUMENT

Situation Assessment: Segmented population analysis

Age 16 Fewer than 11 Credits



Age 19-21 Fewer than 44 Credits

Age Credits

An overage and under-credited student is defined as a student who is 2 years behind his or her expected age and credit accumulation in high school

Segmentation informs strategy:

Who are these students?

What is their experience in the system?

Definition of overage, under-credited students

IN- AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL OVERAGE AND UNDER-CREDITED YOUTH, JUNE 2005

Note: Includes District 75 students. Students are counted as out-of-school youth only if they are dropouts (as opposed to other discharges) Source: ATS Data, Parthenon analysis

Focus of MultiplePathways Initiative

Of the nearly 140K overage and under-credited youth in New York City, half are currently in school.

Age 21

70K

Age 20

Age 19

Age 18

Age 17

Age 16 or Younger

Out-of-School Youth In-School Youth

Age 20

Age 19

Age 18

Age 17

68K

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Perc

ent

of

Stu

dents


DRAFT DOCUMENT

Segmentation by student age and credits earned

How far has he or she progressed?

How much time does the student have to complete the requirements for credential?

STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS

Segmentation by level of academic preparation at high school entrance

To what extent can programs at the high school level be effective?

What potential strategies have preventive versus recuperative power?


DRAFT DOCUMENT

GO

AL

AC

TIV

ITY


programs



STRATEGY


programs



STRATEGY




programs

IMPLEMENTATION




programs

IMPLEMENTATION

Office of Multiple Pathways to GraduationMethodology


student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT



student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT


11DRAFT DOCUMENT

Transfer Schools


GED Blends


credited youth


Strategy: Differentiated portfolio informed by analytics

Situation assessment provides in-depth understanding of student needs and how or whether the system meets them. Segmentation of student

population drives differentiated programmatic development — or multiple pathways to graduation:

12DRAFT DOCUMENT

Transfer Schools are small, academically rigorous diploma granting high schools for students that have been enrolled in a NYC public high school for at least one year and are far from promoting on grade level in their current high school.

Essential elements of Transfer Schools:

• personalized learning environment• rigorous academic standards• student-centered pedagogy • support to meet instructional and development goals • focus on connections to college

OMPG Transfer School Portfolio:

The Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation supports and strengthens NYC DOE’s network of 22 Transfer Schools, and is developing tools for new Transfer School start-up.

Differentiated Portfolio: Transfer Schools

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Differentiated Portfolio: Blended GED Programs

OMPG is developing models of blended GED programs tailored for overage, under-credited youth. The model will serve as a lab school for further research and development of GED programs for overage, under-credited youth.

Essential Elements of GED Blend Model:• Youth development approach • Integrated learning cycles • Portfolio creation process• Innovative systems for student engagement, assessment, and progression• Pathways to post-secondary training and other opportunities• In-depth, sector-specific career exploration with individualized career strands

OMPG GED Blends Portfolio:• 3 programs launched at Learning to Work sites in 2005-2006• 1 full-time, stand-alone program with a Learning to Work component will be launched in Fall 2006, with a capacity of 150 students

14DRAFT DOCUMENT

Differentiated Portfolio: YABCs

Housed in host high schools, Young Adult Borough Centers are full-time programs for students who are 17½ or older and have at least 17 credits. The instructional model of YABCs allows students to concentrate only on the credit portfolio they need for graduation through a non-traditional block schedule.

Essential elements of YABCs, provided by a Community Based Organization at each program site:• youth development support• career and college counseling• assistance with job placement

OMPG YABC Program Portfolio:• 16 YABC Programs, with 9 new programs launched in 2005-2006

15DRAFT DOCUMENT

Differentiated Portfolio: Learning to Work

Learning to Work (LTW) is an integrated workforce readiness and student support program that prepares overage, under-credited students for the workforce, connects them to jobs and post-secondary, and enables them to earn a high school diploma or GED through:

CAREER PREPARATION

WORKFORCE CONNECTIONS

• Vocational/Work Readiness Workshops• Career Exploration and Planning

• Internship Placements• Job Placements

ACADEMIC SUPPORT

• Tutoring and Attendance Outreach• Post-secondary Exploration and Advising

SUPPORT SERVICES

• Individual and Group Counseling• Referral to Services

16DRAFT DOCUMENT

Learning to Work is an initiative that cuts across all Multiple Pathways programs.

In 2005-2006, LTW sites were launched at:– 9 Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs)

• 5 new YABCs• 4 existing YABCs

– 6 Transfer Schools– 3 GED Programs

Differentiated Portfolio: Learning to Work

18%

23%

15%12%

11%

21%Business & Retail (18%)

Education (22%)

Government/Public Sector (15%)

Health Care (12%)

Media & Communications (11%)

Nonprofit & Social Services (21%)

LTW INTERNSHIP PLACEMENT BY SECTOR

• To date, 1403 students from LTW programs have made workforce connections • 833 students placed in LTW internships• 570 students are currently working in positions secured outside of the LTW internship

program• Preliminary data shows that 50 LTW students have already turned their LTW internships

into paid jobs

Learning to Work connects students to a broad array of employment sectors throughout New York City

Learning to Work also empowers students to make their own connections:

Differentiated Portfolio: LTW Workforce Connections

DRAFT DOCUMENT


programs



STRATEGY


programs



STRATEGY

GO

AL

AC

TIV

ITY




programs

IMPLEMENTATION




programs

IMPLEMENTATION

Office of Multiple Pathways to GraduationMethodology


student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT



student population

SITUATIONASSESSMENT


19DRAFT DOCUMENT

• STARTING NEW SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS– Developing new models

• Adolescent literacy• GED blends

– Replicating successful models– Creating tools for implementing models

• SUSTAINING EXISTING SCHOOLS/PROGRAMS– Bolstering networks of schools/programs to capture and share learnings, identify

best practices, and disseminate information

• STRENGTHENING THE SYSTEM– Managing performance; creating accountability standards– Developing resources– Sharing knowledge and disseminating information

• Network meetings for YABC/LTW program directors

Implementation and Capacity-Building

20DRAFT DOCUMENT

• Capacity/Models

• Data Management

• Meeting State and Federal Standards

Challenges

21DRAFT DOCUMENT

Questions?


credited youth

Transfer Schools


Blended GED Programs


NYS Regentsdiploma

NYS Localdiploma

GED

Post-secondarytraining

Workforceconnections

office of multiple pathways to graduation:

Documents