One potentially underestimated aspect of resource inequity in U.S. public schools is access to social capital in external organizational environments. This research examines partnerships among 211 New York City high schools and 918 partner organizations from 2001 to 2005 as sources of external school social capital providing resources that can…

This study focused on leadership effectiveness of high school principals within the New York City Department of Education. The purpose of this study was to explore the views and perspectives of teachers concerning the impact of principals' leadership style on teachers' and students' performance and to determine teachers' perceptions of the…

A partnership between a community college biology professor and a local high school teacher was established to engage high school students in authentic microbiology research. High school students isolated actinomycetes from soil samples and tested them for their ability to produce antimicrobial chemicals. They also designed and carried out their…

As one of the most culturally diverse schools in New York City, the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School (MELS) serves about 850 students in grades 6 through 12. MELS is "A School for a Sustainable City" and a New York City Outward Bound School. MELS uses the Expeditionary Learning education model, which focuses on student…

As an unprecedented number of colleges and universities close their doors forever while others struggle to survive, a deep pool of prospective students--and the key to accessing them--is hiding in plain sight. Students from rural America attend college at lower rates (59%) than their urban (62%) and suburban (67%) counterparts and comprise only…

Early college programs offer students a wide-ranging curriculum of high school and college course work, enabling students to graduate with a high school diploma and up to two years of college credit. This fact sheet examines one such program, Bard High School Early Colleges, and includes a series of questions state and district leaders can use to…

When talking with New York City educators about the circumstances of teaching during the upheavals wrought by COVID-19, common terms get repeated: "brutal," "chaotic," "confusing," "traumatic," "disorienting," "sad," and "lonely." While art education often includes digital tools…

The present paper uses a rich dataset based on naturally-occurring lotteries for 68 new small non-selective high schools in New York City, which we refer to as small schools of choice (SSCs), to address two related questions: (1) What high school features are promising levers for increasing graduation rates for disadvantaged students? and (2) What…

Intermediaries that design and build work-based learning delivery systems believe that postsecondary credentials--certifications and degrees (both associate's and bachelor's)--are a requirement for most good jobs. Indeed, such credentials increase access to economic mobility and, ultimately, greater equity. When coupled with work-based learning…

This resource clarifies the roles intermediaries play in college and career pathways systems. It can be useful for envisioning a brand-new organization or strengthening the intermediary functions of an existing organization. Your organization can use this guide during a strategic planning process or at any time to reflect on its practices, shift…

Providing authentic college experiences for students in the middle grades through a partnership with a local college can improve college readiness skills and leave students with a positive view of post-secondary possibilities and opportunities. This article describes a college immersion program--a weeklong college experience provided to all…

The idea of Hip-Hop pedagogy for the classroom is in its third decade of existence. This work began with replacing traditional literary texts with Hip-Hop lyrics for close reading and analysis. However, this also helped to make way for the artists themselves to enter the classroom. Now, Hip-Hop is often seen as an important connection to young…

The NYC P-TECH Grades 9-14 schools are early college and career high schools that are part of a public education reform movement in the United States and across the globe. They aim to prepare students for college and career -- not one or the other -- which is a different approach to contemporary high school reform than many others take. The…

"Breaking Barriers" shows how to redesign high schools so that all students can move on to college and successful careers. In a negation of the American Dream, a child's zip code is currently a far better predictor of success than hard work, intelligence, or resilience. This book tells the story of a school model that focuses on equity…

Low-income students, many of whom reside in urban environments, often lack the support they need to prepare for postsecondary education, identify the best fit schools, apply for financial aid, enroll and persist in their studies, and, ultimately, graduate with a degree. Since 2014, a university school counseling department and a New York City high…