California's alternative education options for youth vulnerable to dropping out of school have been established at different historical points and for different student age and target populations. For purposes of this brief, "alternative school" is defined as belonging to one of six legislatively authorized types of public (non-charter)…

This article explores the critical role of school leaders in language policy change, and specifically in shifting their language education policies and practices from monolingual to multilingual. We examine the process of language policy change in three schools that were involved in a project aimed at increasing the knowledge base of school…

Tom O'Brien calls Brentwood High School a school of opportunity and hope. He has been principal of the 3,600-student, 300-teacher school for 14 years. The sprawling complex on Long Island, NY, is home to students from 47 countries, and English is a second language in the majority of homes. This article discusses why Brentwood High School is deemed…

The mechanism design approach to student assignment involves the theoretical, empirical, and experimental study of systems used to allocate students into schools around the world. Recent practical experience designing systems for student assignment has raised new theoretical questions for the theory of matching and assignment. This article reviews…

In August of 2011, NYC launched the Young Men's Initiative (YMI)--an ambitious set of programs across several City agencies aimed at improving outcomes for Black and Latino males. The bulk of YMI's education effort is the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI), which provides funding and support to 40 high schools to help them improve college and…

In August of 2011, NYC launched the Young Men's Initiative (YMI)--an ambitious set of programs across several City agencies aimed at improving outcomes for Black and Latino males. The bulk of YMI's education effort is the Expanded Success Initiative (ESI), which provides funding and support to 40 high schools to help them improve college and…

The U.S. Department of Education recently released a "College Completion Tool Kit" intended to support the higher education attainment goals set by the Obama administration. These goals are consistent with the state's Strategic Master Plan for Higher Education. The tool kit lays out strategies for achieving higher levels of attainment…

While teaching in New York City public schools, the author began planning collaboratively with a team of mathematics teachers. Collaborative planning enabled them to consider a range of issues that may not have emerged had they been planning independently. In this article, the author first describes their work through excerpts of conversations…

Over the last decade, New York City has been the site of a systemwide high school reform effort that is unprecedented in its scope and pace. Since 2002, the school district has closed more than 20 failing high schools, opened more than 200 new secondary schools, and implemented a centralized high school admission process in which approximately…

As the principal of Baruch College Campus High School in New York City, the author wanted to help her teachers communicate with one another and put structures in place to develop the vision of the school while giving teachers opportunities for input and growth. After conducting a needs assessment, she found that teachers who had an ally in the…

In the course of studying the causes of student unrest in colleges and secondary schools, the Commission reviewed recent reports, visited institutions, held hearings throughout New York State, interviewed political, educational and lay leaders, undertook case studies and a school profile, and solicited and reviewed letters and other communications…

This guide is intended to identify alternatives to the traditional school or college program for earning credit or credentials at the secondary and postsecondary levels, to present the policy of the New York State Board of Regents on the award of credit or credentials for nontraditional educational experiences, and to describe the benefits of…

This guide, which is intended for teachers interested in starting a workplace mentoring program, presents information about mentors and mentoring that can be used to match students with the right mentors in the workplace and help prepare and support students and mentors in enhancing the student-mentor match. The guide begins with background…

In the wake of the federal No Child Left Behind legislation, standardized tests have become increasingly high-stakes. Yet English language learners (ELLs) typically score far below native English speakers, creating pressure to "teach to the test." This article shares findings from an intensive year long study in 10 New York City high…

Agri Tech Prep 2000 (ATP 2000) is a 4-year tech prep program linking high school and postsecondary curricula designed to prepare New York students for careers in agriculture or acceptance into a college program in agriculture. Because teacher development was designated an integral project component for fiscal year 1991-1992, a weeklong teacher…