New initiatives will raise the bar: 80 percent of students will graduate high school on time, and 2/3 of students will be college-ready
Building on Pre-K for All and Community Schools, City promotes academic excellence, student & community support, and innovation
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña today joined students, families, and educators to celebrate the first day of school, starting the day with a 7th-grade student and her new Single Shepherd at IS 392 in Brownsville. This will be the first full school year of the Equity and Excellence reforms first laid out by Mayor Bill de Blasio last September. The Equity and Excellence initiatives will support progress across all schools so that, by 2026, 80 percent of students graduate high school on time, two-thirds of graduates are college-ready, and all students are reading in 2nd grade.
There is momentum across the Equity and Excellence for All initiatives; below is a by-the-numbers breakdown for the 2016-17 school year:
Single Shepherd
Single Shepherd is pairing every student in grades 6-12 in District 7 in the South Bronx and District 23 in Brownsville with a dedicated school counselor or social worker who will support them in their school on the path to graduation and college enrollment.
This school year, approximately 120 Single Shepherds are serving all16,000 grade 6-12 students at all 51 middle and high schools in Districts 7 and 23.
Universal Literacy
Through Universal Literacy, every school will receive support from a dedicated reading coach who will work with teachers to ensure all students are reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade. Within six years, at least two-thirds of students will be able to read proficiently by the end of 2nd grade, with the target of 100 percent of all 2nd graders reading at grade level by 2026.
This school year, 103 Universal Literacy reading coaches are supporting all107 elementary schools in Districts 9 and 10 in the Bronx and Districts 17 and 32 in Brooklyn.
Algebra for All
Through Algebra for All, by 2022, every student will have access to Algebra in 8th grade, complete Algebra no later than 9th grade, and there will be academic supports in place in elementary and middle school to build greater Algebra readiness.
This school year, 67 elementary schools are “departmentalizing” 5th-grade math – having their math instruction led by a specialized teacher who received intensive training the spring and summer. Including those schools, over 400 elementary, middle, and high school teachers across 205 schools are returning to their schools with expanded expertise in math instruction.
AP for All
AP for All is adding Advanced Placement courses at underserved schools across the City; by fall 2021, students at all high schools will have access to at least five AP classes.
This school year, 63 high schools are offering new AP courses, including35 that offered no AP courses during the 2015-16 school year. An additional 71 high schools are receiving pre-AP support to strengthen student and teacher readiness for AP courses in future years.
Computer Science for All
Through Computer Science for All, every student will receive computer science education in elementary, middle, and high school by 2025.
This school year, 246 elementary, middle, and schools are participating in Computer Science for All, including 98 offering full-year or multi-year sequences. Across these schools, 457 teachers are receiving rigorous professional development and support to implement these programs.
College Access for All – Middle School
Through College Access for All – Middle School, by the 2018-19 school year, every middle school student will have the opportunity to visit a college campus.
This school year, 167 middle schools across ten districts will bring over20,000 students to college campuses during the school year, and offer new workshops and resources for students and families around high school, college, and career success.
College Access for All – High School
Through College Access for All – High School, by the 2018-19 school year, every student will have the resources and supports at their high school to graduate with an individual college and career plan.
This school year, 100 high schools are receiving new training and funding to build a schoolwide college and career culture. All 68,000 New York City high school juniors will be able to take the SAT free of charge during the school day on April 5, 2017.
District-Charter Partnerships
District-Charter Partnerships will pair district and charter schools to foster strong relationship and share best practices. Partnerships include facilitated conversations among schools, organized visits, and sharing of resources and strategies.
This school year, over 130 district and charter schools will partner around sharing best practices. Currently, this includes 108 schools – 11 co-located schools building campus community and sharing practices; 19 schools in District 16 in Brooklyn participating in a district-wide district-charter partnership; and 78 schools in Districts 18, 19, and 23 in Brooklyn engaged in the DOE Uncommon Schools-Impact Partnership. An additional 28 schools will be identified for new collaborative learning partnerships this fall.
Pre-K for All
Pre-K for All is in its second year of providing a free, full-day, high-quality pre-K seat for every four-year-old in New York City – better preparing our youngest students to learn and be successful in kindergarten and beyond.
This school year, 70,430 children are registered to attend free, full-day, high-quality pre-K, more than triple the 20,000 children who attended before the Pre-K for All expansion. Last year, on the first day of school,65,504 children were registered. Families can continue to find free, full-day, high quality pre-K seats by calling 311 or visiting nyc.gov/prek.
Community Schools
New York City’s 130 Community Schools recognize that in order for students to achieve academic excellence, we must support the whole child, as well as their family. Community Schools support students, engage families, and strengthen communities from all sides; integrating academics, health, youth development, and family engagement and providing access to critical programs and services like vision screening, mentoring, expanded learning programs, adult education, and mental health counseling. Each school is paired with a lead Community Based Organization partner that works collaboratively with the principal and the school community to do this work.
The Mayor and Chancellor will continue to highlight these initiatives with five-borough tours. After the visit to IS 392, the Mayor will visit the expanded pre-K program at PS 161 in Queens; PS 154 in the Bronx, a Renewal and Community School; and the KIPP Infinity Charter School in Manhattan.
