2010 Events

12/13/10: Increasing Postsecondary Success: Lessons from Community College Innovations This forum examined the important role of community colleges in increasing the number of Americans with postsecondary degrees and providing workers with the advanced training necessary to meet the needs of employers. The event highlighted community colleges that are effectively addressing the challenge of developmental education, removing other barriers to persistence, and providing a system of supports to help today’s diverse learners progress to degree completion. Panelists offered implications for scaling up the essential elements of these research-supported practices through federal and state policy. Speakers included Frank Chong, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of Education (Washington, DC); Peter Adams, Project Director, Accelerated Learning Program at the Community College of Baltimore County (Baltimore, MD); and Elaine Baker, Senior Counsel to the Vice President for Community Outreach, Community College of Denver (Denver, CO). (Forum Brief) This page contains video footage of the event.
12/08/10: Developing Innovative Schools and Policy Supports for Deeper Learning On December 8-10, 2010, AYPF conducted an invitation-only study tour for Congressional and senior Administration staff to Indianapolis, Indiana. The goal was for participants to learn about new innovative school models that are preparing students to be successful in a rapidly-changing world. Indiana is committed to supporting student-centered and learning-focused educational innovation, including the expansion of the New Technology (New Tech) high school model and other innovative educational models as a key strategy to improve student outcomes and postsecondary and career success. In addition to hearing from policy leaders, visits were conducted to a New Tech school, and a Big Picture school. (Field Trip)
12/03/10: Examining the Role of Summer Bridge Programs in Promoting College Readiness and Completion: Lessons Learned from Texas’ Developmental Summer Bridges As colleges across the nation strive to reduce the number of students requiring developmental education, summer bridge programs have emerged as a promising intervention designed to provide graduating high school seniors with the academic and college-going skills required to be successful college students. The National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR), in cooperation with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB), is currently assessing the effectiveness of the summer bridge model in improving college preparation and success for students in need of remediation. This forum described efforts in Texas to create and evaluate developmental summer bridge programs for at-risk students. Panelists discussed the program’s development, reviewed the evaluation results, and considered the implications for policy. Presenters included Katherine Hughes, Assistant Director for Work and Education Reform Research, Columbia University (NY); Luzelma Canales, Community Engagement and Corporate Training, South Texas College, Accountability and Management Services (TX); David Gardener, Deputy Commissioner, Academic Planning and Policy, Texas Higher Education (TX) and Evan Weissman, Operations Associate, MDRC (NY). (Forum Brief)
11/19/10: Strategies to Improve Outcomes for High School English Language Learners: Implications for Federal Policy This forum examined strategies to improve the achievement, language proficiency, and graduation rates of adolescent English Language Learners (ELLs). The New York City Department of Education has prioritized improvements to the system-wide infrastructure for ELL education as a critical component of the district’s overall school reform strategy. As part of the portfolio of options provided for the district’s 150,000 ELLs, the Internationals Network for Public Schools provides rigorous instruction for recently arrived immigrant youth through its small high schools that have been nationally recognized for their strong results. With an eye to ESEA reauthorization, the forum explored lessons learned from these efforts that can be applied to federal policy. Presenters included Laura Rodriguez Deputy Chancellor, Division for Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners, New York City Department of Education (NY); Deborah Short, Director, Academic Language Research and Training/ Senior Research Associate, Center for Applied Linguistics(DC); and Claire Sylvan, Executive Director, Internationals Network for Public Schools (NY). (Forum Brief)
11/17/10: Supporting Success at the Postsecondary Level This discussion group meeting highlighted effective programs that support students as they make the transition to postsecondary education and persist in their studies, and examined policy implications for increasing the college and career success of students from underrepresented groups. Presenters included Lorelle Espinosa, Director of Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Institute of Higher Education Policy; Frank Garcia, Executive Director, The Puente Project; Neil Horikoshi, President and Executive Director, Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund; Bernice Duffy Johnson, Dean, University College, North Carolina Central University; Deborah A. Santiago, Vice President for Policy and Research, Excelencia in Education. This session represented the third meeting in the four-part discussion group series on Closing Persistent Achievement Gaps and Preparing All Youth for Long-Term Success. (Discussion Group)
10/29/10: Using Data to Improve College Completion Rates: Key State Actions and Implications for Policy This forum will address the urgent need to increase college completion rates in the U.S. and will highlight how improved data collection at the postsecondary level is key to identifying and understanding areas for improvement. The forum will report on the progress that states are making in developing and utilizing postsecondary data systems and describe efforts by national organizations to support states as they build their capacity to collect and analyze this information. Forum panelists will include Brian Nolan, Chancellor, West Virginia, Higher Education Policy Commission (WV); Travis Reindl, Program Director, National Governors Association (DC), Dominique Raymond, Director, Alliance State Relations, Complete College America (DC); and Jeff Stanley, Associate Vice President, State Higher Education Executive Officers (CO). (Forum Brief)
10/28/10: Offering High School Credit Through Expanded Learning Opportunities This webinar will highlight the New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunities (NH ELO) Initiative that seeks to offer credit to high school students for opportunities pursued outside of the traditional classroom setting. Developed by Plus Time New Hampshire and the state department of education, NH ELO allows students to pursue learning of personal passion and interest outside of the traditional classroom setting for academic credit, based on a pre-determined set of academic competencies. Participating high schools are working on systemic changes to provide students with greater access to credit bearing learning opportunities, with a focus on engaging underserved youth. Presenters included Paul Leather, Deputy Commissioner of Education, New Hampshire Department of Education (NH) and Janice Hastings, VP of Program & Resource Development, Plus Time New Hampshire (NH). (Webinar) This event was recorded and is now available on the webinar page.
10/19/10: Building a Portfolio of Options to Ensure All Students Graduate: Lessons Learned from Newark, NJ’s Partnership with the Association for High School Innovation (AHSI) AYPF hosted a webinar to highlight the work of the Association for High School Innovation (AHSI), a collaboration of education providers and advocates that works to create pathways and expand options to future success for all youth. The webinar featured the AHSI partnership in Newark, NJ to expand options and ensure more students graduate. Panelists addressed how the place-based partnership with AHSI advances improved education alternatives in Newark and informed the district’s overall secondary reform strategy. Presenters included Talmira Hill, Director, Association for High School Innovation (NH) ; Dan Gohl, Executive Assistant of Innovation and Change, Newark Public Schools (NJ) ; and Vincent Mays, Director, Office of Alternative Education, Newark Public Schools (NJ). (Webinar) This event was recorded and is now available on the webinar page.
10/15/10
: Blurring the Boundaries of School: How Providence, Rhode Island is Taking a Community Approach to Providing Expanded Learning Opportunities This forum showcased the AfterZones Initiative in Providence, RI, that has taken a community-wide approach to providing afterschool opportunities for middle school youth. Designed through a community planning process and unveiled in 2005, AfterZones engage partners throughout the city and bring key community stakeholders together while providing transportation free of charge to allow students access to community resources. An initial evaluation by Public/Private Ventures on the implementation of the program was released earlier this year and presented at the forum. Presenters included Hillary Salmons, Executive Director, Providence After School Alliance (RI); Alix Ogden, Director of Operations, Executive Office of Mayor David Cicilline in Providence, RI (RI), and Laurie Kotloff, Deputy Director of Research, Public/Private Ventures (PA). (Forum Brief)
09/26/10- 09/28/10: Data Driven Educator Development The American Youth Policy Forum (AYPF) and the Data Quality Campaign (DQC) hosted a site visit and learning exchange to New Orleans, Louisiana entitled, “Data-Driven Educator Development.” This event focused on strategies for understanding, selecting, implementing, and using effective teacher-student data link models as well as exploring how states and districts are using linked data to improve student achievement. (Field Trip)
09/22/10: Establishing a Foundation for Learning and Growth: Closing Gaps in College and Career Preparation This discussion group meeting examined how one district—the San Jose Unified School District—created a college-going culture and raised rigor for all students, and emphasized the role of community-based programs in promoting postsecondary success and building public engagement in education. The meeting showcased the college- and career-readiness initiatives of the National Council of La Raza and the National Urban League. Presenters included Dr. Linda Murray, Superintendent-in-Residence, Education Trust-West; Delia Pompa, Vice President, Education, National Council of La Raza; Hal Smith, Vice President, National Urban League, Inc. This session represented the second meeting in the four-part discussion group series on Closing Persistent Achievement Gaps and Preparing All Youth for Long-Term Success. (Discussion Group)
08/05/10: Disconnected Youth: Defining the Population and Exploring Solutions: This forum described the heterogeneity of the disconnected youth population, provided an overview of research-supported best practices, and included a panel of research and practitioner-experts to explore policy challenges and solutions. Much attention has been given to the number of students who drop out of high school, yet significant numbers of these students eventually do earn a credential (NCES cites 63% of dropouts obtain a diploma or GED within eight years of their scheduled graduation date). Our robust “second-chance” system plays a critical role in ensuring these students successfully engage in education and employment opportunities, but these programs often face significant policy challenges. Presenters included Molly Baldwin, Executive Director, Roca (MA); Dan Bloom, Director, MDRC (NY) and Toyce Newton, President & CEO, Phoenix Youth and Family Services, Inc., Arkansas Youth Opportunity (AR). (Forum) Speaker interviews are now available on this page!
07/29/10: Building a Better School Day: The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative This webinar examined the creation, implementation, and results of the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time Initiative. Presenters highlighted the need for more time in school, discuss best practices and models for ELT, and explore the impact of Massachusetts ELT, which adds 300 hours to the school year in targeted schools for more enrichment opportunities, increased instruction time, and more time for teacher planning and professional development. The presentation included a session with the former principal of the Clarence R Edwards Middle School, the highest performing ELT school in Massachusetts. The webinar also addressed recommendations for policy that can support expanded learning time at the local, state, and national level. Presenters included Ben Aiken, Program Associate, American Youth Policy Forum (DC); Jennifer Davis, President of the National Center on Time & Learning and Co-Founder of Massachusetts 2020 (MA) and Jeff Riley, Academic Superindendent, Boston Public Middle Schools (MA) (Webinar). This event was recorded and is now available on the webinar page.
07/12/10: Preparing Students for the Rapidly-Changing World: Implications for Instruction and Assessment (Forum 3) This was the third in a series of three AYPF Capitol Hill forums to address the need for a new approach to education that ensures that students graduate with the range of skills and abilities necessary for success in the knowledge economy. This final forum in the series focused on assessment, and highlighted some of the tools that are being used to measure student acquisition of the competencies needed for future success. The forum also showcased how two states have infused performance-based measures into their assessment systems to ensure student proficiency in these applied skills. Panelists also addressed how such performance-based measures fit with the common core standards and efforts to create common assessments. Presenters included Elena Silva, Senior Policy Analyst, Education Sector (DC); Sharon Lee, Secondary Redesign Specialist, Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of Multiple Pathways (RI) and Susan Gendron, Policy Coordinator, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (ME). (Forum Brief). This page contains video footage of the event.
07/09/10: Offering High School Credit Through Expanded Learning Opportunities This forum highlighted the New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunities (NH ELO) Initiative that seeks to offer credit to high school students for opportunities pursued outside of the traditional classroom setting. Developed by Plus Time New Hampshire and the state department of education, NH ELO allows students to pursue learning of personal passion and interest outside of the traditional classroom setting for academic credit, based on a pre‐determined set of academic competencies. Participating high schools are working on systemic changes to provide students with greater access to credit bearing learning opportunities, with a focus on engaging underserved youth. Presenters included Paul Leather, Deputy Commissioner of Education, New Hampshire Department of Education (NH); Janice Hastings, VP of Program & Resource Development, Plus Time New Hampshire (NH); and Michael O’Malley, Principal, Newfound High School (NH). (Forum Brief)
06/22/10: Preparing College- and Career-Ready Students: Elements of Successful Programs: This webinar examined the elements of program models that have demonstrated effectiveness in preparing students for postsecondary access and success, based on the results of rigorous evaluations. This event was a follow up of the Success at Every Step forum from February 5, 2010. Presenters included Sarah Hooker, Program Associate, American Youth Policy Forum (DC); James Connell, President, Institute for Research and Reform in Education, (NJ); Ryan Reyna, Policy Analyst, Education Division, Center for Best Practices, National Governors’ Association (DC); and Joel Vargas, Senior Project Manager, Jobs for the Future (MA). (Webinar). This event was recorded and is now available on the webinar page.
06/11/10: Building a Portfolio of Options to Ensure All Students Graduate This forum highlighted the work of the Association for High School Innovation (AHSI), a collaboration of education providers and advocates that works to create pathways and expand options to future success for all youth. Over the past seven years, AHSI members have engaged in a variety of efforts at the state and local level to create and sustain the development of education options to ensure all students graduate. Presenters shared lessons learned from their work along with implications for policy. Presenters included Talmira Hill, Director, Association for High School Innovation (NH); Elliot Washor, Co-Director, Big Picture Learning (RI); Nick Mathern, Associate Vice President, Policy & Partnership Development, Gateway to College National Network (OR), and Dr. Vincent Mays, Director, Office of Alternative Education, Newark Public Schools (NJ) (Forum Brief).
05/21/10: Preparing Students for the Rapidly-Changing World: Implications for Instruction and Assessment (Forum 2) This forum is the second in a series of three forums that discussed the skills students need to be successful and address the imperative for drastically changing teaching, instruction, and assessment in our middle and high schools. Speakers at this forum addressed innovative approaches to instruction and the implications of such instructional changes for teacher preparation and professional development. Presenters at this forum included Tony Wagner, Co-Director of the Change Leadership Group in the Harvard Graduate School of Education (MA), and Monica Martinez, President of the New Tech Network (CA). (Forum Brief) Speaker interviews are now available on this page!
05/14/10: Envisioning a Different School Day: How Boston and New York Are Using Expanded Learning Time As we seek to prepare students for college and career success in the 21st Century, there has been a great deal of discussion around modernizing the traditional school schedule and creating a different school day. This forum showcased two innovative models implemented in Massachusetts and New York City that provide more instruction time for students by lengthening the school day. The Expanded Learning Time Initiative in Massachusetts adds 300 hours to the school year for more enrichment opportunities, increased instruction time, and more time for teacher planning and professional development. Expanded Learning Time/New York City expands learning time by at least 30% for participating schools by creating partnerships with community organizations to redesign the traditional school day and structure. Presenters at this forum included Jennifer Davis, President of the National Center on Time & Learning and Co-Founder of Massachusetts 2020 (MA); Saskia Traill, Policy Director of The After-School Corporation (TASC) (NY); Corbett Coutts, Assistant Principal of The Mario Umana Middle School Academy in East Boston (MA); and Valerie Sawinksi, Principal, JHS 185, (NY). (Forum Brief)
05/09/10- 05/11/10: Building Capacity to Promote College- and Career-Readiness for English Language Learners This study mission, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, enabled policymakers from five states to learn about strategies for moving their English Language Learners (ELLs) to postsecondary success. This trip to Texas highlighted the exemplary strategies of the Austin Independent School District (AISD) and Texas Education Agency (TEA) in building a statewide framework for rigorous instruction; prioritizing ELLs at district, regional, and state levels; building human capital; and meeting the needs of both urban and rural districts through shared services. In addition to panel discussions with key leaders of AISD and TEA, our site visits showcased two high schools that have engaged in innovative models of whole-school reform focused on improving ELL instruction at the secondary level. (Field Trip)
04/25/10- 04/27/10: Getting the Right Data to the Right People: How to Present and Communicate Data to Educators, Administrators, and the Public AYPF in partnership with Data Quality Campaign (DQC) led a study tour and learning exchange to Little Rock, Arkansas. This event focused on effective strategies for providing timely, role-based access to state longitudinal data systems to all stakeholders while protecting privacy. Interactive learning sessions engaged policymakers to explore how to engage and communicate with stakeholders, match data access with user needs, communicate a culture of data use, align and support data access and use at the local level and plan for sustainability. (Field Trip)
04/23/10: Preparing Students for the Rapidly-Changing World: Implications for Instruction and Assessment (Forum 1) This forum was the first of three that discussed the skills students need to be successful and address the imperative for drastically changing teaching, instruction, and assessment in our middle and high schools. Presenters included Ann Cook, Director, New York Performance Standards Consortium (NY) and Arleen Thelemaque a student from the Urban Academy (NY). THIS PAGE CONTAINS VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE EVENT. (Forum Brief)
04/21/10: Setting the Stage: An Overview of the Achievement Gap and a Framework of Comprehensive Support for Student Success This discussion group meeting represented the first session of the four-part discussion group series on Closing Persistent Achievement Gaps and Preparing All Youth for Long-Term Success. This session set the stage by providing participants with an in-depth analysis on the dynamics of achievement differences among student groups, and educational and social factors that perpetuate disparities. Presenters included Ronald F. Ferguson, Faculty Co-Chair and Director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University (MA); and Ronald Williams, Vice President of the College Board (DC). (Discussion Group). THIS PAGE CONTAINS VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE EVENT.
03/24/10- 03/26/10

State Strategies to Ensure All Students Graduate This study mission, enabled state policy makers from Alabama, Delaware, Kansas, and South Carolina to learn from Massachusetts' comprehensive efforts to improve support systems for high school students at risk of dropping out. Panel discussions, presentations, and site visits all showcased the state's use of early warning systems, alternative education, community partnerships, and longitudinal data systems in their prevention and recovery strategies. (Field Trip)
03/12/10
: Increasing Capacity and Quality in Afterschool Programs: Lessons learned from New York City’s Beacons Beacons are one of the nation's first citywide after school initiatives and now operate in five cities, serving more than 150,000 children, youth, and community members. The Beacons Young Adolescent Initiative (BYA) is a four-year initiative of the Youth Development Institute (YDI), funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies. The initiative is designed to address two key issues in the afterschool field: the need for high quality programs and the reduced participation of young people as they entered adolescence. This forum discussed the results of the BYA's recently released third year evaluation report, examine YDI's capacity building strategies and their impact, and provided policy recommendations. Presenters at this event included Rob Abbot, Program Director, Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation (NY); Anita M. Baker, Program Director, OMG Center for Collaborative Learning (PA); Sandra Escamilla, Director of Programs, The Youth Development Institute (NY); Peter Kleinbard, Executive Director, Youth Development Institute (NY), and Sarah Zeller-Berkman, Director Beacons National Strategy, the Youth Development Institute (NY). (Forum Brief)
03/05/10

A Comprehensive Approach to Success in Education and Careers for Out-of-School Youth The Community Education Pathways to Success (CEPS) model targets out-of-school youth who have expressed interest in earning a GED, by addressing low literacy and math skills through an integration of youth development, social supports, and career-related services. Through building partnerships with community-based organizations and community colleges, participants are supported through completing their education, entering college, finding working, and contributing to their communities. This forum provided an overview of the model, discussed results from a recently released evaluation, and provided recommendations for policy. Presenters included Peter Kleinbard, Executive Director, Youth Development Institute (NY); Vivian Vazquez, Director, CEPS, Youth Development Institute (NY); Patricia Campbell, President, Campbell-Kibler Associates, Inc. (NY); and Jack Doyle, Executive Director, New Settlement Apartments (NY). (Forum Brief)
02/15/10- 02/17/10: Preparing Rural Students for Success Beyond High School AYPF led a study mission for federal policy leaders to Raleigh, North Carolina to examine how rural education systems are providing high quality instruction and improving the readiness of young people for life beyond high school. Trip participants included Congressional staff, Department of Education officials, and representatives of national education organizations. Discussions and site visits provided examples of how resources are being utilized to address the challenges facing rural areas. Participants learned how federal and state policies and funding streams affect rural school districts; the unique challenges of providing high quality instruction in rural settings; and innovative approaches to providing comprehensive education in rural communities. In addition to discussions with school leadership, educators, and students during our site visits, we also met with high-level state and local policy leaders and other stakeholders committed to improving college access and preparedness for life for all of North Carolina’s youth. (Field Trip)
02/05/10: Success at Every Step of College and Career Preparation AYPF recently released a publication, Success at Every Step: How 23 Programs Support Youth on the Path to College and Beyond, which profiles programs that have been proven to help young people complete high school and be prepared for success in postsecondary education and careers, based on the results of recent, high-quality evaluations. Thisevent provided an overview of the findings of the report, showcased a variety of programs that support college- and career-readiness, and explored implications for federal and state policy. Presenters included Greg Darnieder, Special Assistant to the Secretary on College Access, U.S. Department of Education (DC); Ryan Reyna, Policy, Analyst, Education Division, Center for Best Practices, National Governors’ Association (DC); Katharine Oliver, Assistant State Superintendent for Career and Technical Education and Adult Learning, Maryland State Department of Education (MD); Michael Wotorson, Executive Director, Campaign for High School Equity (DC); Rachel Singer, Director of Academic Affairs, Kingsborough Community College (NY); Joel Vargas, Senior Project Manager, Jobs for the Future (MA); and David Sinski, Executive Director, After School Matters (IL). (Forum Brief)
01/28/10: Using Expanded Learning Opportunities to Manage Key Transition Periods for At-Risk Youth This discussion group explored the use of Expanding Learning Opportunities (ELOs) in managing key transition periods for at-risk youth. Presenters included Hanif Fazal of Open Meadow Step Up (OR); Lisa Zarin, Laura Skayama, and Laurie Bainter of College Bound St. Louis (MO); Lucy Friedman of The After-School Corporation (NY); and Erik Peterson of the Afterschool Alliance (DC). (Discussion Group)