Development and Implementation of Multiple Pathways to Graduation in New York City

 

A Forum — Friday, October 26, 2007

In October 2005, the New York City Department of Education established the Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation (OMPG) to assess the needs and develop differentiated educational models to serve the overage and under-credited (OA/UC) high school student population.  Finding that nearly all NYC high school dropouts had a history of being OA/UC, the OMPG has developed a portfolio of educational models designed to bring New York City’s OA/UC students up to graduation standards and prepare them for postsecondary opportunities.  This forum focused on the process and levers of change that has allowed the OMPG and its partners to create their growing Multiple Pathways programs.   

JoEllen Lynch, Chief Executive Officer of Partnership Support Organization, New York City Department of Education, discussed the beginning stages of New York City’s recuperative efforts within education.  Lynch asserted, “The school is the unit of change, not the system.  With this in mind, we wanted to know what kinds of high schools needed to be created.  What did we need to do to meet the needs of young people?”  Initially, efforts were focused on assessing the current school statistics in order to understand the dropout population.  They found that many low performing high schools were only graduating 20% of their students.  Further research found that 93% of the NYC high school dropout population was overage and under-credited (OA/UC).  Despite low graduation rates and low credits earned, Lynch pointed out that students were still attending high school for up to seven years without earning a diploma.  Furthermore, Lynch stated, “Most students do not arrive at 9th grade reading at a 9th grade level, which must also be considered in the design of educational alternatives.” 

Lynch stated, “New York City decided that we were going to educate all high school students because you need a high school diploma in the 21st century workforce. ”  With this commitment, Lynch described the importance of external partners to the Multiple Pathways Initiative.  New York City dedicated $45 million to the effort while private funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation also provided additional resources.  Partners from academia and community leaders also played a vital role in developing capacity building for practitioners and community-based organizations.

Leah Hamilton, Executive Director, Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation, explained that approximately 138,000 young people are OA/UC in the city’s education system or they have already dropped out.  Hamilton discussed the following graph that displayed students at different ages with credit deficiencies:

 

At age 16, approximately 19,000 students have fewer than 11 completed credits towards graduation.  Overall, 57% of OA/UC students have fewer than 11 credits and nearly 11% are at least 18 years old.  By understanding that young people at different ages had different needs to graduate, schools and programs were designed to meet the needs of their target populations.  For example, transfer schools were created to provide a more appropriate setting for younger students while Young Adult Borough Centers were created as more appropriate settings for older students who only had a few credits left to graduate or who wanted to complete a General Educational Development (GED).

Hamilton expressed the importance of understanding when high school students become OA/UC and what patterns or outcomes result once a student becomes OA/UC.  Research showed that 52% of OA/UC students entered high school on-age, but with poor literacy skills, and 19% of OA/UC students entered high school already overage and with literacy challenges.  In addition, Hamilton said that 24% of OA/UC high school students entered high school on-age and with sufficient literacy skills.  Further profiling also revealed that 68% of OA/UC students had passed zero Regents examinations, the test used as the New York state high school exit examination. 

To meet the needs of all students, the OMPG has developed four key options for the OA/UC population:

• Transfer School model: Small, academically rigorous, full-time high schools for students who have been enrolled in high school for at least one year but are far from being promoted on grade level. OA/UC students enrolled in Transfer Schools graduate at a rate of 56% as compared to a 19% graduation rate for OA/UC students that remain in New York’s comprehensive high schools.    

• Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs):  Evening programs designed for OA/UC students considered to be at the sophomore level or better. YABCs offer a focused curriculum centered on the credits needed for individual students to graduate. OA/UC students enrolled in YABCs graduate at a rate of 39%.

• Full- and part-time GED programs:  Full and part-time GED programs prepare students for the GED and support students in developing meaningful postsecondary connections.  Hamilton recognized that the graduation rate for OA/UC students enrolled in the GED program was only 17% and noted that efforts are being made to build better quality full- and part-time GED programs.

• Learning to Work (LTW):  Students have the opportunity to particpate in intensive employability skills development workshops, subsidized internships, college and career cousneling, and job placement. LTW services are provided by community-based organizations (CBO) partners and are integrated across Multiple Pathways schools and programs, including Transfer Schools, YABCs, and GED programs.

Shane Mulhern, Senior Executive of Transfer Schools, New Visions for Public Schools, discussed the importance that external partners have played in the development of the Multiple Pathways programs.  Working as an intermediary, Mulhern explained that the role of New Visions for Public Schools has been to work with CBOs and to build capacity in order to take initiatives and programs to scale.  Collaboration between the Department of Education, intermediaries, CBOs, and other leaders have played a vital role in providing support to design schools and programs that suit students’ individualized needs.  As these external partners become school support organizations, Mulhern also noted that accountability is shared and no longer solely placed on the school administration and staff.  Mulhern believes that intermediaries are a key tool for the education system to use in making school improvements as they provide an innovative approach to support CBOs, principals, and teachers.

Rachel Forsyth, Director of Transfer Schools, Good Shepherd Services, discussed the role of CBOs in the Multiple Pathways effort.  CBOs attempt to surround young people with services that meet their needs and support their goals. Beginning with an advocate counselor, the student and the counselor are able to gain a better understanding of what the student needs in order to graduate. Forsyth described the drivers of their school success including small class sizes, low student-to-staff ratios, rigorous curricula, a strong literacy program, and collaboration between the community, families, and the school.  In addition, the Learning to Work internship is integral for students to remain educationally engaged while learning applicable job market skills.  Forsyth also stressed the importance of transparency between the school and the different CBOs providing services.  “To the students, they all work for the school,” stated Forsyth.       

Highlights from Question and Answer session

Panelists responded to a question regarding what federal policy can do to help their efforts in raising graduation rates in New York City.  Lynch stated that it is essential to look at the funding of high school reform efforts.  In addition to local tax dollars, Lynch added that a lot of the work being done is privately funded.  Furthermore, Lynch suggested that federal policy could influence how professional development can be developed and how new teachers can be attracted to the profession.  To address this issue, Lynch believes that federal policy could support the portfolio school model and leadership academies similar to the leadership academies that currently develop new principals in New York City.  Mulhern noted that current funding streams are deficit-based but could be altered to help students on an asset-based approach.  Furthermore, Mulhern believes that funding streams need to become more flexible.

Panelists responded to a question regarding how the Multiple Pathways programs are staffed.  Panelists stated that each Pathways school is staffed by New York City Department of Education teachers as well as CBO staff.  Forsyth reiterated that staff interact and work as a cohesive unit despite being employment by different entities.

 

Presenters

JoEllen Lynch, as Chief Executive Officer of the newly formed Partnership Support Organization, leads a key component of Chancellor Klein’s system-wide Children’s First initiative. With over 23 years of leadership experience, Ms. Lynch is a nationally recognized expert in youth development, education, and community change. Her decades of experience in recuperative education coalesce in her prior roles as the Executive Director of the Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation (which she launched in fall 2005) as well as in her position as the Executive Director of Youth Development (November 2004 – October 2005).

On the community-building frontlines, Ms. Lynch has functioned as the Assistant Executive Director for Community Based Programs at Good Shepherd, where she pioneered and implemented a variety of community strengthening and revitalization programs. She has also been a Director of South Brooklyn Community High School (a national model for excellence in recuperative education), led the restructuring of the New Century Schools initiative – and developed both a middle school as well as one of the first of ten Beacon Centers in the Red Hook Community of Brooklyn. Ms. Lynch holds a Masters Degree in Psychology from New York University.

Leah Hamilton,Executive Director, Office of Mulitple Pathways, has been with the Office of Multiple Pathways since its launch in September 2005. She served as the project leader with responsibility for strategic planning and expansion, and was instrumental in the design and staffing of the OMPG. As Executive Director she has overseen the Initiative’s growth to serve more than 8,500 students. She has also served in the DOE as the Director of CBO Networks and Interim Director of Student Support Services.  Ms. Hamilton offers ten years of experience leading diverse teams in large-scale, long-term projects in both the private and public sectors. She has a BA from Williams College and an MBA and MSW from Columbia University.

Shane Mulhern joined New Visions for Public Schools as Senior Executive of Transfer Schools with the responsibility of creating schools for overage and under-credited students in New York City. He previously held a number of senior-level positions with the New York City Department of Education, including Executive Director of the Office of Youth Development and School-Community Services and Chief of Staff of the Division of Youth Development. He has also served as the Director of youth programs at Southside Community Mission, as the Assistant Principal for Northside Catholic Academy, and as a Teacher at St. Joseph’s High School, all located in Brooklyn. Shane holds a B.A. from College of the Holy Cross and an Ed.M. in administration, planning, and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in educational leadership at New York University.

Rachel Forsyth is Good Shepherd Services Director of Transfer Schools. She has worked with three planning teams thus far to open schools based on the GSS model: West Brooklyn Community High School which just completed its first year and Bronx Community High School and North Queens Community High School, both opening in September.   She has extensive experience in youth development working with both staff and young people.

 

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