| The Research Alliance for New York City Schools |
| New Brief: Persisting Students:
Exploring the Pathways and Outcomes of Students Who Don't Graduate in Four Years, But Remain Enrolled in NYC High Schools |
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Over the past decade, New York City’s high school graduation rate has risen dramatically, yet roughly a quarter of each entering 9th-grade class still does not graduate on time. Some of these students permanently drop out in their first four years, but a much larger percentage actually stay enrolled (or reenroll after temporarily leaving school) and continue working toward their diploma.
Our new brief (the first in our Equity, Access, and Diversity series) focuses on these “persisting” students. They not only are a large group (about one in five—or more than 12,000 students per entering class), they are also particularly vulnerable. Yet, the fact that persisting students continue to have a connection to the education system offers meaningful opportunities to intervene and provide them with support.
The new study explores who persisting students are, how they fall off track, which schools they attend, and the supports that students and educators see as most important for helping persisting students succeed. Drawing on these findings, the brief highlights several promising strategies to support this group of students, and raises important questions for future research.
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| Event Recap: High School "Persisters"
On June 7, at an event that engaged a diverse group of NYC educators, policymakers and leaders from community-based organizations, the Research Alliance’s Zitsi Mirakhur and Kathryn Hill presented findings from the new Persisting Students study. Charlton McIlwain of NYU Steinhardt moderated a stimulating panel discussion about challenges faced by persisting students, promising school and district practices, and important next steps for policy and research focused on this group of students. Panelists included Michelle Costa of the NYC Department of Education, Mark Dunetz of New Visions for Public Schools, Sister Paulette LoMonaco of Good Shepherd Services, and Dez-Ann Romain of Brooklyn Democracy Academy. The event also featured a roundtable discussion with three persisting students who shared their experiences, and discussed their ideas about how to best serve other persisting students in the NYC school system. |
| | Research Alliance Work in the News
- “Asian Groups See Bias in Plan to Diversify New York’s Elite Schools,” The New York Times, (June 5, 2018).
- “Program to Help Minority Students Fell Short of Some Goals, Study Finds,” Wall Street Journal, (May 9, 2018).
- “8 Important Topics in Education Research Right Now,” Education Week, (April 16, 2018).
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| The Research Alliance for New York City Schools is a nonpartisan research center housed at the New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. The Research Alliance conducts rigorous studies on topics that matter to the city’s public schools. The organization strives to advance equity and excellence in education by providing evidence about policies and practices that promote students' development and academic success.
Learn More at Our Website |
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