Over the past 15 years, in New York City and across the country, expectations for high schools—and high school students—have changed dramatically.
Increasingly, high schools are being asked not only to reduce dropout rates and boost graduation rates, but also to impart knowledge, skills, and experiences that will prepare students to succeed in college. Similarly, many post-secondary institutions are under increased pressure, as policymakers and the public ask hard questions about low college completion rates. Public K-12 and post-secondary systems in many cities, including NYC, have started working together in largely unprecedented ways, attempting to create a more seamless and effective education “pipeline.”
The Research Alliance's new brief, New York City Goes to College: A First Look at Patterns of College Enrollment, Persistence, and Degree Attainment for NYC Students, is designed to inform these efforts. To conduct these analyses, we developed a unique dataset that tracks multiple cohorts of NYC students from 9th grade through college. The brief examines students' pathways into and through post-secondary education, describing patterns of enrollment, persistence, and completion. It also begins to explore factors that may affect students’ college outcomes, including their academic preparation while in high school and the type of post-secondary institution they attend.
“It is rare to be able to track students’ trajectories through high school and college,” said James J. Kemple, executive director of the Research Alliance. “This is the first such study focused on New York City, and it has revealed some encouraging signs, as well as areas in need of greater attention. The findings provide a strong foundation for learning more about the barriers that limit some students’ college access and success.”
