School Chancellor Carranza Celebrates College Awareness Day From Harlem To Hollis

Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza today celebrated the fifth annual College Awareness Day as part of the City’s College Access for All initiative. Citywide, schools serving grades 3-K through 12 are promoting a college- and career-going culture through activities and events emphasizing the importance of postsecondary readiness.

“It’s never too early for our students to start learning about the opportunities available to them after graduation, and through College Access for All, we’re creating college- and career-going cultures across our schools,” said Schools Chancellor Richard A. Carranza.  “We know our approach is working—more New York City students are going off to college than ever before— and I’m so proud of every school celebrating College Awareness Day today!”

As part of the City’s College Access for All initiative, College Awareness Day fosters a college and career culture for the next generation of graduates through activities including:

• Alumni visits, guest speakers, and panel discussions with college graduates
• Student research projects and presentations on colleges and careers
• ·         Workshops for students and families on the college application and financial aid processes
• Staff showing school pride by wearing college apparel
• Pep rallies, parades and door decorating competitions
• College Family Visit at John Jay College

In partnership with CUNY Manhattan Campuses, the DOE and College Access for All Middle School will hold a Family Visit Day at John Jay College of Criminal Justice on Saturday, January 11. The day will include a pep rally, campus tours, and workshops for families to explore steps they can take to prepare for college while in their children are still in middle school. Participating colleges include Baruch College, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and The City College of New York.

Through Middle School College Access for All, every 7th-grader in New York City public schools has the opportunity to visit a college campus—approximately 70,000 7th-grade students have the opportunity to visit one or more college campuses each school year. During the 2018-19 school year, middle school students visited 126 colleges, including CUNY, SUNY, out-of-state schools, and HBCUs.

At the high school level, every high school has resources and supports for students to graduate with a college and career plan. This has included eliminating the CUNY college application fee for low-income students and making the SAT exam available free of charge during the school day for all high school juniors. In the Class of 2018, approximately 45,000 students redeemed fee waivers through CUNY, allowing them to apply for free. That same year, 80% of juniors participated in SAT school day, taking the exam in school free of charge.

New York City’s postsecondary enrollment rate is its highest ever—a record 62 percent of New York City’s Class of 2018 enrolled in a two- or four-year college, vocational program, or public service program after graduation, up 3 percentage points from the previous year and up 11 percentage points from the Class of 2013.

College Access for All is part of the Mayor and Chancellor’s Equity and Excellence for All agenda, which is building a pathway to success in college and careers for all students. Our schools are starting earlier – free, full-day, high-quality education for three-year-olds and four-year-olds through 3-K for All and Pre-K for All. They are strengthening foundational skills and instruction earlier – Universal Literacy so that every student is reading on grade level by the end of 2nd grade; and Algebra for All to improve elementary- and middle-school math instruction and ensure that all 8th graders have access to algebra. They are offering students more challenging, hands-on, college and career-aligned coursework – Computer Science for All brings 21st-century computer science instruction to every school, and AP for All will give all high school students access to at least five Advanced Placement courses. Along the way, they are giving students and families additional support through College Access for All, Single Shepherd, and investment in Community Schools. Efforts to create more diverse and inclusive classrooms through Diversity in New York City Public Schools, the City’s school diversity plan, are central to this pathway