Mission

A college degree matters, and too few NYC students earn them. Graduate NYC!'s primary purpose is to ‘double the number’ of graduates from the City University of New York by 2020. Graduate NYC! understands that no one organization can do this alone. Therefore, the initiative - funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - strives to create a community effort through partnerships with CUNY, the NYC public schools, the Mayor's Office, and a number of community-based organizations.

What We Do

Graduate NYC! aims to influence three areas critical to improving student outcomes: transformation of the culture in NYC related to college readiness & success, the use of data to drive change and hold the community accountable for success, and the need for change in policy and practice to increase student success. Towards this end, the initiative convenes staff from CUNY, the NYC Department of Education (DOE), the Mayor's Office, and youth-serving community-based organizations in order to design and implement systematic improvements in student services and data-sharing practices.

During the 2011-2012 academic year, Graduate NYC! will focus on several major projects:
o High school and college curriculum alignment in reading and writing and math.
o Systemic early intervention for high school students not on track to be college ready.
o Development of an NYC-specific college knowledge, access, and success web resource for students and parents, and online learning community for youth development/college support professionals.
o Launch of an “Academy” for professionals working with students in NYC to support professional and organizational development to improve student services within the five boroughs.
o Completion of a data warehouse to hold CUNY and DOE student data.

Alignment of high school and college academic expectations will increase the number of students who graduate from high school with college-ready skills. Additionally, the improvement of college advising and transition services, including the communication of clear and consistent messages about college, will increase student and family understanding of college-ready requirements and provide students greater access to appropriate sources of support, which will in turn lead to increases in college enrollment and completion. Finally, improved data-sharing between CUNY and the DOE will lead to better-informed policy and program decisions about the supports necessary for college success.