A Learning to Work Partnership: The New York City Model

Office of Postsecondary Readiness, New York City Department of EducationETA/ASTD Regional TA Forum, Boston, MA – November 14-16, 2011

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The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is the largest system of public schools in the United States, serving 1.1 million students in over 1,700 schools.

In 2001, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and NYC Schools Chancellor Joel Klein launched the Children First Initiative, which included a central priority of increasing graduation rates.

In 2005, the Office of Multiple Pathways to Graduation (OMPG) was established with the aim of developing a portfolio of schools, programs, and instructional approaches to increase the graduation rates of differentiated segments of the over-age and under-credited (OA/UC) population, the students with the greatest risk of dropping out.

NYC and Multiple Pathways: At a Glance

Today, the Office of Postsecondary Readiness (OPSR), formerly OMPG, is pioneering new strategies to ensure OA/UC students graduate from high school ready to pursue and persist in meaningful college and career pathways.

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•SIZING THE CHALLENGE (2006)

• An overage, under-credited student is at least two years off-track relative to expected age and credit accumulation toward earning a diploma. Nearly all high school dropouts in New York City have a history of being overage and under-credited.

• In New York City, 138,000 youth between the ages of 16 and 21 are overage and under-credited. 70,000 of them are in school, while 68,000 have already dropped out.

• New York City’s estimated 70,000 in-school overage and under-credited youth represent a population of students that is smaller than only five other US high school districts. When all in- and out-of-school overage, under-credited youth are included, this population would rank as the second-largest high school district in the US.

Multiple Pathways Research and Development

The Learning to Work Initiative was announced by NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg in 2005 as a new strategy to increase the number of over-age and under-credited high school students who earn a high school diploma and have the necessary skills for college and career success. Collaborative partnerships between Community Based Organizations (CBO) and New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) staff is a central component of the Learning to Work Initiative.

Currently the NYCDOE has multiple Learning to Work contracts with 18 NYC CBOs to partner at 58 schools and programs that have 12,500 seats.

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Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs)

Transfer Schools

Learning to Work (LTW)

†All schools and programs serve students through the school year in which they turn 21.

Multiple Pathways Portfolio of School & Program Models

• Ages 17.5 - 21†

• Part-time Afternoon/Evening Program

• Students work towards High School Diploma

• Entry Requires 17 Credits

• Entry Requires 4 Years of High School

• Ages 17.5 - 21†

• Part-time Afternoon/Evening Program

• Students work towards High School Diploma

• Entry Requires 17 Credits

• Entry Requires 4 Years of High School

• Ages 15 - 21 (varies by school) †

• Full-time Day School

• Students work towards High School Diploma

• 0 Credits at Entry (varies by school)

• Entry Requires 1 Year of High School

• Ages 15 - 21 (varies by school) †

• Full-time Day School

• Students work towards High School Diploma

• 0 Credits at Entry (varies by school)

• Entry Requires 1 Year of High School

• Ages 18 - 21†

• Full-time Day Program (Access GED) and Part-time Evening Program (GED Plus)

• Students work toward a GED Credential

• Ages 18 - 21†

• Full-time Day Program (Access GED) and Part-time Evening Program (GED Plus)

• Students work toward a GED Credential

Access GED

Learning To Work (LTW) engages OA/UC students through workforce connections, academic support, and integrated youth development. LTW services are provided through partnerships with community-based organizations and are integrated across Multiple Pathways schools and programs.

A key aspect of LTW is the Primary Person Model, whereby each student is matched with an advisor who provides support in setting goals, assessing progress, and accessing services.

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*Over-age and under-credited students are those who are, by definition, two or more years off-track.

Office of Postsecondary Readiness:Learning to Work (LTW) Initiative

GOAL

Assist over-age, under-credited* students in overcoming obstacles that impede their progress towards earning a high school diploma and developing a solid post-secondary educational and career plan.

GOAL

Assist over-age, under-credited* students in overcoming obstacles that impede their progress towards earning a high school diploma and developing a solid post-secondary educational and career plan.

Seamless Integration of

District and CBO Services

Workforce Connections

Career Exploration/Preparation

including Post-Secondary

Advisement

Contracted Partnerships with a Community-Based

Organization, Supported by Local Tax

Levy Dollars

Student Leadership and

Voice

Integration of Youth Development Principles and

Practices

Academic Support Including

Attendance Outreach and Tutoring

Support Services Including

Counseling and Referral to Other

Services

Subsidized Internships to

Develop Skills and Explore Career

Interests

If we really want to meet the needs of all high school students, we must re-envision not simply the roles partner organizations play, but the nature of school-community partnerships themselves. Educators and other groups and organizations in the community must share responsibility for student success and work in close collaboration to remove barriers to learning.

Partnerships are built around a shared mission and each partner’s strengths and capacity.

The work of all partners must be fully integrated into every aspect of the school’s design, development and operation.

These quotes are taken from a document created by New Visions for Public Schools, New Century High Schools, A Vision of Partnerships

A Vision of Partnership

LTW COLLABORATIVE WORK PLAN

What is it?A tool to capture all the programmatic structures and academic support services performed at the school/program. It is developed collaboratively by the contracted Community Based Organization and the DOE leadership on site. The work plan is a living document that should be revisited throughout the school year to ensure procedures and policies continue to be aligned with the school’s goals.

PurposeThe tool is meant to help on-site leadership develop viable strategies to achieve the program goals, to clearly define the specific site-level role and responsibility of each partner as it relates to specific work streams, to provide a common document to refer to regarding agreed upon processes, and to provide a vehicle for holding each other accountable to one another.. The collaborative process used to produce this living document will help clarify the roles and responsibilities for all practitioners and leaders on site.

Vital Information to includeWhen developing the work plan please be detailed but concise. Thoroughly explain and/or name all parties involved in delivering the services and activities. Try to encompass all elements of your program model. Include preparation and routine operational meetings. The final document should be on joint letterhead. The internal structures used to accomplish the following areas of work should clearly be explained in the work plan.

LTW Collaborative Work Plan Service Implementation Worksheet

*The Principal and LTW CBO Program Director will work together to develop their LTW Collaborative Work Plan.

I. Mission StatementState the transfer school’s mission. Be sure to include the following elements:• What is the transfer school’s purpose?• What are the transfer school’s values?• What are the basic shared beliefs in your transfer school?• What makes your transfer school unique?

Who are the beneficiaries of your work?• What responsibilities does the transfer school have to these beneficiaries? • What are the main objectives supporting the transfer school in accomplishing its

mission?

Responsibilities:Develop a detailed narrative describing counseling and case management practices. Please be sure to incorporate the answers to all of the following questions/statements. Who will:

• Develop and coordinate the intake process for each student• Ensure that primary person will have access to transcript for each student• Ensure that all forms (including any consent forms) are completed and are correct • Develop a personalized academic calendar for each student • Develop and coordinate meetings with student’s parent/guardian• Provide student with identification needed to enter the building• Coordinate crisis intervention services• Greet and welcome new students into the site building

What is the ratio between primary person and student? How often do the primary person and student meet?

II. Counseling and Case Management Staff Assigned:Please list all CBO and DOE staff members and specify the organization, name and position of each employee coordinating counseling and case management services for students. (Organization – name, position) Example: DOE – Jane Smith, Attendance Teacher

1. 3.2. 4.

Responsibilities:Develop a detailed narrative explaining attendance outreach activities. Please be sure to incorporate the answers to all of the following questions/statements. Who will:

• Make phone calls home when a student is absent or chronically late• Follow up with students who are absent or chronically late• Conduct Home visits for LTAs• Mail out letters for 407s/Follow up with 407s• Initiate the process for discharging an LTA• Compile the documentation for discharging an LTA• Submit the planning interview form to the region

•How will you document your attendance outreach efforts?•How and when will staff making phone calls receive the list of students absent each day?•What time each day will staff make phone calls home?•How often will staff responsible for attendance outreach meet as a group to discuss students with attendance issues including 407s and LTAs?

III. Attendance Outreach Staff Assigned:Please list all CBO and DOE staff members and specify the organization, name and position of each employee that participates in attendance outreach practices. (Organization – name, position) Example: DOE – Jane Smith, Attendance Teacher

IV. College Advisement and Career Exploration

Staff Assigned:Please list all CBO and DOE staff members and specify the organization, name and position of each employee that will coordinate college advisement and career exploration activities. (Organization – name, position) Example: DOE – Jane Smith, Attendance Teacher

Responsibilities:Develop a detailed narrative describing college advisement and career exploration practices. Please be sure to incorporate the answers to all of the following questions/statements. Who will:

• Advise students about college• Organize trips to college campuses/How many per semester?• Complete individual post-secondary plans with students • Coordinate career exploration activities • Advise students about financial aid options (i.e. student loans, scholarships, work-study

opportunities) / Obtain college fee waivers• Follow up with students that have graduated • Coordinate SAT Test Preparation services / Handle SAT registration process • Develop and plan a college advisement workshop• Bridge connections with trade and vocational job training programs?

How often will a student who is close to graduation be advised about college?

V. Employability Skills Development and Internships

Staff Assigned:List all CBO and DOE staff members and specify the organization, name and position of each employee participating in fostering employability skills development and internships. (Organization – name, position) Example: DOE – Jane Smith, Attendance Teacher

ResponsibilitiesDevelop a detailed narrative describing employability skills development and internships practices. Please be sure to incorporate the answers to all of the following questions/statements. Who will:

• Teach an employability skills development workshop• Conduct an LTW seminar for students in internships• Develop individual employability skills development/employment plans• Complete Student Internship Learning Agreements with a student• Meet with employers to discuss the Internship Learning Agreement• Monitor students at their work sites

When will the employability skills development workshop occur?When and how often will an LTW seminar for students in internships occur?How will students be able to participate in an internship?How often will each internship site be visited?

Capacity Building for PartnershipsFacilitation coaches from technical assistance providers work with the Assistant Principal (AP) and the CBO Program Director at each site . Together, they develop structures for good communication, problem solving, and effective youth development practices. Facilitators work with sites to develop specific operational goals, establish concrete student outcomes, and outline realistic next steps to achieve those goals.

Network meetings bring together representatives from across the OMPG programs to exchange best practices, address operational issues, and build professional communities. A Leadership Network brings together the site-level leadership from the two partners at each site facilitated by a technical assistance provider. Other networks convene the staff responsible for the internship programs , youth counselors or college advisors.

Workshops on specific topics ranging from college advisement, the role of the advocate counselor or building partnerships with employers are also available to all staff members from the CBO and Department of Education. The goal is to support the development of high quality staff with a strong understanding of practice and theory.

Lessons Learned from the Learning to Work Program

Feedback from the Learning to Work practitioners who participated in the Leadership Networks identified the following as key to implementing successful partnerships:

• Mutual accountability and joint decision-making;

• Leadership that supports collaborations;

• Collaborative action, clear roles, and moveable boundaries;

• Cross-cultural understanding;

• Open communication and free flow of information;

• A community of practice, respect and trust

Tom PendletonDirector of Learning to Work InitiativesOffice of Postsecondary ReadinessNYC Department of Education52 Chambers Street Rm 210New York, NY 10007

(212) 374-6616Tpendleton@schools.nyc.gov

www. schools.nyc.gov

Additional resources and publications:http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/AlternativesHS/Resources/default.htm