The Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma hosts a policy briefing on the graduation crisis in New York State

05.12.2014 | In New York State, 25% of all high school students—and 55% of students with disabilities and 65% of ELLs—fail to graduate in four years. Each student who leaves high school without a diploma costs the State at least $70,000 in lost tax payments and increased welfare and crime expenditures. 

On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, the Coalition for Multiple Pathways to a Diploma, which is coordinated by AFC, held a policy briefing [PDF] in Albany to discuss New York’s graduation crisis and the need for meaningful alternative pathways that provide ALL students with a variety of ways to demonstrate they meet standards and are college or career ready. At the briefing, which was co-sponsored by State Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan and Senator John Flanagan, parents and students shared their experiences with New York State's high-stakes exit exams. Advocates, educators, and service providers also offered recommendations for instructional models that can help at-risk students graduate and alternatives to the high-stakes exit exams that currently serve as barriers to graduation. 

View a PowerPoint presentation [PDF] from the policy briefing with more data on graduation rates, and check out our recent report [PDF] for more information on multiple pathways offered in other states and detailed recommendations from the Coalition.