The LEAD Coalition has created a reform agenda to catalyze changes aimed at enhancing the New York City and New York State’s P-16 college access and success pipeline, thus improving the academic outcomes of Latino students. 

The LEAD Coalition strongly believes the following steps are vital to achieve an education system that streamlines students into academic and professional success.

Allocate $110 Million In Funding To Meet The Needs Of Multilingual Learners

  • Earmark Foundation Aid Funding for Multilingual Learners

  • Increase the Number of Certified English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) & Bilingual Education (BE) Teachers in General and in Special Education Settings

  • Fund a Targeted Initiative to Increase Graduation Rates for MLLs

  • Provide Additional Academic Supports for Multilingual Learners

  • Increase Parent Information and Outreach in Home Languages

  • Increase Socio-Emotional Supports of Multilingual Learners

  • Form a New York State Commission to Advance the Achievement of Multilingual Learners

  • Increase Investment in Pre-K to Meet the Needs of Multilingual Learners

Increase College And Career Readiness

Increase Number of College Counselors and Improve Access to Postsecondary Readiness Training

  • Invest in funding to create and pilot a college counseling program, that will pay for the training of school counselors in college and career readiness

  • Provide funding to allow for more college counselors to access professional development related to college and career readiness, starting in districts in greatest need

Better Support Community-based Organizations (CBOs) in Providing Postsecondary Support

  • Create a database of services statewide for schools to tap into resources

  • Provide grant funding for CBOs to receive additional grants for supporting postsecondary readiness

  • Increase the number of proven and promising college access programs and practices such as Student Success Centers and College Access Research and Action (CARA)

Increase Parent Knowledge on the College Going Process

  • Increase partnership capacity with Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in order to better address the needs of parents, including those of immigrant youth

  • Utilize HESC and community-based organizations via funded train-the-trainer models to lead and increase college application and financial aid resources

  • Provide training to counselors and staff to effectively educate students and parents on financial awareness and the college going process. Ensure that the training is inclusive of the needs of mixed status, undocumented, first-generation and newly arrived students

Increased Data Sharing with Institutions of Higher Education

  • Continue to seek transparent data sharing with institutions of higher education to better inform curriculum and practices

Restore Opportunity Program Funding in 2020

Opportunity Program Funding has been proven to increase retention and graduation rates, especially for first generation college bound students. Many of these students are low-income students of color that need additional academic and financial supports and services to graduate college. These programs include the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP), Liberty Partnerships, Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP), and Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP). Opportunity programs at the community college level include the Search for Education, Elevation, and Knowledge (SEEK) and College Discovery programs.