Say Yes To Education Syracuse
Encyclopedia
Say Yes to Education's Syracuse chapter was founded in 2007 and has a different approach from the other chapters. Say Yes Syracuse attempts to tackle the entire school district's problems with a vast amount of funding and allies, as Syracuse's school district is one of the worst in the country.
is an non-profit organization started in 1987 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, by a philanthropist named George A. Weiss. Subsequent chapters were started in Hartford Connecticut, Cambridge
Massachusetts
, and New York City
's Harlem
neighborhood over the next decade. A chapter was started in Syracuse
New York
in 2007 and is notable for being the first district-wide implementation of the program.
, and the entire Syracuse City School District
, and is designed to alleviate the gap between urban students and suburban and rural students' performance in school. The Syracuse chapter of Say Yes to Education is not a direct affiliate of Say Yes but was inspired by the founders and the mission. It differs in nature from the other chapters in that it aims to improve an entire urban school district by helping more of them graduate and move on to college
.
package does not include room and board, and this aid is only provided to students who have been accepted into a participating Compact School through the regular admission process.
The school improvement also focuses on the classroom as a whole, creating more inclusive curriculum to deal with handicapped students. Tutoring programs are offered as a group session or one-ones, and a mentoring program is also in effect. Counseling is offered for families and for financial and college application process. The largest aspect of the school improvement program is the after school and summer school programs being run to support those students who still struggle. The Syracuse Higher Education Compact is the second part of the Say Yes Syracuse initiative. 23 different private institutions have agreed to provide free tuition for students from the district applying through the normal application process. These families also need to be below $75,000 a year income to receive the full financial aid package. Families with over $75,000 a year will be offered $5,000 a year in grant money instead. Any student who has lived in Syracuse for three or more years and has completed 10th through 12th grade is eligible for this financial aid.
In addition to this, Say Yes and Syracuse University have raised enough money for one year's expenses and tuition at any SUNY or CUNY school. This is to bridge a gap allowing legislation to pass through which would enable the foundation to pursue long-term support of every participating student and their families.
History
Say Yes to EducationSay Yes to Education
Say Yes to Education, Inc. is a U.S. non-profit organization that seeks to improve inner-city education. The main focus of Say Yes is to increase high school and college graduation rates by offering a range of support services to at-risk, economically disadvantaged youths and families, and by...
is an non-profit organization started in 1987 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, by a philanthropist named George A. Weiss. Subsequent chapters were started in Hartford Connecticut, Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Harlem
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
neighborhood over the next decade. A chapter was started in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 2007 and is notable for being the first district-wide implementation of the program.
Chapter
The program in Syracuse is a collaboration between Say Yes, Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, and the entire Syracuse City School District
Syracuse City School District
The Syracuse City School District is a public school district based in Syracuse, New York .-High schools:*Corcoran High School*Fowler High School*Henninger High School*Institute of Central Technology *Nottingham High School...
, and is designed to alleviate the gap between urban students and suburban and rural students' performance in school. The Syracuse chapter of Say Yes to Education is not a direct affiliate of Say Yes but was inspired by the founders and the mission. It differs in nature from the other chapters in that it aims to improve an entire urban school district by helping more of them graduate and move on to college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
.
Approach
The initiative is large in scale and includes a large number of programs including tutoring, familial counseling and engagement, mentoring, significantly improved curriculum, after school programs, summer school programs, and much more. In the first few years of its existence, Say Yes Syracuse fully funded its students going to two and four year college programs, but that has since become financially unfeasible. In order to provide a larger amount of support for more students, The Syracuse Higher Education Compact was created. The Compact is an agreement into which several larger institutions have entered in order to provide the Say Yes students to attend college with tuition, fees and books all paid for. However, this scholarshipScholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
package does not include room and board, and this aid is only provided to students who have been accepted into a participating Compact School through the regular admission process.
Reasoning
Schools in the city of Syracuse suffer from low graduation rates and poor funding. Say Yes to Education is a direct response to poor performance from the majority of the schools in the Syracuse City School District. 18 of the 33 schools in the district are currently restructuring or taking corrective action, and 3 have been deemed persistently low achieving. Only about half the students who enroll as freshman graduate, and of those, although 93% plan to attend college, only 66% end up doing so, with 56% of those students enrolling in community colleges. The scores on standardized tests for the district are also a major problem. In high schools in the Syracuse City School District, only 51% of students scored proficient or advanced on English/Language Arts tests compared to 77% of high school students nationwide, and only 47% scored proficient or advanced on Mathematics Achievement tests.Programs
There are two main aspects to the Say Yes to Education Syracuse initiative: school improvement and the Syracuse High Education Compact. The school improvement aspect focuses on increasing the low quality of schools in the Syracuse City School District and increasing graduation rates and overall performance and success. As part of this program, every student in a Syracuse City School District School receives diagnostic testing and ongoing monitoring to keep up with their progress and education. This information is given to their teachers who will adjust their studies or workload in line with their progress. Teachers will also create individual student growth plans to share with each student so they can be involved in their own improvement and education in some way.The school improvement also focuses on the classroom as a whole, creating more inclusive curriculum to deal with handicapped students. Tutoring programs are offered as a group session or one-ones, and a mentoring program is also in effect. Counseling is offered for families and for financial and college application process. The largest aspect of the school improvement program is the after school and summer school programs being run to support those students who still struggle. The Syracuse Higher Education Compact is the second part of the Say Yes Syracuse initiative. 23 different private institutions have agreed to provide free tuition for students from the district applying through the normal application process. These families also need to be below $75,000 a year income to receive the full financial aid package. Families with over $75,000 a year will be offered $5,000 a year in grant money instead. Any student who has lived in Syracuse for three or more years and has completed 10th through 12th grade is eligible for this financial aid.
In addition to this, Say Yes and Syracuse University have raised enough money for one year's expenses and tuition at any SUNY or CUNY school. This is to bridge a gap allowing legislation to pass through which would enable the foundation to pursue long-term support of every participating student and their families.