Agenda: Pathways From High School to College and Careers

#EWApathways

Day 1: Thursday, Nov. 14

Optional Morning Site Visits
Participants should meet in the hotel lobby by 9:00 a.m. Both visits will conclude at approximately 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.

• Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago

  Reporters speak with student leaders, instructors, and the dean of this two-year program, which caters to low-income and first-generation college students. Most  Arrupe students graduate without debt and with credits that transfer into four-year institutions in Illinois, according to the college. The program is featured in Paul Tough’s new book, “The Years That Matter Most.”

  Noble Network of Charter Schools: Muchin College Prep campus

  Reporters visit a nearby campus of the Noble Network of Charter Schools, known for its intensive efforts to help its student population — primarily African-American and Hispanic students from low-income families — reach and succeed in college. The visit includes time for classroom observations, plus conversations with school leaders, faculty and students.

Unless otherwise noted, all events take place at the Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive, Room 1620 .

Bring-Your-Own Lunch and Meet Your Colleagues
Noon – 12:40 p.m.

Welcome
12:40 – 1:00 p.m.

• Caroline Hendrie, EWA
• Cassandra Geiger, Northwestern Academy for Chicago Public Schools

Educational Pathways and Economic Mobility
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

What will it take to make the U.S. education system a more powerful engine for economic mobility? Learn about the links between education and good jobs, and hear ideas on how to change students’ trajectories. Speakers discuss growing efforts to improve — and in some cases reimagine — the pathways from high school into postsecondary learning and promising careers.

• Janice Jackson, Chicago Public Schools
• Amy Loyd, Jobs for the Future
• Jeff Strohl, Georgetown University
• Caroline Hendrie, EWA (moderator)

Effective School Counseling: A Missing Piece of the Puzzle?
2:15 – 3:15 p.m.

Concern is mounting that high school students in low-income communities are not receiving the school counseling they need to set a course for success in life. What are ways to help students pick the right course load, fill out financial aid forms, and apply for college? Also, what role does counseling play not just for getting into college, but getting on a career path?

• James Rosenbaum, Northwestern University
• Joyce Brown, education consultant
• Lina Fritz, OneGoal
• Christine Rodriguez, student featured in “Personal Statement” documentary
• Liz Willen, The Hechinger Report (moderator)

‘America to Me’: Race and Equity in a Suburban High School 
3:30 – 4:15 p.m.

The documentary series, “America to Me,” offers a vivid and troubling portrait of Oak Park and River Forest High School, a racially diverse campus in suburban Chicago. The film, which follows students for an entire school year, finds starkly different educational experiences based on race. Director Steve James, best known for his film “Hoop Dreams,” and a co-director discuss the film, and are joined by a journalist who attended the school.

• Steve James, documentary filmmaker, “America to Me”
• Kevin Shaw, documentary segment director, “America to Me”
• Pete Keeley, The Hollywood Reporter
• Brandis Friedman, WTTW

Students Have Their Say on Pathways to College, Careers
4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Students leaving high school face myriad pathways to work or postsecondary education. Some take the traditional road. Others detour to gap year programs or pursue apprenticeships. Hear from students about the decisions they made and how their schools helped them, or didn’t.

• Silverio Arzate, Trevecca Nazarene University
• Louis Giovannetti, Member Mechanical, Inc.
• Karoline Jimenez, SUNY New Paltz
• Daniel Rodriguez, Northwestern University
• Stacy Teicher Khadaroo, The Christian Science Monitor (moderator)

Evening Viewing of the Documentary, ‘Personal Statement’ (free popcorn!)
7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Raffaello Hotel Board Room (2nd Floor)

This 2018 documentary explores the challenging college admissions experiences of three seniors from public high schools in Brooklyn. “Their stories starkly illustrate the fragile support system that low-income students in public schools with few resources encounter, every step of the way, as they navigate getting into college and paying for it,” writes The Hechinger Report’s Liz Willen of the film.

• Juliane Dressner, Filmmaker
• Karoline Jimenez,  SUNY New Paltz
• Christine Rodriguez, student
• Liz Willen, The Hechinger Report

Day 2, Friday, Nov. 15

Breakfast
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Connecting the Dots: Tracking Student Success Into College
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.

It’s one thing to graduate high school, and even to enroll in college. But data show the vast majority of first-generation college students from low-income families fail to complete four-year degrees. Among those seeking to tackle this challenge are charter networks, such as KIPP, that provide ongoing support to students well after they leave high school. Speakers discuss what’s afoot and lessons learned.

• Pete Gooden, KIPP Through College (Chicago)
• Jenny Nagaoka, The University of Chicago
• Richard Whitmire, author
• Jason Gonzales, The Tennessean (moderator)

Mapping Career Pathways
10:15 – 11:15 a.m.

A surge of policy initiatives to bolster career and technical education in high schools is creating opportunities but also raising questions. What does high-quality CTE look like? How does it connect with local workforce needs? What are the job prospects for participating students? On the flip side, what are hallmarks of poor-quality CTE that may lead to “tracking” of students into low-wage jobs?

• Cynthia Bater, Long Beach (Calif.) Unified School District
• Shaun Dougherty, Vanderbilt University
• Rita Raichoudhuri, Chicago Public Schools
• Emily Richmond, EWA (moderator)

Data Training Module 1
11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

• Which colleges send recruiters to your local high schools? Room 1607
• Crystal Han, Enrollment Management, Recruiting, & Access Research
• Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic (moderator)
• Who’s filing the FAFSA at your high schools? Room 1608
• Ellie Bruecker, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Chastity Pratt, Nieman Foundation for Journalism (moderator)
• What share of your state’s high school seniors are considered “college- or career- ready”? Room 1620
• Jennifer Sattem, Achieve
• Ricardo Cano, CalMatters (moderator)

Lunch
12:15 – 1:00 p.m.

The Equity Conundrum for College-Level Coursework in High School
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Opportunities for high school students to earn college-level credit have grown substantially in recent years. But data suggest big gaps in who participates, based on race, ethnicity, and income level. What’s the track record of Advanced Placement, dual credit, and dual enrollment programs in helping students on the path to college? What are the barriers to wider participation, and what’s being done to overcome them?

• Davis Jenkins, Community College Research Center
• Bernadette Merikle, Equal Opportunity Schools
• Andrew Scanlan, Thomas B. Fordham Institute
• Annysa Johnson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (moderator)

Interactive Exercise: Making Sense of FAFSA and Financial Aid
2:15 – 3:00 p.m.

How hard is it to fill out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form? Find out with this exercise. Participants get a firsthand experience and an opportunity to ask questions.

• William Carlos Herald, College Advising Corps
• Yujie Huang, College Advising Corps

How I Did the ‘Pathways’ Story, and What I Learned
3:15 – 4:15 p.m.

Journalists share insights gleaned from reporting projects on apprenticeships, challenges faced by first-year college students, and the programs and services intended to help young people make a successful transition from high school to adult life.

• Lori Higgins, Chalkbeat Detroit
• Patrick O’Donnell, Cleveland Plain Dealer
• Patrick Wall, Chalkbeat Newark
• Alex Baumhardt, APM Reports (moderator)

Data Training Part 2
4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

• Which colleges send recruiters to your local high schools? Room 1620
• Rachel Leingang, Arizona Republic (moderator)
• What share of your state’s high school seniors are considered “college- or career- ready”? Room 1608
• Jennifer Sattem, Achieve
• Ricardo Cano, CalMatters (moderator)