Ensuring Equity Online
The school year that is now nearly halfway complete has been exceptionally challenging for New York students and educators.
The ongoing effects of the pandemic, ever-evolving adjustments to teaching and learning, and the continued national reckoning with systemic racism are all taking their toll on educators and their students.
Yet across New York State, students and educators continue to persevere through one of the most challenging times facing schools in our lifetime.
Here are their stories.
How New York Educators are Working to Ensure Equity Online
New Report Finds College in High School Programs Expanding Access and Boosting Graduation Rates Across New York State
A new report released by EdTrust-New York, Pathways to Opportunity: The Growth and Impact of College in High School Programs Across New York State, highlights significant growth in college in high school participation and strong graduation outcomes for students across the state, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.
EdTrust-New York Responds to Governor Hochul’s 2026 State of the State with Praise and Calls to Strengthen Educational Equity
Governor Kathy Hochul’s 2026 State of the State address includes several important proposals aimed at advancing educational equity, with a strong emphasis on supporting New York’s children and their families through universal child care, investments in the Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS), higher education emergency aid, high-impact tutoring in reading and math, and professional learning aligned with the science of reading for in-service teachers.
EdTrust-New York Supports Governor Hochul’s Universal Child Care Vision and Mayor Mamdani’s 3K & 2-Care Expansion to Build a Stronger Early Education System in New York
EdTrust-New York welcomes Governor Hochul’s and Mayor Mamdani’s public commitment today to deliver universal child care for all children under five. Every young New Yorker deserves access to affordable, safe, high-quality, and culturally responsive early childhood system, yet too many families cannot secure it.
EdTrust-New York Releases New Statewide Poll Showing Families Deeply Concerned About Math Instruction, Access, and Equity
The findings underscore an urgent need for statewide action to strengthen math teaching and learning, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, students with disabilities, and English Language Learners/Multilingual Learners (ELLs/MLLs). The state can do this in part by expanding programs like NYC Solves, which provide evidence-based math curriculum and related teacher professional development to ensure that all NYC students learn foundational math skills.
EdTrust-New York Urges State Leaders to Confront Deep Achievement Gaps and Expand Evidence-Based Practices Following 2024–25 Assessment Results
EdTrust-New York notes that there are statewide gains in reading and math proficiency on the 2024–25 Statewide Assessments. However, we remain deeply concerned that overall proficiency rates are alarmingly low and that persistent and unacceptable outcome gaps continue between White and Asian students and their Black and Latinx peers.
EdTrust-New York: Proposed ELL Funding Changes Would Deepen Inequity and Jeopardize Student Success
As threats to Title III funding and federal protections for ELLs/MLLs grow, EdTrust-New York strongly opposes proposals that reduce resources, urges New York State to strengthen its commitment and plan for disruptions, and highlights that inequities shown in its New York School Funding Data tool demand bold solutions and a fully funded formula.
EdTrust-New York: NYCPS Decision on Class Size Law Risks Equity, Fiscal Stability, and Student Opportunity
EdTrust-New York is deeply disappointed that New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) chose not to request a pause in the implementation of the Class Size Reduction Law. This decision puts fairness, fiscal stability, opportunity, and equity at risk for the students and communities the law is intended to serve.
New York City’s $1 Billion Crisis: Education Leaders Urge Pause On Class Size Mandate
With just two days remaining before the November 15 deadline, when New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) must publicly report their progress on the 2022 Class Size Law, Educators for Excellence, EdTrust-New York and Robin Hood urged the city to act. The groups emphasized that this deadline offers a one-time opportunity to request a pause or revise the implementation timeline to ensure the law is carried out equitably and sustainably.
EdTrust-New York Encourages Mayor-elect Mamdani to Prioritize Equity and Opportunity in NYC’s Education Agenda
EdTrust-New York’s Education Platform for New York City outlines steps Mayor-elect Mamdani can take from early childhood through college to close gaps in access, opportunity, and outcomes.
In the Face of Federal Attacks on Education Access, New York Must Lead
As federal actions strip funding and exclude vulnerable students, New York must defend equitable access to public education. Arlen Benjamin-Gomez calls on us to speak out and push back, together and unapologetically.