The following statement can be attributed to Ian Rosenblum, Executive Director of The Education Trust–New York:
“We agree with the State Education Department that high school seniors need more flexible ways to demonstrate their readiness in this unprecedented crisis. This additional flexibility must be accompanied by a commitment that school districts will provide significant additional academic, socioemotional, and transition support – such as help completing the FAFSA or finalizing a career plan – for graduating seniors while schools remain closed; it must come with guardrails to avoid uneven and lower graduation expectations for the groups of students that are too often underserved by our education system; and it must ensure that students do not end up being placed in and paying for traditional college remediation, which too often leads to students dropping out. We understand the incredible time and resource constraints that the State Education Department and local school districts are under, and we hope that this initial guidance is supplemented by a consistent statewide plan for how high school seniors will be supported for the remainder of this school year and a commitment that the state will publicly and transparently report on their outcomes to and through college. Without ensuring that supports are also in place to assist high school seniors, simply providing them with a diploma when they are not yet ready for college, careers, and active citizenship risks leaving far too many students unprepared to navigate their future, especially in these uncertain times.”