The Education Trust–New York’s 2023 Policy Priorities
As a statewide leader in the fight for educational equity, The Education Trust–New York is prioritizing the following statewide policies in 2023. We urge state leadership to prioritize the solutions outlined below to ensure a better future for the youngest New Yorkers.
Early Childhood Education
K-12
Education
College and Career Readiness
Resource
Equity
Early Childhood Education
K-12 Education
College and Career Readiness
Resource Equity
Early Childhood Education
Access to Affordable, High-Quality Child Care
Every little New Yorker, age 0-3, should be supported by an affordable, safe, and culturally responsive universal child care system. We support policies that support this, complete with infrastructure that prioritizes quality through a transparent, equity-driven quality rating improvement system and a justly compensated workforce.
Reducing Child Poverty
Families with young children and low income require more opportunities to achieve economic security like well-designed subsidies, voucher systems, and poverty-fighting tax credits that can help them access essential resources like nutritious foods, quality housing, health, and child care. We support policies that improve and expand these opportunities.
Access to Health and Developmental Care
All families with infants and toddlers should have supported access to programs that value strong and positive relationships with families. We support policies that provide equitable access to relevant screening programs for infants and toddlers, and services that promote maternal health outcomes and infant and toddler development.
Systems Alignment
In order to meet the needs of families and their young children, New York’s health, mental health, education, child care, social services, and safety net systems require better connection and coordination. We support policies that address the significant infrastructure fractures in the state’s early childhood systems.
Nearly half (49%) of parents in New York say their child care situation was not very workable.
K-12 Education
Early Literacy
Every child in New York should be able to read on grade level. State leaders must act to ensure school districts and teacher preparation programs are using evidence-based resources and teaching materials aligned with the science of reading to improve 3rd-grade reading proficiency.
Teacher Diversity
New York’s educator workforce does not come close to matching the rich diversity of our state’s students. Research is clear that having teachers of color improves outcomes for all students and we support investments that advance recruitment and retention of educators of color.
Mental Health Support
To address the impact of the pandemic on students’ mental, social, and emotional health, we support policies that provide increased counseling and other mental health services in schools, particularly those most affected by pandemic school closures.
Math Instruction and High-Quality Instructional Materials
National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results show that New York ranks 46th nationally in 4th-grade Math performance. State leaders must prioritize policies, regulations, and investments that incentivize the use of high-quality instructional materials, including evidence-based curricula and job-embedded professional learning opportunities for current and pre-service teachers.
School Discipline
Exclusionary school discipline systems continue to disproportionately impact students of color across New York, and we support policies focused on restorative justice and other positive alternatives that keep students in the classroom.
Less than half of all New York tested students in grades three through eight are proficient in ELA and math in the 2021-2022 school year.
College and Career Readiness
Course Access and Dual Enrollment
Across New York State, students of color and from low-income backgrounds are denied access to advanced coursework and dual enrollment programs that would set them on a path to postsecondary success. We support policies that create more access to these opportunities while providing information to families about the benefits of enrolling in these courses and programs.
Stronger Graduation Requirements
We support policies that strengthen graduation requirements, including administration of all Regents exams, an end to state policy changes that make it easier for students to graduate, and increased data collection and transparency around Regents exam performance and postsecondary student success.
Workforce<br /> Readiness
Many high school graduates lack the basic literacy and numeracy skills necessary to pass workforce exams and secure good-paying jobs that promote social mobility. We support policies that strengthen Career and Technical Education programs and other pipelines to skilled trades and well-paid job opportunities.
College Remediation, Persistence, and Completion
Too many recent New York high school graduates are entering college without the skills necessary to succeed. As a result, students are forced to take non-credit-bearing remedial classes, resulting in increased debt and lower graduation rates. We support policies that eliminate remedial courses at community colleges by replacing them with co-requisite courses, while also providing wrap-around services to support postsecondary degree completion.
While 91% and 49% of Asian and White students were enrolled in AP/IB courses during the 2019-2020 school year statewide, only 36% of Black students and 35% of Latinx students were enrolled.
Resource Equity
American Rescue Plan Funding
Schools across New York have received over $9 billion to address learning loss and other pandemic-related challenges. We support policies that incentivize schools to adopt evidence-based instructional strategies while promoting stronger state oversight and transparency on how funds are being utilized and evaluated.
P-20 Longitudinal Data System
New York is in desperate need of a comprehensive system that connects statewide data from early childhood through K-12, postsecondary education, and the workforce. We support the adoption of a P-20 data system that would help leaders answer policy challenges, target resources, and better support students on their educational journey.
FAFSA Completion
Research shows that 90% of high school seniors who complete the FAFSA go to college immediately after graduation — compared to just 55% of seniors who do not complete the FAFSA. FAFSA completion is particularly important for students of color and from low-income backgrounds and Ed Trust–NY supports policies that encourage FAFSA completion across the state.
New York State ranks 49th nationally in the percentage of total pandemic relief funds spent toward education.
Contact Us
Want to connect and learn more about our work and priorities for this year? Drop us a line!