An agenda for ensuring all New York students are prepared for college, careers, and active citizenship

November 11, 2021

Even before the pandemic, students from low-income backgrounds and American Indian, Black, and Latinx students were less likely to be enrolled in key advanced courses such as Physics, Calculus, Computer Science, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, music, and advanced foreign languages than their not-low-income and White peers.

The reasons for this are two-fold. Students from low-income backgrounds and American Indian, Black, and Latinx students are less likely to attend schools that offer these critical courses. And even when they do attend schools that offer the classes, students from historically under-served groups are less likely to be enrolled in them.

Although New York has made some progress, the state’s path to recovery will rely upon our education systems’ ability to ensure that all students have access to high-quality academic coursework.