by Chanel L. Donaldson | May 21, 2019 | News1
NCLC hosted Lead New Jersey for an education seminar on the Rutgers-Newark campus on Thursday, May 16, 2019.
Currently in its 33rd class of Fellows, Lead New Jersey is a year-long opportunity for New Jersey’s public, private, and nonprofit leaders to engage in monthly seminars on a range of public policy topics. Lead New Jersey’s goal is to educate and empower talented leaders to create systemic change around New Jersey’s most challenging issues.
The education seminar began with introductions from Rutgers-Newark Assistant Chancellor LaToya Battle-Brown and Executive Vice Chancellor Sherri-Ann Butterfield on the role Rutgers-Newark plays as an anchor institution and increasing opportunities for Newark students to enter college and complete their degrees. Following were three panel discussions in which key education leaders from Newark participated.
The first panel, titled “The State of Public Education in Newark: A Cross-Sector Perspective,” was moderated by NCLC Executive Director Reginald Lewis and featured Superintendent of Newark Public Schools Roger León, Superintendent of Essex County Schools of Technology Dr. James Pedersen, Chief External Officer of KIPP New Jersey Ben Cope, and Headmaster of St. Benedict’s Prep Father Ed Leahy.
The second panel, “Examining Newark School Reform: Lessons and Strategies,” was moderated by Mary Bennet of the Alliance for Newark Public Schools and featured former Chief Education Officer for the City of Newark Dr. Lauren Wells, Principal of Barringer High School Angela Mincy, Chief Education Officer for the City of Newark Toni Richardson, and Assistant Superintendent of High Schools Dr. Mario Santos.
The final panel, “Building Newark’s College-Going Culture,” featured NCLC staff members: Executive Director Reginald Lewis, Associate Director of Strategic Planning and Development Barry Ford, Senior Manager of Communications and Development Chanel Donaldson, Postdoctoral Associate in Education Research and Policy Dr. Kristi Donaldson, and Special Assistant to the Executive Director and Special Projects Manager Danielle Cohen.
Following the panel discussions, Lead New Jersey Fellows were able to visit East Side High School and meet with Principal Michael West, teachers, and students.
by Chanel L. Donaldson | May 7, 2019 | News1
NCLC Associate Director, Barry Ford, was selected to serve on the NJ Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s On-ramps to College Working Group in support of the state’s new higher education plan.
The On-ramps to College working group will work to increase post-secondary access for all students in the state by developing innovative solutions for addressing the equity gaps in college attendance by race and socioeconomic status. This group has two major charges to study and make recommendations to the Governor: (1) Creating a coordinated approach to offering fee-free dual enrollment and piloting other models for demonstrating college-level mastery, such as the Modern States Educational Alliance, which prepares students for College Level Examination Program exams. (2) Exploring, and then working to address, the factors affecting New Jersey student decisions to attend higher education institutions outside of the state.
Read the news release announcing all working group members here.
Read the full higher education plan here.
by Chanel L. Donaldson | Mar 27, 2019 | News1
Pictured from left to right: Donald A. Borden, President of Camden County College; Laura Overdeck, Founder of the Overdeck Family Foundation; Reginald Lewis Executive Director of NCLC; and Harvey Kesselman, President of Stockton University.
Executive Director of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) Reginald Lewis was named co-chair of one of five working groups to help the state implement its new higher education plan.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy and Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis unveiled the expansive statewide higher education plan at Rutgers University-Newark on March 26, 2019. Known as “Where Opportunity Meets Innovation: A Student-Centered Vision for New Jersey Higher Education,” the plan will ensure higher education meets student needs and galvanizes New Jersey’s innovation economy.
“My Administration has committed to growing New Jersey from the middle out and lifting communities from the bottom up. There’s no better way to achieve those goals than strengthening our state’s institutions of higher education. In a knowledge-based global economy, what New Jerseyans know will matter a lot more than who they know,” said Governor Murphy.
“New Jersey is the state of innovation. And higher education is where opportunity meets innovation,” said Secretary of Higher Education Zakiya Smith Ellis. “The plan we release today seeks to ensure that every student, no matter their life circumstances, has the opportunity to obtain a high quality education that prepares them for life after college.”
Lewis will co-chair the working group on Student Success along with Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman.
“I am truly honored to be part of such a historic moment for New Jersey. It has always been our firm belief at NCLC that every student should have the adequate preparation, information, and resources needed to succeed in college or another post-high school option. I am excited to bring the expertise of NCLC and its partners to this important statewide initiative,” said Lewis.
The other four working groups are focused on (1) Creating On-ramps to College, (2) Safe and Inclusive Learning Environments, (3) Research, Innovation, and Talent, and (4) Making College Affordable, which will be co-chaired by Rutgers University-Newark Chancellor Nancy Cantor.
For more information on the statewide higher education plan, visit https://www.state.nj.us/highereducation/stateplan.shtml.
For more information on NCLC, visit newarknclc.org.
by Chanel L. Donaldson | Mar 18, 2019 | News1
(Newark, NJ) The Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) is pleased to provide free SAT preparation for Newark high school students for the fourth consecutive year. Done in partnership with the Abbott Leadership Institute (ALI) and East Side High School, and with support from the Rutgers University–Newark Chancellor’s Office, this course offers an intensive eight-week preparation for the May 4, 2019 SAT exam.
Included in the course are 15 hours of instruction on test-taking strategies from experts at The Princeton Review, practice workbooks, in-person and online practice exams that simulate the real SAT, and an interactive online student portal with SAT, ACT, and other college resources. Valued at more than $1,000 per student, this type of rigorous preparation is often out of reach for low-income prospective college students.
Eliminating the cost barrier associated with SAT preparation could help to expand Newark students’ college-going options. A recent report released by NCLC and the Rutgers-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration finds that after high school, fewer than 10 percent of Newark students attend highly or very competitive colleges, like Rutgers-New Brunswick or NJIT, and only 1 percent attend the most competitive colleges, like Harvard or NYU. Newark students are often staying close to home after high school and attending less selective institutions even if they are qualified for highly selective institutions, a phenomenon known as “undermatching.”
“The SAT is one of the most widely used measures for college admission, but when it comes down to it, a student’s score is really reflective of preparedness to take the exam,” said NCLC Executive Director Reginald Lewis. “By helping students prepare for the SAT and achieve higher scores, we’re actually helping to strengthen their applications and to increase college access.”
Beyond simply preparing students for the exam, the partnership with ALI ensures that students will have all the support they need to successfully transition to college. ALI works through its College Success Center to help students and families as they prepare to enter college and the workforce. In addition to collaborating with NCLC to coordinate the SAT Prep Course on the Rutgers-Newark campus, ALI is also providing ongoing support to students as they complete their applications, look for scholarships, and otherwise prepare for the transition to college.
“There is no better preparation for the SAT than The Princeton Review [model], but for many Newark families it is not affordable,” said ALI Director Kaleena Berryman. “Students in Newark are brilliant and capable. What they often lack is access to game-changing opportunities that will empower them to truly compete. We are proud to serve as a partner with NCLC in this initiative.”
In total, 100 high school juniors are participating in this year’s course, split between the Rutgers-Newark campus and East Side High School. Each site receives the same intensive resources from The Princeton Review.
“This opportunity and educational experience is a game changer for my students (and their families) as they ready themselves for the SAT exam. It is gratifying to partner with such an innovative and dedicated organization committed to the success of our amazing students,” said East Side High School Principal Michael West.
NCLC’s goal is to ensure that Newark students have the opportunity, information, and access to go to college, afford college, complete college, and ultimately obtain good jobs. Through SAT Prep and other initiatives that equip Newarkers to succeed, NCLC helps Newark build and sustain a college-going culture.
For more information about NCLC, visit newarknclc.org.
by Chanel L. Donaldson | Feb 14, 2019 | News1, Video
From Trenton To You from Strategic Marketing Group LLC on Vimeo.
Senator Ronald L. Rice sits down with Executive Director of the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC), Reginald Lewis, to discuss how NCLC is working to build a college-going culture in Newark. View the episode here: https://vimeo.com/317060607
by Chanel L. Donaldson | Jan 28, 2019 | News1
Newark, NJ — With the start of the spring semester this week, nearly 40 Newark high school students also began classes on the Rutgers University–Newark campus. The result of the first-ever dual enrollment memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Newark Public Schools (NPS) and Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences–Newark (SASN), students are participating in such course offerings as Introduction to Psychology and Introduction to Caribbean Studies. Students are able to earn three college credits for each course.
“The opportunity for our high school students to realize now that college is possible is embodied in dual enrollment,” said Superintendent Roger León. “This experience is beyond realizing that our students can complete college courses [but that they can] compete at the very highest levels.”
Added Mario Santos, Assistant Superintendent of High Schools, “As a former principal…I know first-hand the advantage of providing resources to our students. I want to thank Rutgers University and encourage our students to take advantage of everything this awesome opportunity provides as they begin their journey through college.”
The MOU, approved by the Board of Education in December 2018, is in line with NPS’s increasing emphasis on college readiness. A recent report released by the Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) and Rutgers–Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration found that while 54 percent of 2011-2016 Newark high school graduates immediately enrolled in college, only 23 percent earned any type of degree or credential within six years. NCLC brokered the dual enrollment partnership as a direct follow up on the report’s recommendations to improve college matriculation and completion for Newark students.
“Our goal at NCLC is to help as many Newark residents as possible to get into and through college, which is why we are excited to provide this opportunity for students to earn college credit while still in high school,” said NCLC Executive Director Reginald Lewis. “By expanding access to more rigorous course options, like dual enrollment, we ensure that more of our students are on track to graduate high school on time, as well as graduate ready to do college-level work.”
Notable about the agreement is that high school students attend classes on campus alongside current Rutgers undergraduate students, rather than taking online courses or courses offered on high school premises.
It is “not only an opportunity for high school students to enroll and experience the rigors of a college course, but to also get a glimpse into the college student experience. They will engage with our faculty [and] have academic and social exchanges with college students in and outside of the classroom,” said Associate Dean of Undergraduate Education at SASN, LaToya Battle-Brown.
Angela Mincy, Principal of Barringer High School, said, “This dual enrollment opportunity…will undoubtedly be a game changer for students. What better gift can we give our youth than exposure and access to high quality opportunities to push their intellectual and physical boundaries beyond the traditional high school walls?”
Indeed, physically being on a college campus is a key element for high school students to envision themselves as college students in the future. As Barringer High School student Yellybeth Diaz said about the Introduction to Psychology course she is taking on campus this semester, “Taking this class will give me a first-hand experience of what college life will be like…[and] will teach me how to be even more responsible academically and most importantly how to manage my time.”
Plans to expand the current dual enrollment agreement are already underway to include more NPS students and additional higher education institutions, including NCLC’s nine other higher education partners from the Greater Newark area. Increased dual enrollment opportunities provide pathways for more Newark students to successfully transition to college and ultimately earn their desired degrees.
Remarked Mr. Lewis, “The city has a lot of momentum; it’s more than just getting young people through high school, we’re building Newark’s emerging college-going culture.”
For more information about NCLC, visit newarknclc.org.
