News & Press

by Marjorie Cohen

The 2008 Congress of Cities offered a unique opportunity for selected teams of large-city mayors and superintendents to participate in a roundtable discussion on strategies to improve high schools and raise graduation rates.

This invitation-only session, sponsored by NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families (YEF Institute) and the Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS), gave participating mayors and superintendents an opportunity to review the latest research on high school improvement strategies and share ideas with peers and colleagues in an engaging and confidential setting.

This discussion also helped inform NLC and CGCS on the potential benefits of conducting joint mayor-superintendent meetings on topics of mutual concern. Attendees represented the following cities and/or school districts: Baton Rouge, La.; Charleston, S.C.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Nashville, Tenn.; Omaha, Neb.; and Providence, R.I.

The roundtable, which began with a dinner on Thursday, November 13, was broken up into four different discussions throughout Friday, November 14. One major highlight of the meeting was a lunch session in which guest speakers Dr. Ruth Neild, research scientist at Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Social Organization of Schools, and Laura Shubilla, co-president and CEO of the Philadelphia Youth Network, provided participants with the tangible example of Philadelphia’s partnership among the city, school district and numerous community-based organizations to address high school reform and the local dropout crisis.

The roundtable discussion on Friday began with a session entitled, “Pulling in the Same Direction: What the Research tells us about Political Preconditions for Successful School Reform Efforts.”

Mike Casserly, executive director of CGCS, started the conversation by providing an overview of the research. Casserly pointed out three elements for successful reform: political consensus among the mayor and superintendent over a shared vision of reform; a clear theory of action and plan; and a focus on improving student achievement.

As the team asked to offer the first response to the research, Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline and Providence Public Schools Superintendent Thomas M. Brady used Providence as an example of these conditions.

Jason Snipes, director of research at CGCS, led the discussion of the next topic, “School Organization and Structure: Does it Really Matter?” Snipes presented research showing how restructuring can be a useful strategy to engage students and the public, and highlighted the mixed effect of small high schools on student achievement.

Although school structure in itself is useful, it may not be sufficient. However, restructuring serves other significant goals, such as sending a signal to the community of the district’s readiness to try new strategies, thereby engaging students and parents in reform efforts.

The discussion tackled the dropout crisis directly during a session on “Monitoring Progress and Intervening When Students Veer off Track: Key Intervention Points for School and City Leaders.” Citing research that has identified a range of points at which students may veer off track, staff from NLC’s YEF Institute presented several ways cities and schools can work together to intervene with students before they drop out of school.

One important intervention point is the transition from middle school to high school, when students risk falling behind early and becoming “overage and undercredited.” Cities can also ensure that students have the support and readiness needed to transition into postsecondary education or employment.

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and Milwaukee Public Schools Superintendent William G. Andrekopolous highlighted examples of how the city and schools have partnered to combat teen pregnancy rates and provide mentors to at-risk youth.

The meeting ended with a session entitled, “When All Else Fails: Potential Strategies for Helping At-Risk Students and Dropouts Complete High School and Postsecondary Education,” which continued the discussion about identifying and providing services for disconnected young people. Andrew Moore, YEF Institute senior fellow, provided an overview of strategies research and city experiences.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools Director Chris M. Henson spoke specifically about their participation in the Alternative High Schools Initiative Placed-Based Partnership in Nashville, which will enable them to provide multiple pathways to graduation for the city’s students. Nashville’s developing strategy responds to an emerging hypothesis that all cities need a mix of “preventive” efforts that reduce the risk of students dropping out and falling significantly behind, and “recuperative” strategies in which former dropouts, often with multiple family responsibilities, can rapidly assemble the credits they need to graduate and prepare for further training or schooling.

Details: For more information about this meeting or NLC’s efforts to help cities develop high school reform strategies, contact Marjorie Cohen at (202) 626-3052 or cohen@nlc.org.

Participants in the Mayors-Superintendents Roundtable of Improving High Schools

• Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Charleston, S.C.
• Dr. Nancy J. McGinley, superintendent, Charleston County School District
• Mayor Tom Barrett, Milwaukee, Wis.
• William G. Andrekopolous, superintendent, Milwaukee Public Schools
• Mayor Karl Dean, Nashville, Tenn.
• Chris M. Henson, interim director of schools, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools
• Mayor Mike Fahey, Omaha, Neb.
• Dr. John J. Mackiel, superintendent, Omaha Public Schools
• Mayor David Cicilline, City of Providence, R.I.
• Thomas M. Brady, superintendent, Providence Public Schools
• Mayor Melvin L. “Kip” Holden, East Baton Rouge Parish, La.
• Dr. Eugene G. White, superintendent, Indianapolis Public Schools