Borough President Diaz, Mercy College & Truman HS Form The Bronx Achievement Pact
By Lauren Geloso
The Bronx Achievement Pact, is an innovative new educational initiative that aims to raise high school graduation rates, enhance college readiness and maximize college enrollment.
“This innovative program has the potential to change the way we prepare our students for college not just here in the Bronx, but across the entire City,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. By leveraging the resources of colleges and universities and collaborating with existing public high schools, the Bronx Achievement Pact is a comprehensive and scalable solution to the education crisis. Educational indicators in the Bronx are the lowest in New York City, with just 59 percent of Bronx students graduating from high school and only 17 percent considered “college ready” by the New York State Education Department.
“A quality education is the critical factor in achieving economic success, personal satisfaction and social stability,” said Mercy College President Dr. Kimberly Cline.
“The Bronx Achievement Pact will improve educational outcomes for Bronx students and secure a better and more prosperous future for generations of Bronx residents. We are excited to undertake this revolutionary initiative with our committed partners, and we look forward to further collaboration with additional partners as we move ahead.”
The Bronx Achievement Pact uses a comprehensive strategy that integrates successful high school and college experiences:
• Early College Program: Offering students 30 hours of transferable college credits during the regular high school day, with the option of completing an additional 30 credits to earn an Associate’s degree during summers, weekends and school breaks, all at no cost to students or their parents
• College and Career Exploration: Building awareness about all aspects of the college process and various career pathways
• Learning Excellence: Facilitating focused tutoring and mentoring relationships between high school and college students
• Summer Support: Engaging struggling students by sharpening skills in literacy, math and critical thinking and exposing them to college
• Parent and Community Engagement: Providing parents with the knowledge and skills to support their children on the path to and through college.
“Student success in school —both in achievement and aspiration—is largely a function of the dedication of the adults guiding the students: the teachers and the parents,” said Mercy College School of Education Dean Alfred S. Posamentier.
“The Mercy College School of Education is dedicated to producing first rate teachers and administrators for the Bronx Achievement Pact, as well as establishing a Parent Center at our Bronx campus that will serve the entire borough and should be a paradigm for the rest of the City.”
The pilot, Bronx Achievement Pact, will launch in September 2012. It will expand to include one additional high school in September 2013, and then will continue to expand into 2-5 schools each year until all Bronx high schools with a graduation rate below 70 percent can join the Bronx Achievement Pact.
“The Bronx Achievement Pact is the bridge that students need to make a successful transition from high school to college,” said Harry S Truman High School Principal, Sana Q. Nasser. “Bronx students will be fortunate enough to have the support that they need to gain acceptance into college, but also to flourish as life-long scholars.” #
