In case you missed it, we had the honor of hosting Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, at last week’s NCAN conference, “Rebuilding for Postsecondary Equity.” In her plenary address, Dr. Brookins Santelises shared candid
insights about the latest postsecondary efforts in Baltimore City and urged school districts to center the voices of students in their work to increase success after high school.
Dr. Brookins Santelises opened the plenary session by sharing Baltimore’s story and the urgency behind her district’s efforts to double down on postsecondary programming. The Baltimore City Public Schools System (BCPSS) currently serves almost 80,000
students across 160+ schools in Baltimore, Maryland.
In 2018, Baltimore Promise provided BCPSS with a comprehensive analysis of the landscape of postsecondary outcomes for Baltimore City youth over the prior decade. The report revealed that nearly 26% of graduating students in 2009 did not enroll in college or participate in the Maryland workforce. Only 10% of students from the graduating class of 2009 had earned a college degree. Even more shocking was finding that opportunity
youth who graduated high school in 2009 had only earned a median household income of $11,000 by 2017. Outcomes across race and gender were revealed to be even more disconcerting, as women of color made up the majority of opportunity youth at this
time.
Dr. Brookins Santelises did not shy away from sharing this information with the NCAN conference audience. For her, these data points validated the need for BCPSS to undergo a significant systemic change in how it approaches postsecondary efforts. These
numbers are indicative of where Baltimore’s story will change for the better.
To improve the quality of postsecondary support and resources for Baltimore City youth, Dr. Brookins Santelises and her team have dedicated their time and efforts to developing an equity-minded approach to reimagine their district’s policies and practices.
This approach began with several goals, including:
Becoming reflective and transparent on the shortcomings of past postsecondary initiatives and the implications those efforts had on the outcomes of Baltimore City youth.
Being eager to listen to the youth about their critiques of the system, academic needs, and postsecondary aspirations.
Engaging in dialogue with students, community members, and employers about the skills and training needed to succeed in the current workforce climate.
Utilizing data to inform disparities in short- and long-term student outcomes.
Revisiting district-level messages about the importance of graduation and the overall high school experience.
Redefining success beyond graduation and persistence to empower students and schools through opportunities that match their postsecondary plans.
BCPSS’ efforts to drive high-quality postsecondary efforts in its schools have been and continue to be multilayered to address the barriers of access and equity for all Baltimore City students.
With the assistance of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, BCPSS has refocused its efforts to serve high school students better. Across high schools, students have expanded AP course options and opportunities to engage in school-based FAFSA completion
initiatives. In addition to these efforts, other concrete practices thus far include:
Driving heavy counseling and pathway planning beginning in the 9th grade.
Rebuilding schools’ infrastructure to hire more well-trained adults who share the same vision and goals as the students and their broader school community.
Providing high-quality training for guidance counselors on FAFSA completion, workforce development opportunities, and college counseling.
Jumpstarting several workforce pilot programs during the school year and summer to support skill development, career-related mentoring, and networking.
Promoting dual enrollment programs at local community and state colleges.
Increasing summer school participation and completion through virtual and hybrid options.
Reconnecting with alumni through online portals to share workforce and wellness opportunities in the community.
Building out community partnerships with workforce programs geared towards employing opportunity youth.
BCPSS is also beginning to expand its postsecondary efforts into middle schools this year to promote earlier engagement with college and career readiness programming. For example, middle schools will offer every 6th-grader an opportunity to visit a college,
CTE class offerings in the 7th grade, and a job shadow opportunity in the 8th grade.
While these initiatives are widespread, Dr. Brookins Santelises reminded us that the core of this change begins and ends with the voices of students. Student voices continue to shape the reimagination of postsecondary efforts in Baltimore City. As advocates
of postsecondary access and equity, Dr. Brookins Santelises urged us to remain committed to working collaboratively with students, schools, parents, and community members to ensure that opportunities and resources around college and career strengthen
the trajectory of this generation.
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