The National Postsecondary Strategy Institute (NPSI) launched a national network of public school districts to increase college and career outcomes for low-income and minority students. This innovative network engages each district’s full leadership team in focused actions to improve student success outcomes.
Over the next two years, the NPSI National Network will transform how districts scale proven and innovative strategies to increase college and career outcomes for all students, including college readiness, FAFSA completion, college enrollment, college completion, and postsecondary participation. The Network is organized around deep engagement in the NPSI core model: leadership framework, data strategy, and school counselor engagement. Through the NPSI National Network, scalable and measurable practices will be captured and shared with the broader education community.
Eight districts were selected to participate in the inaugural NPSI Network through a competitive application process. The districts demonstrated a commitment to strategically lead their districts in accelerating college and career outcomes for their students. Thanks to a grant from the Kresge Foundation, districts will participate in the Network at no cost. Selected districts are:
- Baltimore City Public Schools
- Denver Public Schools
- Everett Public Schools (Washington)
- Fort Worth Independent School District
- Indianapolis Public Schools
- Michigan City Area Schools (Indiana)
- New York City Department of Education
- San Antonio Independent School District
The NPSI Network supports districts to solve problems of practice through devising strategies and interventions that help close attainment gaps across race and income. Long-term, sustained increases in degree attainment can be achieved if districts develop a holistic organizational approach to improving postsecondary outcomes for all students. While policymakers across the country have set goals to increase postsecondary attainment, until NPSI, no national organization has offered such direct support to school districts to contribute to these goals.
“Our team could not be more excited about the opportunities we will be afforded being in the Network!” said Tracy Kyttle, Postsecondary Advising Specialist at Baltimore City Public Schools. “We look forward to the transformative power of the NPSI network.”
The National Postsecondary Strategy Institute model is rooted in NPSI’s leadership team’s work as founders of the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) postsecondary success strategy from 2003 to 2009 which led to improved outcomes for CPS students over a 15-year period: college enrollment increased from 43% to 68% and BA degree completion went from 6% of entering high school freshmen to over 20%. In our first two years, NPSI has engaged over 150 school districts of all sizes, and many have reported significant increases in postsecondary success measures after implementing NSPI strategies.