Program Spotlight: New York City

Department of Education District 26

In 2024, New York City Department of Education District 26 (NYC DOE D26) was selected as a National Partnership for Student Success Community Collaboration Challenge awardee.

2024 Community Collaboration Challenge awardee NYC DOE D26 has made tremendous strides in developing a mentorship program throughout their district, beginning with four district schools, in an effort to address chronic absenteeism. The district’s program kicked off in the first week of April 2024, with the first phase extending through the end of spring term.

In collaboration with MENTOR, a Supporting Champion of the National Partnership for Student Success, and The City University of New York (CUNY), a member of the NPSS Higher Education Coalition, NYC DOE D26 has been able to leverage Federal Work-Study funding to invite college students into an array of district schools.

“We connected with a professor in the education department so she could help us recruit students that would be aware, ready, and trainable for this opportunity,” said NYC DOE D26 Attendance Coordinator Justin Stark.

Increasing Program Efficiency through Collaboration.

The district is now placing students in mentorship roles in schools during the school day, preparing them for the role through a toolkit and other resources, as well as support from school staff members. Additional support in areas like activity design, logistics, and scheduling are divided among NYE DOE D26 schools and CUNY college campuses.

“What we found… is that students really need clear pathways because they’re juggling so much.” To facilitate as much clarity as possible, District 26 has separated program responsibilities among D26 public schools and CUNY college campuses:

District 26 Public School Responsibilities:

• Providing mentors with place, time, and clear role for work with mentee.
• Assigning an on-site DOE staff member to support mentor in CUNY coursework.
• Assisting with activity design and building mentor’s professional toolkit.
• Coordinating timekeeping with CUNY campus financial-aid or Federal Work-Study office.

CUNY College Campus Responsibilities:

• Creating space for mentors to reflect on performance in mentor role, as well as brainstorm ways to improve.
• Facilitating logistics and scheduling.
• Incorporating mentorship activities into coursework to boost mentors’ learning and performance.
• Processing payment of all Federal Work-Study hours.

Innovating Mentorship Throughout the District.

In an effort to tailor mentorship programs to the needs of individual schools, NYE  DOE D26 has introduced unique pilot programs aimed at meeting the following needs. “Because we sit in a district seat, we’re able to activate from the 28 schools in our district,” Stark said.

D26 has begun piloting mentorship programs with the following aims:

• Boosting academic and behavioral learning through homeroom. Mentors will attend Homeroom with students twice per week, as well as meet with Homeroom teacher and guidance team to identify student barriers to success and helpful strategies.
• Better engaging students in club hour, with a specific focus in ensuring students with poor attendance are in a club. Mentors will meet three or four times per week with Club Hour facilitators to connect targeted students in clubs aligned with their interests.
• Assisting 4th and 5th grade student government in putting ideas on life skills into action. Mentors will meet twice per week and take home work to help realize student government goals.

Expanding the Impact of Mentorship In the Future.

In the fall of 2024, District 26 hopes to expand the program to a greater impact, matching students who struggle with chronic absence to mentors available three times per week. Stark has stated that he would also like to increase communication between home and school, so that his team is able to better “understand the barriers limiting attendance and/or contributing to negative behaviors.”

Learn About Our 2025 Community Collaboration Challenge:

The NPSS Support Hub, with support from the Leon Lowenstein Foundation, will provide $5,000-$10,000 awards to communities and is designed to support collaboration that expands and pilots evidence-based NPSS aligned student supports: academic tutors, mentors, student success coaches, wraparound/integrated student support coordinators, and post-secondary transition coaches.

Fall 2024 Update:

In a recent update, Justin shared exciting news about the mentorship program—its successful return this fall! The welcoming atmosphere in district schools provided by mentors has led to remarkable improvements, including:

• Increased student participation in school activities.
• Notable academic growth, as students feel more supported and confident.

For instance, one mentor who spoke the home language of students with language barriers was able to significantly boost their involvement. Justin noted, “The feedback from the principal and the teacher was that it was just a level of work… a level of production that those students were doing, after the mentors’ integration, that just was absent before.” This holistic support has also contributed to a decrease in unexcused absences, as families recognize the benefits and express a desire for their children to attend school.

Justin elaborated on the mentor recruitment process, which has expanded to include two city colleges, focusing on building a strong partnership. Key steps include:

• Engaging with education departments to connect with passionate candidates.
• Comprehensive training on social-emotional learning techniques to prepare mentors for their supportive roles.

As Justin emphasized, “We cannot always predict what the best track of work is for the student,” highlighting the importance of mentorship in fostering individual growth. The positive feedback from students, teachers, and families reinforces the program’s success in creating a thriving, supportive school environment where every student feels valued and engaged!