The Urban League, comprising nearly 100 affiliates in 36 states and <strong>the</strong> District <strong>of</strong> Columbia, is invested in <strong>the</strong> idea that educational opportunity is <strong>the</strong> most significant means and lever by which communities <strong>of</strong> color and underserved communities empower <strong>the</strong>mselves, and we design our work accordingly. We firmly believe that <strong>the</strong> nation’s focus should remain squarely on <strong>the</strong> readiness <strong>of</strong> youth to succeed after high school, not to <strong>the</strong> exclusion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir success in <strong>the</strong> Pre-K –12 education system but in ways that are inclusive <strong>of</strong> those efforts as well. For <strong>the</strong> National Urban League and local affiliates, readiness is best defined as <strong>the</strong> ability to enter <strong>the</strong> first year <strong>of</strong> college (market-ready credentials, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, etc.) or a career absent <strong>the</strong> need for remediation. We argue that in addition to equitable access to high-quality teachers and teaching, readiness requires <strong>the</strong> creation <strong>of</strong> robust supports and opportunities at each Beyond Schools Learning Outside <strong>the</strong> Classroom by Hal Smith transition point along <strong>the</strong> P–16 pathway (e.g., middle school to high school or high school to college). At <strong>the</strong>se critical junctures, children and youth can fall behind and become disconnected from schools as <strong>the</strong>y struggle to adapt to changed expectation, supports and learning. Our signature national education program, Project Ready, which serves more than 1,300 urban students annually, is designed to help <strong>the</strong> nation reach <strong>the</strong> Urban League’s Education Empowerment Goal: that every American child is ready for college, work and life by 2025. Project Ready develops an individual student’s knowledge and attitude toward, and capacity for, postsecondary success via strong local partnerships and a clear emphasis on positive youth development and out-<strong>of</strong>-school learning time (OST). Project Ready is built upon six principles: shared responsibility and accountability; improved access to high-quality content; individualized college and career planning; diverse, innovative and effective partnerships; robust, durable and meaningful engagement; and <strong>the</strong> innovative use <strong>of</strong> OST. In order to better support young men <strong>of</strong> color, we think two <strong>the</strong>mes in particular require fur<strong>the</strong>r elaboration: Out-<strong>of</strong> School Time, and Innovative and Effective Partnerships. Creating High-Quality Out-<strong>of</strong>-School Learning Opportunities The success and failure <strong>of</strong> young men <strong>of</strong> color are <strong>of</strong>ten wrongly attributed chiefly to school-based factors, when in fact it is <strong>the</strong> exposure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se students to an array <strong>of</strong> education and developmental opportunities that causes differentiated achievement. 1 In order to grow into responsible adults, we believe that all youth require a range <strong>of</strong> appropriate supports, services and opportunities, only some <strong>of</strong> which exist in <strong>the</strong>ir schools. In most cases, parents with means invest in <strong>the</strong>ir children individually, while in o<strong>the</strong>rs community-based programs and initiatives are developed to bring Hal Smith is <strong>the</strong> vice president <strong>of</strong> education and youth development and a senior research fellow at <strong>the</strong> National Urban League. 18 | The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center
Darryl D. 12th Grade