Student retention is a critical factor for the success of the FRNYC at your school; the program’s effectiveness will depend on your students’ engagement and commitment. Schools should therefore foster student interest and increase the likelihood of sustained participation.
Core components of a successful retention strategy include:
- Programming to build community: Consider organizing FRNYC cohort activities beyond the classroom to foster connections among FRNYC students
- Personalized engagement: Schools should provide personalized engagement opportunities like additional 1:1 advising sessions where advisors/counselors can support students that may be struggling or express the desire to drop out of FRNYC
- Progress monitoring: Establish a monitoring structure within which all FRNYC students' FRNYC (along with core-academic) coursework progress is monitored so that if and when students trend toward becoming off-track, targeted supports can be implemented, ensuring active FRNYC program participation and progress to graduation remains on-track
- Reviewing CN course attendance data: With your CUNY partner, perform a weekly assessment of who is attending, and engaging in, CN courses. Create individual student-engagement plans to ensure success.
- Monitoring WBL attendance: Regularly communicate with your intermediary partner to ensure students are engaged and attending their WBL. Establish a protocol and communication plan for when a student may need to be absent.
Recommendations for alternative or non-traditional school models:
The FRNYC team recognizes the diversity of NYCPS students' high school journeys. While the recommendations in this section reflect broadly applicable recruitment timeline and strategies for grades 9-12, these resources should ultimately be used in conjunction with your schools' current student enrollment processes.
Please work with your pathway director for support with program adaptations and additional resources.
Student Opt-Out Process
Although student retention is the goal, to maintain program fidelity a student opt-out process should exist. At the end of each school year, schools should review FRNYC core component completion at the student level. Any of the following conditions are considered to represent a lack of engagement from the student and their place in FRNYC should not be held for the following year:
- Student has not engaged with one or more core components
- Student has been chronically absent (accounting for extenuating circumstances such as illness)
- Student has not met ECC academic proficiency requirements by junior year, despite school support
- Student has indicated that they do not wish to continue in the program