As an FRNYC school, you will be responsible for creating a new pathway for 1 to 3 sections, with at least 25 students per section, in each grade (or grade band in some select cases), starting with 9th grade. Please refer to the application companion guide for additional information about cohort expectations.

You should finalize your school's FRNYC cohort before the start of SY23-24 and ensure that coursework for this cohort is reflected in STARS using the course codes we provide. In this section of the Playbook, you will find guidance on generating student interest and facilitating the student recruitment process.

Important notes for student recruitment

  • Students and families should be aware that being an FRNYC student represents a commitment to a multi-year program
    • Schools should have a counseling protocol in place to support students who are considering discontinuing involvement in FRNYC programming
  • Students should have an opportunity to demonstrate interest in FRNYC
  • For incoming 9th grade students, schools should create a preliminary cohort by September to provide the opportunity to explore FRNYC via career exploration course work and/or an introductory pathway course that offers exploration opportunities
  • For 10th-12th grade students, schools should select cohorts before the beginning of SY23-24, to allow for a full year of programming
  • FRNYC cohorts should be selected equitably, ensuring that student cohorts reflect the makeup of the student body (including multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and students historically underserved and underrepresented in college and career pathways)
  • In appropriate cases, schools should provide resources to help students overcome barriers to accessing FRNYC programming, such as transportation, academic and language support

Process to recruit students to FRNYC

Step 1: Build your school's Outreach and Engagement Team

  • This team will be responsible for identifying students interested in joining FRNYC and selecting cohorts for each grade
  • The team should include School Leadership (e.g., Principal, Assistant Principal), and the FRNYC Coordinator at a minimum. It may also be helpful to include:
    • Parent Coordinator
    • College Now Liaison
    • WBL Coordinator
    • Student Ambassadors (if the program is already in motion)

Step 2: Raise FRNYC awareness among students and families

  • Engage potential participants (8th graders) while they are still in school or over the summer (before 9th grade); suggested engagements include:
    • Orientation sessions with potential students in the Spring to share an overview of the FRNYC program and its benefits
    • Direct outreach to students / families to notify them of the program (which can include email blasts, social media, text messages, etc.)
      Note: Consider offering outreach materials in multiple languages to improve accessibility (especially for parents)
    • Indicating participation in FRNYC on your school's overview section in myschools.nyc, promotional materials, and your school's website
      Note: In communications to students, highlight that students can use 9th grade to explore FRNYC programming before officially joining an FRNYC cohort.

Step 3: Identify students interested in FRNYC

  • Create a short interest form / survey for prospective students to express their interest in joining their grade's FRNYC cohort
    Note: Translate this interest form where necessary to improve access for multilingual learners
  • Along with the Outreach and Engagement Team, teachers may also nominate students for the program, but it is strongly encouraged that you identify which students are most excited about FRNYC

Step 4: Assign students to FRNYC Cohorts

Note: Schools in First-Year Implementation will select cohorts for grades 9-11 (grade 11 solely for Workplace Challenge); schools in Full Implementation will select cohorts for grades 9-12.

  • For incoming 9th grade students, schools should create a preliminary cohort by September to provide the opportunity to explore FRNYC via career exploration coursework and/or introductory pathway coursework.
    • You are strongly encouraged to populate your preliminary cohort with either all grade 9 students or if that is not feasible, that they are programmed into additional grade 9 FRNYC sections over and above the number to which you have committed (e.g., instead of one section, you program for two). By doing this:
      • All (or most) 9th grade students will have the opportunity to explore the FRNYC program, increasing the potential impact of FRNYC on the students who ultimately remain in the FRNYC program in the 10th grade in the number of sections indicated in your FRNYC application.
      • Your FRNYC Outreach and Engagement Team will have an ample runway to gauge student interest and make recommendations for those who will remain in FRNYC for 10th grade and beyond.
      • You will have exposed all (or most) of your students to Career-Connected Learning.
    • Preliminary cohorts for incoming 9th graders should be selected before the beginning of SY23-24
  • For Grades 10-12, for both Incoming 10th-12th grade students (those new to the school: transferred from another NYCPS or charter school, or recent arrival to NYC) and Returning 10th-12th grade students:
    • First Year Implementation — Use Step 3 (above) to gauge 10th grade students' interest in case you have open seats in your 10th grade course(s) and work with your Outreach and Engagement Team to assess incoming students' potential to join FRNYC program.
    • Full Implementation — Use Step 3 (above) to gauge 10th-12th grade students' interest in case you have open seats in your 10th-12th grade course(s) and work with your Outreach and Engagement Team to assess incoming students' potential to join FRNYC program.
  • Cohorts for incoming 10th-12th graders should be selected before the beginning of SY23-24
  • Example comms are provided below in "Resources for Stakeholder Engagement"

Schools should select and notify their next cohort of FRNYC students of acceptance before the beginning of SY23-24 (ideally by July 31), to provide enough time to complete the master scheduling process and prepare for the upcoming school year.

If there are more interested students than spaces available, schools should primarily consider students' relative interest in FRNYC / your school's chosen pathway.

  • Note: When selecting students for the SY23-24 cohort, schools should strive to ensure FRNYC students reflect the makeup of the student body, including multilingual learners, students with IEPs, and students historically underserved and underrepresented in college and career pathways

If there are fewer interested students than spaces available, schools should consider:

  • Resharing the interest form
  • Providing additional announcements and guidance through school meetings and/or events (e.g., parent-teacher conference, student advisory meetings, etc.)
  • Personalizing asks directly to the students ensuring they understand the program and its potential benefits

Resources for Student & Family Engagement

A strong outreach plan will utilize multiple forms of student and family engagement (as shown in chart below). Below, you will find communications/marketing materials and templates for FRNYC schools to use and reference.

Best Practice: What is already in place in your school building/community to engage with students and families that has proven to work? Consider how you can modify or leverage these strategies/structures to recruit students on your outreach list.

Multi-Layered Outreach (Engagement Types)