Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León, Newark City of Learning Collaborative Executive Director Reginald Lewis, Essex County Schools of Technology Superintendent Dr. James Pedersen, and St. Benedict’s Prep Dean of Seniors and College Placement Didier Jean-Baptiste will hold a press conference to launch public conversations to increase the number of Newark residents with college and other post-secondary certificates by 25 percent by 2025, on Wednesday, September 19, at 10 a.m., in the City Hall Press Room. City Hall is located at 920 Broad Street.

The Newark City of Learning Collaborative (NCLC) is working with Newark partners to achieve this goal, which will ensure that all Newarkers have the tools and resources needed to get to and through college. To that end, NCLC will hold public conversations in all five wards of the city of Newark on topics and issues derived from Post-Secondary Outcomes of Newark High School Graduates. At present, approximately 19 percent of Newark residents hold an Associate’s Degree or better, while the state and national averages are 45 and 40 percent, respectively.

Post-Secondary Outcomes of Newark High School Graduates is an analysis of what college-going looks like for nearly 13,500 of Newark’s recent graduates. The report was produced in collaboration with the Rutgers University-Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration. Covering approximately 85 percent of all Newark high school students who graduated between 2011 and 2016, the report examines college enrollment, persistence, and completion rates.

The press conference will include representatives from all sectors of the K-12 spectrum (e.g., traditional public, charter, vocational technical, and private schools).

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Click here to download a pdf of Post-Secondary Outcomes of Newark High School Graduates.