NEW YORK, N.Y. – City Comptroller John C. Liu stated the following today after the Mayor’s announcement that high school graduation rates have held steady:

“Graduating from high school is not enough. In today’s economy, a college degree is vital, and research from the Comptroller’s office shows that four out of five New York City public high school students do not graduate from college. If we are serious about preparing students for the 21st-Century economy, we need to make smarter investments in education – including increasing the number of college counselors in our high schools, using early intervention systems to keep kids on track for college, building partnerships between high schools and colleges, and investing in summer programs to make sure high school graduates matriculate.”

Background:

Comptroller Liu’s “Beyond High School NYC” initiative seeks to increase the proportion of New Yorkers with higher education to 60 percent by the year 2025 through strategic investments in public education. Press Release.

“Beyond High School: Higher Education as a Growth and Fiscal Strategy for New York City”:

“The Power of Guidance: Giving High School Students the College Counseling They Need”:

“No More Rubber Stamp: Reforming New York City’s Panel for Educational Policy”:

“Bridging the Digital Literacy Divide”: