Mayor, chancellor visit Telecom High to tout education successes

Record number of students enrolling in college, de Blasio says

BAY RIDGE — More New York City high school seniors are going to college than ever, according to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza, who came to the High School of Telecommunications on Thursday to tout statistics showing a sharp increase in college enrollments among graduating seniors.

In addition, in the Class of 2018, a record number of 48,782 students enrolled in college, the mayor said during the visit he and the chancellor made to Telecom, 350 67th St. The 2018 total marked an increase of approximately 3,000 students seeking higher education from the previous year.

Sixty-two percent of students who graduated from high school in 2018 enrolled in a two-year- or four-year college, a vocational program or a public service program. That’s up three percent from the previous year and up 11 percent from the Class of 2013, the year before de Blasio took office.

“Our schools launch our kids to successful futures, and now more students than ever are enrolled in college and taking another step toward fulfilling their potential. We are making sure our students know college isn’t just for a select few and that a zip code no longer determines who gets to go,” de Blasio said in front of a group of Telecom students.

The mayor pointed to his Equity and Excellence for All agenda, which he said has played a major role in the increase in the number of students going to college.

Under Equity and Excellence for All, the Department of Education works to ensure that every high school has the resources it needs to help students develop a college and career plan.

Fifty-three percent of all students in the Class of 2018 graduated college-ready, a term which means that the students graduated on time and met the City University of New York’s standards for college readiness in English and Math.

The graduation rate for the Class of 2018 was 75.9 percent.

“The numbers are in and the results are clear: In New York City, more students are enrolling in college and on a path to success,” Carranza said. “Our schools are assisting at every turn by building college and career-ready cultures, eliminating barriers such as application fees and helping students directly apply. This is Equity in Excellence in action and I’m so proud of students, educators and families.”

Another program, called College Access for All, arranges for students to visit college campuses, take the SAT and apply for financial aid to help pay for college.

In the Class of 2018, 44,944 students received waivers through CUNY and were able to apply for free.

The visit by de Blasio and Carranza had lighthearted moments, according to a transcript provided by the mayor’s office.

After listening to welcoming remarks delivered by student Melanie Paredes, Carranza referred to the impressive student as “our future boss.”

Assemblymember Felix Ortiz, a Democrat whose district includes Red Hook, Sunset Park and parts of Bay Ridge, said he is impressed by the numbers of students in the city school system gaining admission to colleges.

“A college education opens the door to countless opportunities. I am pleased that so many of our high school students are applying to college this year. Let’s continue to emphasize the need for higher education as a meaningful experience toward a more productive future,” Ortiz said.