While analyzing New York’s high school education system, a new policy brief found disparities in the diploma pathways to college among low-income and underrepresented groups of students, compared to their White peers.
The New York Equity Coalition’s policy brief, “The State of the Diploma,” looked at the use of the Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) “4+1” pathway and the Local Diploma, studying whether all students had access and opportunities to earn advanced diplomas.
“New York’s high school graduation rate data raises significant flags from an equity perspective because schools are disproportionately relying on career-focused pathways, rather than college- and career-focused pathways, for historically under-served groups of students,” said Ian Rosenblum, executive director of The Education Trust New York.
CDOS credentials were established to demonstrate a student’s readiness for entry-level employment. However, the research found that New York high schools were “disproportionately and overwhelmingly relying” on CDOS for underserved student populations.
The credential was used as a diploma pathway for Black students at 4.3 times the rate of White Students and for Latinx students at 1.9 times the rate of White students. Additionally, low-income students earned CDOS at 2.9 times the rate of those with higher incomes, the report said.
At 45.3%, schools in Rochester had the highest use of the CDOS pathway for Black students. Comparably, 21.2% of Black students in Syracuse, 14.4% in Buffalo and 0% in Yonkers used the CDOS pathway program.
Additionally, high schools in urban and suburban districts were 2.3 times more likely to use CDOS for Black students and 1.4 times more likely for Latinx students than for White students. For average-need districts, schools were 2.1 times more likely to use CDOS for Black students and 1.5 times more likely for Latinx students than for White students, according to the policy brief.
