Say Yes to Education: Transforming Communities Through Comprehensive Support
Say Yes to Education (SYTE) is a national non-profit organization committed to dramatically increasing high school and college graduation rates for inner-city youth. SYTE's unique approach seeks to change the trajectory of students’ lives and the communities in which they live. It recognizes that providing scholarships alone is not enough; students need comprehensive support to succeed in their education endeavors. This article explores the multifaceted benefits of the Say Yes to Education program, highlighting its strategic approach, community-based solutions, and transformative impact.
The Genesis of Say Yes to Education
The seeds of Say Yes to Education were sown in 1987 when George Weiss, a successful professional, made a life-changing promise to 112 sixth-graders from an under-resourced neighborhood in Philadelphia. Inspired by a poignant encounter with a group of young men he had befriended years earlier, Weiss pledged to fund their college education if they persevered through high school. This commitment laid the foundation for what would become Say Yes to Education.
The organization's first large-scale effort to expand this vision came in 2008 with the launch of Say Yes Syracuse. This initiative marked a significant step in translating Mr. Weiss’s inspiration into a comprehensive, community-wide program. Since its inception, Say Yes has been dedicated to supporting city students in their educational journeys, from high school graduation to college completion.
A Strategic Approach to Education Reform
Say Yes to Education understands that true educational reform requires a holistic approach. The organization focuses on two key areas: enhancing the quality of academic programs and fostering community-based solutions.
Emphasis on Academic Quality
SYTE leadership recognizes that students must be well-prepared academically to take full advantage of scholarship opportunities. The program emphasizes the importance of rigorous K-12 education, ensuring that students enter college ready to succeed.
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Community-Based Solutions
SYTE views communities as the primary unit of change and works to reshape how communities collaborate to support education. This approach involves mobilizing community assets to lower barriers to success and incentivizing high school graduation.
FourPoint, a strategic consulting firm, has been instrumental in helping SYTE implement its vision. Their tailored approach involves thorough reviews of school systems, identifying areas for improvement, and recommending strategies to prioritize resources effectively.
Key Components of the Say Yes Model
The Say Yes to Education model comprises several key components that work together to create a supportive ecosystem for students:
"Last Dollar" Tuition Scholarships
In SYTE communities, public high school graduates are eligible for scholarships covering the "last dollar" tuition. This scholarship covers the remaining balance after federal and state aid and other scholarships have been taken into account. The scholarship is available to any in-state public college or university, regardless of family income. Similar scholarships are available to students meeting income qualifications through the more than 100 private colleges and universities in the SYTE Higher Education Compact.
Wraparound Support Services
SYTE recognizes that students face numerous challenges outside the classroom that can impact their academic success. To address these challenges, SYTE helps districts locate the funds to pay for critical student supports such as counselors and social workers. The Say Yes experience also provides wrap-around services to ensure the success of each Say Yes Scholar.
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The Say Yes to Education Legal Services Task Force coordinates legal assistance for families in Say Yes schools. When Say Yes Family Support Specialists refer clients, Legal Aid gathers preliminary information about the matter.
Community Engagement
SYTE actively engages with various stakeholders within the community, including the mayor, city council, county executive, social service agencies, higher education institutions, businesses, and philanthropic organizations. This cross-sector collaboration ensures that everyone is working together to support students' educational goals.
Implementation and Impact
Say Yes to Education has been implemented in several cities, including Syracuse and Buffalo, with significant positive outcomes.
Syracuse
In Syracuse, FourPoint recommended re-conceptualizing the delivery of special education services and focusing more deeply on early literacy to reduce referrals to special education in later grades. They also recommended and helped to support the restructuring of the district’s talent management office to better place and support effective educators and leaders in Syracuse schools. Say Yes Syracuse brought an unprecedented level of communication and collaboration among community leaders previously working in silos. Thought partners faced a number of challenges, such as ambiguously defined roles and strategy disagreement; they addressed these initial setbacks to improve collaboration over the first four years of the initiative. From the initiative’s start, many conditions were not in place. But during the next three years, Say Yes Syracuse addressed many information system challenges and designed ways to work around limitations.
Buffalo
In Buffalo, FourPoint found that the district lacked a systemic approach to preparing all students for college and careers. They also found that operations were scattered and ineffective, and that the central office was unable to support schools in delivering an effective education to students. FourPoint recommended a number of strategies intended to transform the school system, including detailing staff roles and responsibilities, reorganizing and staffing the talent management department, strengthening behavioral and academic supports for students, and developing a robust professional development system. Buffalo’s SYTE initiative successfully made high school graduation a communitywide effort. Because of the strong cross-sector engagement, STYE was able to withstand seven superintendent transitions in six years. Each new superintendent knew that staying committed to SYTE was a non-negotiable because of the strong community support.
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Measurable Results
Since beginning this work, SYTE has seen a 16-point increase in high school graduation rates in the Buffalo Public Schools. There has also been a 10 percent increase in graduates who enroll in post-secondary education. These improvements will not only change the lives of students, they will help to improve the local economy as well.
The Weiss Institute: Expanding the Reach of Say Yes
Recognizing the high demand for its mission and the limitations of its place-based model, SYTE has formed the Weiss Institute. This field-building center, in partnership with America’s Promise Alliance, aims to expand the capacity of communities to make it possible for all young people to earn a college degree or other postsecondary credential, breaking the cycle of poverty that is so detrimental to life success. The Weiss Institute aims to share lessons from SYTE’s experience with other cities attempting to mobilize community resources to achieve similar goals. FourPoint chairman Christopher Cross began providing direct support to SYTE’s senior leadership team - advising them on policy and partnership issues in initial and future cities, considering how and where SYTE might extend its impact, and helping to conceptualize a new Weiss Institute.
Overcoming Challenges and Ensuring Sustainability
Say Yes to Education has faced its share of challenges, including navigating leadership transitions and addressing systemic issues within school districts. However, the program's strong community engagement and data-driven approach have enabled it to overcome these obstacles and achieve sustainable results.
Community Collaboration on Education Reform explores the nature and quality of collaboration between Say Yes Syracuse and its local partners by evaluating each of the initiative’s core principles. Foundation Investment in Education Reform examines the experiences of Say Yes Syracuse and compares them with those of five other philanthropies also using a high-engagement approach. Uses of Data in the Community-Based Reform Initiative looks at which research-based conditions, critical to successful data use, were implemented by Say Yes Syracuse.
Eligibility and Access
Say Yes to Education Cleveland is a scholarship for Cleveland Metropolitan School District Students that meet certain criteria. Any student who transfers to CSAT in grades 9, 10, 11 or 12 (from a public or charter school located within the City of Buffalo) and meets all other Say Yes Buffalo eligibility requirements will not lose his/her Say Yes eligibility. Cuyahoga Community College does not determine eligibility for the Say Yes to Education Scholarship.
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