Breaking Barriers

Book excerpt: "With job opportunities in decline for youth with no postsecondary degree, and college completion rates especially for students of color stagnating, a high school diploma is no longer enough. To solve this large-scale global problem. High school must be completely redesigned and reinvented providing all students real opportunity with both equity and excellence. P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) has done just that by combining public high schools and community colleges in partnership with employers, providing both opportunity and support for all students, regardless of income, race or any screen for admission. Unlike many school models, this innovative and effective approach has spread across the US and around the world, eliminating barriers to replication by engaging all stakeholders. The first P-TECH, opened in a low-income Brooklyn neighborhood, across from a public housing project, and served 100% students of color. It has become the model for school reform across over a dozen US states and nearly twenty countries. Praised by President Obama, governors in red and blue states, and heads of nations, its story is told in this book through the personal stories of students who have destroyed the myths about which students can succeed. Their stories demonstrate that all students, if given the opportunity and support, can reach great heights in high school, college, and career"--