Since 2012, the NYC Department of Education's Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) has provided funding and professional development to 40 City high schools with the goal of helping them develop new strategies (or expand existing efforts) aimed at increasing college and career readiness for Black and Latino male students. As part of our larger evaluation of ESI, the Research Alliance is conducting in-depth case studies in five ESI schools, observing programs in action, and speaking with educators, school leaders, and students about the specific practices they have changed as part of ESI. Drawing on these sources, we have compiled a set of guides that provide concrete examples of how ESI schools are attempting to boost college readiness for young men of color. Each guide describes a specific approach and offers tips, discussion questions, and resources for educators who may want to pursue this strategy. This guide focuses on Culturally Relevant Education, a topic that principals, teachers, and guidance counselors across ESI schools identified as important for creating an environment that supports and welcomes young men of color. CRE is a way of teaching that strives to empower students by incorporating their cultures, backgrounds, and experiences into the school environment and classroom activities. CRE also attempts to help schools address underlying biases educators may have about their students -- particularly Black and Latino males. The guide highlights practices three ESI schools use to bring CRE to life, including:

• Taking advantage of CRE professional development opportunities;
• Incorporating students' experiences and interests into curricula;
• Addressing teachers' mindsets and beliefs;
• Applying CRE in the classroom;
• Supporting English language learners and bilingual students; and
• Embracing diversity within and across cultures.

Since 2012, the NYC Department of Education's Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) has provided funding and professional development to 40 City high schools with the goal of helping them develop new strategies (or expand existing efforts) aimed at increasing college and career readiness for Black and Latino male students. As part of our larger evaluation of ESI, the Research Alliance is conducting in-depth case studies in five ESI schools, observing programs in action, and speaking with educators, school leaders, and students about the specific practices they have changed as part of ESI. Drawing on these sources, we have compiled a set of guides that provide concrete examples of how ESI schools are attempting to boost college readiness for young men of color. Each guide describes a specific approach and offers tips, discussion questions, and resources for educators who may want to pursue this strategy. This guide focuses on Culturally Relevant Education, a topic that principals, teachers, and guidance counselors across ESI schools identified as important for creating an environment that supports and welcomes young men of color. CRE is a way of teaching that strives to empower students by incorporating their cultures, backgrounds, and experiences into the school environment and classroom activities. CRE also attempts to help schools address underlying biases educators may have about their students -- particularly Black and Latino males. The guide highlights practices three ESI schools use to bring CRE to life, including:

• Taking advantage of CRE professional development opportunities;
• Incorporating students' experiences and interests into curricula;
• Addressing teachers' mindsets and beliefs;
• Applying CRE in the classroom;
• Supporting English language learners and bilingual students; and
• Embracing diversity within and across cultures.

Since 2012, the NYC Department of Education's Expanded Success Initiative (ESI) has provided funding and professional development to 40 City high schools with the goal of helping them develop new strategies (or expand existing efforts) aimed at increasing college and career readiness for Black and Latino male students. As part of our larger evaluation of ESI, the Research Alliance is conducting in-depth case studies in five ESI schools, observing programs in action, and speaking with educators, school leaders, and students about the specific practices they have changed as part of ESI. Drawing on these sources, we have compiled a set of guides that provide concrete examples of how ESI schools are attempting to boost college readiness for young men of color. Each guide describes a specific approach and offers tips, discussion questions, and resources for educators who may want to pursue this strategy. This guide focuses on Culturally Relevant Education, a topic that principals, teachers, and guidance counselors across ESI schools identified as important for creating an environment that supports and welcomes young men of color. CRE is a way of teaching that strives to empower students by incorporating their cultures, backgrounds, and experiences into the school environment and classroom activities. CRE also attempts to help schools address underlying biases educators may have about their students -- particularly Black and Latino males. The guide highlights practices three ESI schools use to bring CRE to life, including:

• Taking advantage of CRE professional development opportunities;
• Incorporating students' experiences and interests into curricula;
• Addressing teachers' mindsets and beliefs;
• Applying CRE in the classroom;
• Supporting English language learners and bilingual students; and
• Embracing diversity within and across cultures.

With support from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences led a study to assess the implications of declining state support for public research universities (PRUs.) The American Academy released the final report of the study today. The report, titled Public Research Universities: Recommitting to Lincoln's Vision -- An Educational Compact for the 21st Century, makes recommendations for preserving and strengthening the nation's PRUs. Most importantly, the report formulates a new educational compact -- a call for state and federal governments, universities, businesses, and philanthropic organizations to come together in support of America's public research universities. Each sector has a role to play in preserving and strengthening these institutions, which are an essential component of the nation's intellectual infrastructure and a key driver of American education, research, culture, and the national economy. The report was produced by members of the Academy's Lincoln Project, which brought together leaders representing public higher education, government, policy, business, and philanthropy to identify common concerns and advance innovative initiatives. Thomas Siebel was an advisor to The Lincoln Project.

With support from the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences led a study to assess the implications of declining state support for public research universities (PRUs.) The American Academy released the final report of the study today. The report, titled Public Research Universities: Recommitting to Lincoln's Vision -- An Educational Compact for the 21st Century, makes recommendations for preserving and strengthening the nation's PRUs. Most importantly, the report formulates a new educational compact -- a call for state and federal governments, universities, businesses, and philanthropic organizations to come together in support of America's public research universities. Each sector has a role to play in preserving and strengthening these institutions, which are an essential component of the nation's intellectual infrastructure and a key driver of American education, research, culture, and the national economy. The report was produced by members of the Academy's Lincoln Project, which brought together leaders representing public higher education, government, policy, business, and philanthropy to identify common concerns and advance innovative initiatives. Thomas Siebel was an advisor to The Lincoln Project.

The report shares the results of the 2015 Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) Global Alumni Survey, the first round of global data collection to occur during the course of tracking study. The findings reflect the responses of 1,861 IFP alumni from 22 different countries, capturing 43% of the program population. Findings from the report can be used to drive programmatic and policy decisions and shed light on research that supports the need for widening access to higher education in an effort to combat social inequality. Social Justice and Sustainable Change shows that funding the post-graduate academic pursuits of emerging social justice leaders from marginalized groups leads to significant, measurable benefits for communities and organizations in their countries and throughout the world.

The report shares the results of the 2015 Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program (IFP) Global Alumni Survey, the first round of global data collection to occur during the course of tracking study. The findings reflect the responses of 1,861 IFP alumni from 22 different countries, capturing 43% of the program population. Findings from the report can be used to drive programmatic and policy decisions and shed light on research that supports the need for widening access to higher education in an effort to combat social inequality. Social Justice and Sustainable Change shows that funding the post-graduate academic pursuits of emerging social justice leaders from marginalized groups leads to significant, measurable benefits for communities and organizations in their countries and throughout the world.

U.S. college students are highly confident that First Amendment rights are secure, yet a slight majority say the climate on campus prevents some people from saying what they believe because others might find it offensive, a Gallup survey has found. The survey, sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Newseum Institute, revealed differences in the attitudes of students and the U.S. population as a whole toward First Amendment rights, as well as differences among male, female, white and minority students about whether it was ever appropriate to restrict free speech. This study sought to better understand how U.S. college students interpret their First Amendment rights, and their views of how to balance those rights against other considerations.