Outgoing Miami Superintendent Alberto Carvalho Recognized for Transformative College-in-High-School Initiative As District Expands Program to More High Schoolers

MIAMI, Feb. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Education Equity Lab, an education justice nonprofit focused on delivering, and supporting, college credit-bearing courses from top universities to students in low-income communities, today announced that outgoing Miami-Dade County Public Schools' Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho will receive its inaugural Superintendent of the Year Award. The award recognizes Carvalho's commitment to building a culture of college-going aspiration and skills in the district, work which will continue in the coming year: Miami-Dade will expand its partnership with the Ed Equity Lab from eleven high schools to over twenty.

"Under Superintendent Carvalho's bold leadership, Miami-Dade has built an inspiring college-going culture with its teachers and students — and has become a bellwether for other districts around the country," said National Education Equity Lab CEO, Leslie Cornfeld. "Superintendent Carvalho has challenged all of us to build a better and more just future. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn from him. His legacy in Miami goes far beyond one initiative, but his work with Ed Equity Lab is emblematic of the kinds of innovation he has advanced. We look forward to both expanding our work in Miami and Los Angeles."

Research from the National Student Clearinghouse indicates that there have been precipitous declines in college attendance during the past two years, particularly for students graduating from high-poverty or low-income high schools. The National Education Equity Lab is partnering with districts around the country, as well as highly selective colleges and universities, to deliver a unique model that enables high school students to take credit-bearing courses in teacher-led classrooms,  at no cost to students and their families.

This school year, more than 250 students from 11 Miami-Dade high schools completed Ed Equity Lab courses. Of those students, 92 percent passed college courses from universities such as Howard, Princeton, Wharton, and Stanford — including all three of the country's highest performing high school students in the fall semester of the University of Pennsylvania's Essentials of Personal Finance.

"The commitment, enthusiasm, pride, and passion of Miami's students has been an inspiration throughout my tenure in the district," said Carvalho, who was recently appointed Superintendent of Los Angeles Unified School District, which is already working with the Ed Equity Lab to deliver classes in two high schools. "Initiatives like the Education Equity Lab prove that students from all backgrounds can succeed at the highest levels of American education. It's an honor to be recognized for this work, which could not have been accomplished without the teachers and administrators who help our students exceed their limits and fulfill their aspirations."

"Throughout his tenure as superintendent, Dr. Carvalho has exemplified a compassionate, innovative approach to leadership that has been transformative for our community," said Daniella Levine Cava, mayor of Miami-Dade County. "His groundbreaking work with the National Education Equity Lab reflects not just his belief that all students deserve the opportunity to pursue success in college and beyond — but also his commitment to making that belief a reality."

Founded in 2019, the National Education Equity Lab is designing, testing, and implementing new strategies to help our nation's top universities deliver on the democratic promise of higher education by taking a more active role in developing and inspiring the next generation of leaders. 

The Lab currently works with a consortium of institutions including Princeton, Howard, Stanford, Cornell, Wesleyan, Georgetown, Barnard/Columbia, and Arizona State University to deliver, and support, online credit-bearing courses into teacher-led high school classrooms in 32 states and over 90 cities nationwide, at no cost to students. School districts and principals apply to be part of this education equity effort, which will have reached over 10,000 students by the end of this year. In the Lab's 2019 national pilot program, 89 percent of students who completed a Harvard humanities course passed, receiving college credits; to date, over 80 percent of students have successfully completed their courses nationwide.

SOURCE The National Education Equity Lab