In East Harlem, a neighborhood where half its residents never graduate high school, The Young Women’s Leadership School (TYWLS) has a graduation rate of 95-100%.Founded in 1996 as the first school supported by The Women's Leadership Foundation (TLF), TYWLS public school currently serves 425 girls in grades 6-12.
Ann Rubenstein Tisch, a broadcast journalist and founder of TWL Foundation, believes that single-sex education is an important way to address a major crisis of confidence that strikes young adolescent girls.
"It seems to be where the unraveling begins, right out of elementary school," said Tisch.
According to Assistant Principle Drew Higginbotham, 88% of students in the class of 2009 will be first in their families to attend college. According to the school's website, small classes, emphasis on writing, discussion and debate and a dedicated faculty make TWYLS successful.
TWYLS's impressive graduation rate is also a result of the school's focus on college readiness. A full time college counselor meets weekly with students starting in their junior years and the TWL foundation supports student trips to tour colleges and universities.
The 65 young women getting diplomas in June are working to secure post graduation plans. Many of the 12th graders completed CUNY applications earlier this month. Teachers and administration focus the remainder of fall semester on helping students apply to SUNY campuses, liberal arts colleges and Ivy League schools.
While Higginbotham said some stay in East Harlem, three seniors, working side-by-side in the administration office after school, spoke of their excitement about experiencing life beyond their neighborhood.
Senior Shavon Olin applied to schools as far as California. She said she wants to go to college “because I don’t want minimum wage jobs. I want a career and money. Also, it’s the easiest way out of the community I live.”
