Say Yes to Education (Say Yes) is a national nonprofit organization that helps organize and galvanize entire cities

around making higher education accessible and affordable for children in their communities. With 26 years of

innovation and results, Say Yes has transformed the lives of thousands of students and families in low-income

school districts. Say Yes has grown from working with small cohorts of students to a citywide collaborative

approach that works to strengthen outcomes for all students.

An approach to education reform that can be scaled up city by city. Many solutions to the nation’s education

problems are focused on turning around individual schools. Say Yes works to change the expectations, culture and

management of the entire system and beyond. The strategy includes everything from financial management and

data-driven decision-making, to providing students with essential supports and changing how their time is used

inside and outside of school.

An opportunity for free tuition that opens the door to college for tens of thousands of students. Each of the

nearly 65,000 students in Syracuse and Buffalo public schools is eligible for generous scholarships, from Say Yes

and other donors, to attend a Say Yes Higher Education Compact institution. Some of these scholarships are based

on family income and provided by a growing network of more than 60 private colleges and universities (including

Harvard, Princeton, Duke, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, Notre Dame, Rice, and Syracuse). All Say Yes

Scholars in New York are eligible to have up to 100 percent of their tuition covered at New York State public

colleges and universities (SUNY and CUNY). Say Yes helps low-income students and their families pay for

college and encourages students to work hard, knowing that success in postsecondary education is possible.

A commitment to every child and family in a community. Unlike education reforms targeting specific students or

schools, Say Yes's citywide approach supports every public school student, regardless of income level or family

background. All children in the city have access to tutoring, academic, emotional, health, and family supports from

early childhood through high school and beyond—supports that turn the promise of college into a tangible pathway

for every student. More than 3,600 students have gone on to college with Say Yes supports.

An urban action agenda focused on building a strong workforce, combating poverty and investing in people as a

means of advancing residents’ social and economic progress.

A catalytic approach to educational and economic success that transforms the role of government and creates a

unified action agenda. Say Yes provides a model for regional cooperation that brings together leaders from every

sector—government, philanthropy, businesses, nonprofit services, parents and the faith community—to play

specific and interconnected roles in ensuring the success of every child.

A national leader in advancing greater efficiency, transparency, and results in public education. Say Yes uses a

monitoring system to track financial and student performance and to ensure the efficacy of its programs, and shares this

results-oriented information with its partners.

March 18, 2014

A National Model for Urban Improvement

Citywide TurnaroundStrategy Adopted in Syracuse & Buffalo