New York state received a $6 million grant yesterday from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create nearly two dozen early-college high schools where kids can earn diplomas and associate degrees at the same time.
The grant for the Smart Scholars program signals a shift in focus for the foundation away from creating hundreds of intimate, small schools, for which it had given the city more than $50 million dollars since 2002.
“The Smart Scholars program will make the dream of college success a reality for thousands of students who would otherwise be unable to consider the possibility,” said Gov. Paterson, who will seek to secure matching funds from the Legislature in the state’s 2010-11 budget.