Innovative Ideas. Independent Policy.

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  Report - December 2018

  State of the Chains, 2018

  Our eleventh annual ranking of national retailers in New York City finds a year-over-year decrease in the number of chain store locations for the first time since this study began.
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  Report - December 2018

  Deeper in Debt: For-Profit Schools Driving Student Loan Default in New York State

  Nearly a quarter of undergraduate students in New York State who take out student loans either default or are at high risk of default after five years, driven by disproportionately high default rates at the state’s for-profit schools. The data underscores the need to tackle the student debt crisis in New York and suggests that state policymakers should take steps to hold the most default-prone institutions accountable.
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  Report - October 2018

  Out of Reach: Too Few New Yorkers Are Earning a High School Equivalency Diploma

  Earning a high school equivalency can open the door to better jobs, skills-building programs, and a postsecondary education for the nearly 1.5 million New Yorkers without a high school diploma. But the number of New Yorkers earning a high school equivalency is just half what it was in 2010, and overall trends are cause for concern.
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  Report - September 2018

  The Promise of Apprenticeships in New York

  Apprenticeships increase economic mobility for people without a college degree, help employers find diverse and qualified employees, and are an ideal training model for New York's fastest-growing industries. New York can do much more to realize their potential.
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  Report - September 2018

  Starting Later: Realizing the Promise of Older Entrepreneurs in New York City

  A growing number of New Yorkers over 50 are quietly but purposefully turning to entrepreneurship, boosting the city’s economy and helping scores of older New Yorkers become more financially secure. As the city's population ages, New York has a major opportunity to further expand encore entrepreneurship and support aspiring entrepreneurs who are starting later.
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  Report - August 2018

  Excelsior Scholarship Serving Very Few New York Students

  The Excelsior Scholarship program promises free tuition at CUNY and SUNY colleges. But only 3 percent of public college students are able to take advantage of Excelsior, and students in New York City are especially neglected.
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  Report - June 2018

  A New Leaf: Revitalizing New York City’s Aging Parks Infrastructure

  New York City's public parks are busier than ever. But the combination of advanced age and decades of insufficient maintenance means that parks across all five boroughs are facing serious infrastructure challenges.