Milwaukee Public Schools is one of just 24 districts nationwide selected to join the new Social Mobility Leadership Network, a national effort aimed at giving more high school students access to high-quality advanced coursework. 

The multiyear initiative, led by the Aspen Institute's Education and Society Program and the College Board, is designed to help 1 million students nationwide.  

“Our students are capable of achieving at high levels when we give them the tools, support, and quality materials to unlock their potential,” MPS Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said. “Across MPS, our talented educators are implementing proven techniques to accelerate student achievement. By joining the Social Mobility Leadership Network, we are giving a powerful boost to this work.”  

MPS will be able to leverage its participation in the program to expand student access to Advanced Placement® (AP®), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment coursework — coursework that allows students to earn college credit while still in high school. 
Increasing Dual Enrollment

The district currently exceeds the state average for students passing advanced courses, with more than 32 percent of students successfully completing an AP, IB, or Project Lead The Way (PLTW) course. The state average is just over 20 percent. Participating in the network will help MPS increase the percentage of students completing dual enrollment courses from its current 6.8 percent rate, below the state average of 26.6 percent.

Selection for participation was highly competitive, with applicants evaluated on leadership commitment, data infrastructure, and readiness to implement high-quality advanced coursework at scale. Superintendents and senior district leaders will officially launch the network cohort this month, beginning a three-year learning arc that runs through 2029.

Over the next three years, districts in the network will build on their progress by deepening efforts across four core areas: 

• Using data to expand the identification of high-potential students;
• Refining policies and systems to broaden access;
• Strengthening instructional readiness for educators and students; 
• Reinforcing that all students can succeed in advanced academic learning.

Participating districts aim to significantly increase the proportion of low-income and other students who take part in at least one high-quality AP, IB, or dual enrollment course by 2029. Low-income students historically have been underrepresented in advanced coursework. Each district will set goals based on where they are starting and track progress over three years using shared measures.  

‘Something Bold’

“These districts are raising their hands to do something bold,” said Janice K. Jackson, executive director of the Education and Society Program at the Aspen Institute. “They’ve demonstrated readiness to challenge old assumptions about who belongs in advanced coursework and build systems to find and support students who have been overlooked. We’re proud to work alongside these districts as they open doors for students across their communities.”

David Coleman, CEO of College Board, noted, “A century ago, this country decided a high school education should be universal, and we built the system to deliver it. That decision helped power the century that followed.”
“We are at a similar inflection point now,” he said, “and access to high-quality advanced coursework is one of the strongest levers left for rebuilding social mobility. Our schools are where the opportunity is built, and the leaders from these districts are ready to pick up the tools and invite every student with the talent to seize it.”