EMERGE-ing from the shadows 

During my first high school commencement celebrations in the Houston Independent School District (HISD) in 2009, I shook hands with and congratulated our high school graduates as they crossed the stage to receive their hard-earned diplomas. “Where are you going to college?” I asked each one — and heard surprising answers. Very few indicated they were planning to attend Ivy League/Tier One universities, including our highly accomplished valedictorians and salutatorians.  

My senior staff had become aware of this situation, and, like me, they felt it was worth investigating. Given the academic performance of many of our top-level students and the fact that highly selective colleges and universities offer high-achieving, low-income students so much financial aid, it seemed puzzling that students would choose to attend far less-selective or nonselective institutions (Hoxby & Avery, 2012).