Brooklyn Generation School Receives Strong Results on 2013 NYC DOE Report Card: Innovative Education Model Linked to Major Improvements in 5 Categories over Last Year
Brooklyn, New York (PRWEB) November 18, 2013 -- Generation Schools Network™, the nationally-recognized, award-winning non-profit whose innovative education model offers students up to 30% more and better learning time and teachers considerable collaborative time to prepare effective instruction without increasing their work year, announced that Brooklyn Generation School received a positive report, including a strong “B” grade, on the 2013 Progress Report released last week by the New York City Department of Education. The Progress Reports, known as “School Report Cards”, evaluate schools in five major areas and assigns a school an overall letter grade between “A” and “F”.
The strong “B” grade is good news for Brooklyn Generation School, especially when compared to last year’s high “C” grade. Specifically, with improvements in each of the five Progress Report categories -- including student progress, student performance, school environment, college and career readiness, and closing the achievement gap -- it reflects the fact that students are making annual progress and earning credits towards graduation and passing state exams. Even with a marginalized population, and challenges with the way the city calculates graduation rates, Brooklyn Generation School is still meeting the city’s six-year graduation rate, significantly outperforming what others expect of these students, and superseding those of other schools in the city.
As Gotham Schools explained, “Schools get a single letter grade after the Department of Education crunches hundreds of data points, using complex algorithms to measure the schools against each other in addition to absolute standards. The department has a small fleet of officials generating the annual grades, and the spreadsheet containing the underlying data for this year’s scores stretched to 240 columns.” Each school's Progress Report (1) measures the student year-to-year progress; (2) compares the school to peer schools; and (3) rewards success in moving all children forward, especially children with the greatest needs. With data summed in five categories, each receives a letter grade, and then the school as a whole receives a single letter grade, which is what tends to be most frequently reported.
Continuing a trend over the last three years, Brooklyn Generation School is focused on serving students who have been marginalized in elementary and middle school. Of their total student body, approximately 80% enter 9th grade behind or significantly behind based on test scores. With the first-and-only education model in the nation that expands learning time and reduces class size for all students in core courses in a cost effective way, Brooklyn Generation School’s teachers are able to improve outcomes by (1) relentlessly working to use resources differently and to meet the needs of the students; (2) scheduling courses thoughtfully to meet students needs; (3) investing time to increase their own teaching capacity and effectiveness; and (4) engaging families positively and proactively as resources and partners. In turn, these young adults gain the confidence and skills they need to live by the school’s motto: “Dream bigger, Work harder, Care more”.
Brooklyn Generation School’s Principal, Lydia Colón Bomani, remarked, “We’re elated that Brooklyn Generation School continues to improve and develop. As a teaching and learning community, we are growing as we apply our model, which uses time differently to provide resources and opportunities to students that connect them to college and career planning from the first day they attend our school.” Colón Bomani continued, “Our latest progress report results show continued growth over time, and confirm that we are looking at and effectively addressing the right things."
According to Jonathan Spear, Co-Founder of Generation Schools Network, “Generation Schools Network is proud to partner with Lydia Colón Bomani, the school leadership, the Grade Team Leaders, and the teachers and staff who are working tirelessly to solve problems and leverage opportunities in ways that are consistent with our innovative education model. As we continue to partner with this exceptional team at Brooklyn Generation School, we look forward to even more improvement and positive outcomes in the work that lies ahead.”
For more information about the New York City Department of Education Progress Reports, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/Tools/Report/Default.htm.
ABOUT GENERATION SCHOOLS NETWORK™
Generation Schools Network™ (GSN) is a nationally recognized, award-winning nonprofit organization whose innovative education model offers students and teachers up to 30% more and better learning time. Recognized by Bridgespan and the Center for High-Impact Philanthropy as one of the most cost-effective and promising school-redesign models in the country, GSN is dedicated to re-thinking the basic structures of a public school to ensure that all students – regardless of life circumstances – have access to a great education. Ultimately, their mission is to fundamentally transform schools to better prepare students for life’s responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities.
Generation Schools Network re-organizes the resources that districts already have -- particularly talent, time, and technology -- to implement the first-and-only education model in the nation that expands learning time and reduces class size for all students in core courses. As a result, good teachers are able to spend more time with fewer students, without increasing the work year or requiring an overhaul to existing teachers’ contracts. Importantly, the Generation Schools Network model seeks to be cost effective for district and school budgets.
To learn more about Generation Schools Network, visit http://www.GenerationSchools.org, send an email to info(at)GenerationSchools(dot)org, or call (720) 299-0474.
Wendy Loloff Piersee, Generation Schools Network, http://www.generationschools.org, +1 847-226-4158, [email protected]
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