National Study Shows Success Academies at Top of List in Closing NYC Achievement Gap
March 23, 2016
Contact: Dan Bank, (212) 681-1380
First-of-its-kind Education Equality Index names five Success Academy schools to top ten list of schools in New York City that are ending inequality.
New York, NY — Five Success Academy schools were ranked among the top ten schools in New York City that are closing or have closed the achievement gap, according to a new report published by Education Cities. Four Success Academy schools – SA Harlem 2, SA Harlem 3, SA Harlem 4, and SA Harlem 5 – ranked first through fourth respectively, while SA Harlem 1 rounded out the list.
Education Cities, a network of nonprofit organizations focused on increasing the number of great public schools across the country, released yesterday the Education Equality Index that compared the achievement gap between students from low-income families and their more advantaged peers. This first-of-its-kind study used student achievement data through 2014, to analyze whether – and how quickly – schools, cities, and states are closing the achievement gap.
Across the majority of New York City’s schools, academic achievement for students of color is in reverse: More than 200,000 black and Hispanic students failed to read or do math at grade level, and the number of black students who passed math and ELA assessments actually declined in 2015, falling by 643. Success Academy students have not only closed the achievement gap, but are consistently outperforming students from more affluent neighborhoods across the city and state. For example, 83% of students at these five Success schools are economically disadvantaged, and last year, 64% passed the English Language Arts state test and 92% passed the math test. In Scarsdale, where zero students are considered economically disadvantaged, only 75% of students passed the math test, while 64% passed ELA.
“New York’s public schools should serve all children at the same high level, regardless of income or zip code, said Success Academy founder and CEO Eva Moskowitz. “Much more needs to be done across New York City to eliminate the achievement gap, as the Education Equality Index shows, and we will continue to lead that fight on behalf of students.”
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ABOUT SUCCESS ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS
Founded in 2006, Success Academy Charter Schools are free public pre-K through 12 schools open to all children in the state through a random lottery. With 34 schools across Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, Success Academy enrolls 11,000 students, primarily low-income children of color in disadvantaged neighborhoods: 74% of students receive free or reduced-price lunch, 95% are children of color, 13% are children with disabilities, and 8.5% are English language learners. Ranked in the top 1% in math and the top 3% in English on 2015 state proficiency tests, Success Academy schools received more than 22,000 applications for fewer than 2,300 open seats last year. Two Success Academy schools, Success Academy Harlem 1 and Harlem 3, have been honored as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, the only Harlem schools in the last 25 years to receive this prestigious award.
For more information about Success Academy, go to Successacademies.org and virtualtour.successacademies.org.
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