The Latest Scandal For Chancellor Carmen Farina: Renewal High School Plans Fail

The lack of strategic planning and intelligent guidance at the New York City Department of Education never ceases to amaze me, even after dealing with the agency since 1997.

We knew that Carmen Farina is not a leader and should not be Chancellor, but Bill de Blasio would not listen. He must not be re-elected.

Betsy Combier
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New Analysis Reveals Sinking College Readiness Rates at Nearly Half of de Blasio Administration’s Renewal High Schools

Latest Example of Unmet Promises of Mayor’s Signature Education Program

New York, NY – A new analysis of data from the New York City Department of Education and the New York State Education Department reveals that nearly half of the de Blasio administration’s Renewal high schools are failing to prepare their students for college. The report, released today by Families for Excellent Schools, finds that during the the 2015-2016 school year, college readiness rates dropped at 15 of the 34 high schools currently participating in the Mayor’s program. Additionally, Renewal high schools missed an average of 76% of graduation-related benchmarks for improvement.

Sinking college readiness rates are the latest example of Mayor de Blasio’s signature education initiative not living up to its promises. Public Advocate Leticia James and principal’s union president Ernie Logan delivered sharp critiques of School Renewal just two weeks ago, joining a growing group of parents and advocates frustrated with the program’s failure to produce real results for New York City’s highest-need children.

“Mayor de Blasio’s refusal to admit that his School Renewal program has failed is keeping thousands of kids off the path to higher education,” said Jeremiah Kittredge, CEO of Families for Excellent Schools. “With college readiness dropping at nearly half of Renewal high schools last year, it’s time for the Mayor to end this costly experiment and start supporting public schools that prepare students for college.

NYC Chancellor Carmen Farina and Mayor Bill de Blasio

In 2014, Mayor De Blasio promised “rapid improvement” at the city’s renewal schools – but 2016’s high school achievement data proved once again that this progress remains completely out of reach. Renewal high schools fell short of 76 percent of their graduation-related benchmarks and missed 71 percent of their achievement-related targets last year,[1] and this failure to improve outcomes in grades 9-12 had a devastating impact on student opportunities after high school. According to state and city education data, 15 of the city’s 34 renewal high schools experienced declines in college-readiness,[2] and the rate of graduates headed to four-year colleges fell at 41 percent of renewal high schools.[3]  

Renewal high school students cannot afford to continue waiting for improvement that shows no signs of materializing – and thousands have already voted with their feet in search of the educational opportunities they require to succeed after high school. Overall, renewal high school enrollment fell from 27,759 in 2014 to 20,536 in 2016 – a 26 percent plunge.[4] Among students who remained in renewal high schools, attendance data suggests that nearly half have given up on their failed schools: 44.45 percent of renewal high schoolers were chronically absent last year, more than twice the city’s average.[5]

To serve NYC’s children and protect their future, the Mayor must end the failed renewal school experiment and do everything in his power to give every child access to an excellent school.

• Renewal high schools met 24 of 102 graduation-related benchmarks last year – a success rate of just 24 percent
• Renewal high schools met 38 of 130 achievement-related benchmarks last year – a success rate of just 29 percent
• Seniors at 15 of the city’s 34 renewal high schools – or 44 percent of renewal high schools – experienced declines in college-readiness last year
• Among graduates who reported post-secondary plans, 41 percent of renewal high schools reported a decline in graduates who said they planned to attend four-year colleges
• The rate of renewal high-school completers who reported post-graduate plans and said they expected to attend four-year college was just 32 percent last year – barely half the city’s average of 60 percent

Renewal High School Achievement Benchmarks

4-Year College Readiness Index: 2016

Renewal High School	4-Year College Readiness Index
	2015	2016	+/-
Academy of Urban Planning	19%	11%	-8%
Long Island City High School	23%	25%	2%
John Adams High School	20%	22%	2%
Richmond Hill High School	16%	22%	6%
August Martin High School	2%	7%	5%
Martin Van Buren High School	14%	18%	4%
Flushing High School	21%	18%	-3%
Pan American International High School	52%[6]	38%	-13%
Brooklyn Collegiate: A College Board School	18%	16%	-3%
Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory School	10%	11%	1%
Multicultural High School	3%	11%	8%
Brooklyn Generation School	17%	16%	-1%
Frederick Douglass Academy IV Secondary School	11%	11%	0%
Boys and Girls High School	10%	7%	-3%
Automotive High School	3%	4%	1%
Foundations Academy	5%	14%	8%
Juan Morel Campos Secondary School	7%	3%	-4%
Peace and Diversity Academy	3%	11%	7%
Monroe Academy for Visual Arts & Design	5%	6%	2%
DeWitt Clinton High School	19%	19%	0%
Fordham Leadership Academy for Business and Technology	6%	6%	0%
DreamYard Preparatory School	3%	10%	7%
Leadership Institute	4%	2%	-2%
Bronx High School of Business	19%	15%	-5%
Bronx Collegiate Academy	12%	14%	2%
Herbert H. Lehman High School	11%	21%	10%
Holcombe L. Rucker School of Community Research	27%	6%	-21%
Banana Kelly High School	17%	7%	-10%
Foreign Language Academy of Global Studies	2%	14%	12%
New Explorers High School	20%	6%	-15%
High School for Health Careers and Sciences	10%	8%	-2%
Coalition School for Social Change	4%	8%	4%
Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Vis	7%	7%	0%
Henry Street School for International Studies	39%	5%	-34%

Post-Secondary Plans: 2016

Renewal High School	Graduates Reporting Post-Secondary Plans: Percentage Expecting to Attend 4-Year College
	2015	2016	+/-
ACADEMY OF URBAN PLANNING	32%	24%	-8%
AUGUST MARTIN HIGH SCHOOL	40%	54%	14%
AUTOMOTIVE HIGH SCHOOL	15%	33%	19%
BANANA KELLY HIGH SCHOOL	16%	49%	33%
BOYS AND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL	0%	45%	45%
BRONX COLLELGIATE ACADEMY	29%	0%	-29%
BRONX HIGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS	31%	35%	4%
BROOKLYN COLLEGIATE-A COLLEGE BOARD SCHOOL	61%	47%	-14%
BROOKLYN GENERATION SCHOOL	55%	0%	-55%
COALITION SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL CHANGE	0%	14%	14%
CYPRESS HILLS COLLEGIATE PREPARATORY SCHOOL	36%	54%	18%
DEWITT CLINTON HIGH SCHOOL	35%	1%	-34%
DREAMYARD PREPARATORY SCHOOL	16%	23%	7%
FLUSHING HIGH SCHOOL	41%	35%	-6%
FORDHAM LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY	13%	25%	12%
FOUNDATIONS ACADEMY	0%	31%	31%
FREDERICK DOUGLASS ACADEMY IV SECONDARY SCHOOL	13%	27%	14%
HENRY STREET SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES	32%	26%	-6%
HERBERT H LEHMAN HIGH SCHOOL	53%	54%	1%
HIGH SCHOOL FOR HEALTH CAREERS & SCIENCES	28%	23%	-5%
HOLCOMBE L RUCKER SCHOOL OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH	33%	32%	0%
JOHN ADAMS HIGH SCHOOL	29%	35%	6%
JUAN MOREL CAMPOS SECONDARY SCHOOL	25%	63%	38%
LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE	28%	38%	10%
LONG ISLAND CITY HIGH SCHOOL	36%	37%	1%
MARTIN VAN BUREN HIGH SCHOOL	30%	37%	7%
MONROE ACADEMY FOR VISUAL ARTS & DESIGN	0%	24%	24%
NEW EXPLORERS HIGH SCHOOL	51%	53%	2%
PAN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL	11%	10%	-1%
PEACE AND DIVERSITY ACADEMY	68%	27%	-41%
RICHMOND HILL HIGH SCHOOL	26%	21%	-5%
WADLEIGH SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR THE PERFORMING  AND VISUAL ARTS	81%	46%	-35%
Renewal High School Total	30.06%	32.03%	2%

Chronic Absenteeism: 2016

Renewal High School	Enrollment	Students Chronically Absent
Academy of Urban Planning	227	49%
Long Island City High School	2077	44%
John Adams High School	2386	43%
Richmond Hill High School	1950	38%
August Martin High School	459	51%
Martin Van Buren High School	1544	41%
Flushing High School	1812	39%
Pan American International High School	380	26%
Brooklyn Collegiate: A College Board School	307	40%
Cypress Hills Collegiate Preparatory School	232	42%
Multicultural High School	208	36%
Brooklyn Generation School	234	23%
Frederick Douglass Academy IV Secondary School	77	49%
Boys and Girls High School	383	43%
Automotive High School	372	60%
Foundations Academy	73	70%
Juan Morel Campos Secondary School	622	38%
Peace and Diversity Academy	125	73%
Monroe Academy for Visual Arts & Design	416	64%
DeWitt Clinton High School	1694	45%
Fordham Leadership Academy for Business and Techno	410	45%
DreamYard Preparatory School	294	43%
Leadership Institute	180	53%
Bronx High School of Business	309	46%
Bronx Collegiate Academy	395	45%
Herbert H. Lehman High School	1092	50%
Holcombe L. Rucker School of Community Research	193	52%
Banana Kelly High School	234	60%
Foreign Language Academy of Global Studies	105	51%
New Explorers High School	426	60%
High School for Health Careers and Sciences	526	39%
Coalition School for Social Change	232	53%
Wadleigh Secondary School for the Performing & Vis	377	59%
Henry Street School for International Studies	185	52%
All Renewal Schools	20,536	44.45%

[1] “Renewal and Receivership Benchmark Update 2015-16,” New York City Department of Education, accessed November 26, 2016.

[2] “2015-16 School Quality Reports,” New York City Department of Education, accessed November 29, 2016.

[3] “2015-16 Report Card Database,” New York State Education Department, accessed November 17, 2016.

[4] “Demographic Snapshots,” New York City Department of Education, accessed November 17, 2016.

[5] “2015-16 School Quality Reports,” New York City Department of Education, accessed November 29, 2016.

[6] According to DOE, this figure was transposed from the correct Index Value of 25 percent. Although the figure listed in the data is included here, the summary data has been revised to account for this discrepancy.