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Wednesday, June 21, 2017

The $386 million Failure to Succeed: Why Did The Renewal Program Fail? Lack of Good Planning

The Renewal Program did not work. We knew that. But $386 million? Is anyone adding up who is accountable, and giving them a few days to pack their belongings and stop playing with public funds?

What we need is someone to take over the mayor's office who can put public money into proper research and programs with proven success rates. It's called Common Sense.

Another disgrace for the DeBlasio regime.

Betsy Combier
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, NYC Public Voice
Editor, Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials


Do struggling schools in New York City’s Renewal turnaround program outperform those left out? A new analysis suggests no
Just months after taking office, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a big bet: He would flood schools that were among the city’s worst with extra social services and academic support and give them three years to improve.
Nearly three years — and $386 million — later, city officials say the program is showing academic benefits, citing increases in test scores and graduation rates among its 86 “Renewal” schools.
But those improvements look very different when the schools are compared against others that are most like them, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis. Schools that had similarly low graduation rates and test scores when the program started — but did not receive an infusion of new resources — posted similar growth on those two metrics.
That finding doesn’t mean the Renewal program isn’t making a difference at those schools. But it does illustrate the pitfalls of the mayor’s promise of “fast and intense” improvement — and how far the city still has to go to prove its school turnaround strategy has been worth the investment.

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
betsy.combier@gmail.com
Editor, NYC Rubber Room Reporter
Editor, Parentadvocates.org
Editor, New York Court Corruption
Editor, National Public Voice
Editor, NYC Public Voice
Editor, Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials

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 SignatureEducation 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 Careersand 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.