Village Academies makes a deliberate effort to reach out and recruit from New York City's lowest-performing school districts. 100% of students are minority, 88% are at or near poverty (qualifying for free or reduced price lunch), and 12% are special education. Students begin an average of two to four years behind grade-level in reading and math, and many enter the school with a history of poor behavior. Students are recruited from New York's low-income communities, and accepted through an open lottery.
Dramatic Student Performance Gains
According to Stanford University's Center for Research on Education Outcomes, "Village Academy has demonstrated an outstanding record of progress."
2008 New York State Testing
Math
- 100% of Harlem Village Academy 8th grade students passed the New York State Math Test, compared to 46% of Harlem students. This is a first time achievement in the history of Harlem as well as the first time in the history of charter schools in New York City.
- Harlem Village Academy 8th graders rank #1 of all New York City non-selective public schools for the 2nd year in a row.
- Harlem Village Academy outscored a majority of the city's gifted and talented schools, as well as suburban districts such as Chappaqua and Scarsdale.
- 100% of Harlem Village Academy 7th grade students passed the New York State Math Test, compared to 59.6% of Harlem students.
- 97.8% of Leadership Village Academy 7th grade students passed the New York State Math Test, compared to 62.6% of East Harlem students.
English Language Arts
- 58.1% of our 8th grade students at Harlem Village Academy passed English Language Arts, compared to 29.5% of Harlem students.
- 86.0% of our 7th grade students at Harlem Village Academy passed English Language Arts, compared to 51.6% of Harlem students.
- 87.0% of our 7th grade students at Leadership Village Academy passed English Language Arts, compared to 52.4% of East Harlem students.
Science
- 100% of our 8th grade students passed the New York State Science Exam.
Social Studies
- 96.4% passed the New York State Social Studies Exam.
2008 Math Test Results Compared to all NYC Districts
Notable Achievments
100% of students who scored level 1 (illiteracy) in reading advanced to level 2 (basic) or level 3 (proficient).
Student Attendance
Average student attendance is 96%. By comparison, student attendance in New York City public schools is reported between 84-89%.
Homework Completion
Village Academies assigns two hours of homework daily, and students earn disciplinary consequences for incomplete work. Teachers monitor homework daily and provide extra assistance to students who need it. Student homework completion rate is 96.5%.
Parent Satisfaction
Parent satisfaction is strong. 95% of parents grade the schools A or B.
