UPDATED FACT SHEET:

Academy of Collaborative Education (05M344)

December 2010

Fact Sheet: Proposed Closure Scenario for

Academy of Collaborative Education (ACE)
Overview
 Based on an extensive review of data and community feedback, the New York City Department of Education (DOE)
has determined that the Academy of Collaborative Education (ACE) is unable to turnaround and cannot provide a
high-quality education to its students. The DOE is proposing that ACE be closed.
 Proposing to close a school is the most difficult decision we make. We are proposing this action because we
think it’s the right thing for current and future students in this community.
 ACE would close at the end of this school year, rather than phase out, because the school currently serves very few
students—only 53 current sixth and seventh grade students. Next year, current ACE sixth and seventh grade students
would attend other District 5 middle schools.
 We hope you share our view that we can—and must—do better for students. The DOE will continue to work closely
with ACE staff and families to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed in school.

Summary
 The Academy of Collaborative Education has struggled since it opened in 2006. In 2010, only 3% of students were
on grade level in English and only 9% of students were on grade level in math—putting ACE among the very
lowest-performing schools in the entire City.
 ACE earned an F grade last year on its Progress Report and a rating of “Undeveloped” on its most recent Quality
Review.
 Last winter, the Panel for Educational Policy voted to phase out ACE based on evidence that the school was not able
to improve student performance significantly. A lawsuit prevented the DOE from following through with those plans.
 ACE staff and families have worked hard to improve the school. The DOE has also offered considerable support to
ACE, including extensive training for teachers and administrators, helping the school cultivate partnerships with
community-based organizations, and placing a dedicated attendance teacher at the school to help improve student
attendance. Unfortunately, these efforts have not turned the school around.
 During conversations with the ACE community, we heard concerns about a lack of intervention services for
troubled students and serious safety problems at the school. Community members did express a desire to see
the school improve and had positive things to say about relationships with outside organizations. However, we
do not believe these positive aspects are enough to move ACE in the right direction.

What would the proposal mean for current students?

If this proposal is approved, ACE would be closed at the end of the 2010-2011 school year.

Below are enrollment plans for current ACE students, if the proposal is approved.

 Current sixth and seventh grade students will be offered a seat at another District 5 school. He or she may also
participate in the lottery for any public charter school that has open seventh grade seats.
 Current eighth grade students will complete middle school at ACE. If he or she does not meet graduation
requirements by the end of the 2010-2011 school year, he or she would be offered a seat at another District 5 middle
school. He or she may also participate in the lottery for any public charter school that has open eighth grade seats.

NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION • 52 CHAMBERS STREET • NEW YORK, NY 10007 •

WWW.NYC.GOV/SCHOOLS
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2

Background
ACE Has Struggled for Years
 The overwhelming majority of ACE students remain below grade level in English Language Arts and math.
 Last year, only 3% of students were performing on grade level in English—making ACE the second-lowest
performing middle school in New York City. In 2008-2009 performance in English was also in the bottom 5% of
middle schools in New York City.
 Last year, only 9% of students were performing on grade level in math—making ACE the seventh-lowest
performing middle school in New York City. In 2008-2009, performance in math was in the bottom 4% of middle
schools in New York City.
 With so few students performing at grade level, ACE students must make substantial progress to get back on track.
Unfortunately, ACE ranks in bottom 1% of middle schools citywide in terms of learning growth in English and the
bottom 14% of middle schools citywide in terms of learning growth in math. If such poor performance continues,
ACE students will fall even further behind their peers in other schools.
 ACE earned an F grade last year on its Progress Report, including an F grade for student progress and performance,
and a D grade for school environment. This represents declining performance from an overall grade of D in the 2008-
2009 and a C in 2007-2008.
 ACE was rated “Undeveloped” on its most recent Quality Review, indicating serious deficiencies in the school’s
capacity to support student learning. During Quality Reviews, experienced educators spend several days visiting the
school, observing classrooms, and talking with staff, students, and parents. Schools are rated on a four-point scale;
“underdeveloped” represents a one our of four.
 The school’s attendance rate continues to be low. The attendance rate last year was 83%, well below the
citywide average of 92% for middle schools.
 Safety issues have been a concern at the school. On the 2010 New York City School Survey, 24% of students
reported feeling unsafe at school, and 46% of teachers reported that discipline and order were not maintained at
ACE.

Demand for the School is Low, Suggesting that Families Are Seeking Better Options
 ACE was projected to enroll 300 students last school year but only 195 students actually enrolled.

Despite Our Best Efforts, Performance at ACE Remains Low

We recognize that ACE staff members have worked hard to improve the school, but the school has not turned around. To
help the school’s efforts to improve performance, the DOE has offered numerous supports to ACE including:

Leadership Support:
 Helping the principal develop the school’s Comprehensive Education Plan and set school wide goals.
 Connecting administrators with other schools to learn best practices that can be replicated at ACE.
Instructional Support:
 Offering monthly teacher training in literacy, math, social studies, science and supporting English language learners.
 Helping to create teacher teams to align the school’s curriculum across grade levels and content areas.
Operational Support:
 Working with ACE to implement $63,682 in grant funding for new programs, $17,000 of which was from a Title IV
Safe School grant and was used for professional development and $46,682 of which was from a 21st Century Grant
and was used for after school programs including CHAMPS Middle School Sports and Fitness League and the
GREAT Program (Gang Resistance Education and Training).
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 3

 One-on-one support to the principal and staff on budgeting, human resources, recruiting and retaining talented
teachers, building management, and operational compliance issues.
 Guiding the school in working with other schools on the campus to ensure efficient and coordinated use of facilities
and shared spaces.

Student Support:
 Fostering partnerships with numerous community-based organizations, including Turn Around for Kids, Founding
Mental Health Services, College for Every Student, Teen Pact, Marque Studios, and the Great Program.
 Assigning a dedicated attendance teacher to ACE to develop long-term improvement plans and programs for student
attendance.

We Know That We Can Do Better

ACE serves a high-need population: 21% of students require special education services and 9% are English language
learners. But other schools serving similar students have achieved far better results. These include schools in ACE’s peer
group, representing the 40 schools most similar to ACE in New York City.

 At I.S. 206, Ann Mercerau, 22% of students require special education services and 34% of students are English
language learners. At that school, 42% of students are on grade level in math and 21% are on grade level in English.
 At M.S. 247 in Manhattan, 38% of students are English language learners and 26% of students require special
education services. At that school, 26% of students are on grade level in English and 64% are on grade level in math.
 While all students are still not where we’d like them to be, these schools are getting far better results while serving a
similar mix of students to ACE.

Community Feedback
On October 12, 2010, District 5 Superintendent Gale Reeves held a School Leadership Team meeting and parent meeting
at the school to discuss what is working at the ACE, what isn’t working, and how to work together to better serve
students. Approximately 30 parents attended the parent meeting. They expressed a desire to see the school improve but
had a number of concerns. Parents said:

 The school lacks sufficient intervention services for troubled and struggling students.
 There are serious safety problems at the school.

The School Leadership Team expressed some similar concerns, particularly about the low level of parent
participation. They did have positive things to say about strides that have been taken to make the school safer and strong
relationships with outside organizations. However, these positive steps are not enough to move ACE in the right
direction.

Supporting Current and Future Students

We Remain Focused on Helping ACE Students to Succeed
During the proposed closure, the DOE will build on our past efforts to help the school by:
 Providing teacher training around issues including curriculum planning, improving teaching practices, and tailoring
instruction to individual student needs.
 Supporting teaching teams focused on the needs of targeted student populations, such as English language learners,
special education students, or students who are struggling academically.
 Fostering opportunities for teachers and administrators to connect with colleagues in other more successful schools,
allowing them to learn from one another, improve teaching, and better support students.
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 4

What You Can Expect

In January, we will host a joint public hearing with the District 5 Community Education Council and the ACE School
Leadership Team, among others. As soon as the hearing has been scheduled, we will let you know and will also share
with you the formal proposal to close ACE. During the hearing, community members, including parents and students,
will be able to share their thoughts on the closure proposal.

The proposal to close ACE will be voted on by the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), which is composed of members
appointed by Mayor Bloomberg and the five Borough Presidents, during a public meeting scheduled for the first week
of February 2011. During this meeting, the public will have another opportunity to comment on the proposal. If the PEP
approves the proposal, ACE will not accept new sixth grade students at the end of this school year.

Sharing Your Concerns and Questions

The Department of Education is seeking your feedback on the proposal. We will record your comments and include them
in our analysis of public feedback, which is presented to the Panel for Educational Policy prior to their vote on the
proposal. Please submit any comments you have at:

Phone: 212-374-3466
Email: D05Proposals@schools.nyc.gov

We also encourage you to visit the website created to serve ACE at

http://schools.nyc.gov/community/planning/changes/manhattan/ACE. We will update that website regularly with
important dates, answers to frequently asked questions, and new information as it becomes available.