At Classical Charter Schools, the opening line of our mission reads, “Classical Charter Schools prepares K-8th grade scholars in the South Bronx to excel in college preparatory high schools.” There is a good reason for this being the opening line of our mission. It is not enough to simply get our scholars into freshman year of high school. To become truly liberated citizens, they need to gain access to high schools with a rich, rigorous model that will allow them to choose their path to excel beyond high school graduation.
According to a data analysis of city education department data from 2018, only seven students from District 7 earned seats at specialized high schools. District 7, which houses South Bronx Classical Charter School II and IV, had the lowest acceptance rate of any of New York City’s 32 school districts, at a staggering .035%. With this challenge in mind, Ms. Thomas, Classical Charter Schools’ High School Advisor, has worked to produce some incredible results for scholars’ placement in college preparatory high schools. Our eighth-grade class of 2024 enrolled in high schools with an average graduation rate of 94%. Read on to learn about some of the challenges Ms. Thomas has faced and how she has rolled up her sleeves to achieve incredible results with our eighth graders.
Identifying college preparatory high schools
When looking for college preparatory high schools, Classical seeks to find compatible specialized and screened high schools for our scholars. Specialized high schools, such as Bronx High School of Science or Brooklyn Technical High School, require an entrance exam in order to gain admission. Screened high schools do not have a test but do look at scholars’ academic records when considering admission. Both specialized and screened high schools provide excellent opportunities for a college preparatory education. Knowing this information, however, is not enough to get your eighth graders into schools with a 95% graduation rate.
Building awareness of great high schools
Even for families entering Classical Charter Schools, sometimes they may not know that they are free, public schools. Similarly, Ms. Thomas has noted, specialized and screened high schools may seem like they are a private school, but they are public as well. “When visiting with scholars, I make sure to walk them through the high school guidebook so that they know exactly which schools are public, and how to apply to each of them.” For families in the South Bronx, having an awareness of schools outside of their districts is essential for finding opportunities that set their scholars up for success. Awareness does not stop there. Ms. Thomas also pushes all scholars to take specialized high school exams. “I always tell them to believe in themselves, and that they need to try because they are capable.” Extending this belief in our eighth graders takes so much of the growth mindset work they have done since elementary school and applies it to their futures.
Accessing the right technology and meeting families where they are at
At Classical, our families receive daily communication via Jupiter. Jupiter allows them to stay up-to-date with events around the school and receive important information regarding high school tours and getting their accounts set up to apply. Though we all have gained comfortability with accessing critical information on our phones, navigating the high school application process remains challenging on a small screen. Understanding myschools for applying to high schools, let alone distinguishing between different schools’ academic programs, requires attention to detail and accompaniment through the process. Understanding this, Ms. Thomas shares, “I call all families personally and make sure I am setting up a time to meet at their scholars’ school and show them both how to apply and how to navigate characteristics of each school.” Classical takes family engagement seriously and this is a shining example of how we accompany our families into the next chapter of their lives. “If a family cannot meet in person, I will set up a zoom call and walk through applications with them. I have met with families at 7am before their scholars get to school and I have met with them at 6pm after they get home from work.”
Returning to our mission
Our school directors, deans, and operations teams are in full planning mode for an eventful end of year. With middle school prom, family day, field day, class trips, and family breakfasts, there are myriad capstones for our eighth graders’ educational journeys with us. As we send off the Class of 2025 this June, we send them off as yet another shining example of academic excellence. Our eighth graders in District 7 had a 16% acceptance rate into specialized high schools, far surpassing the district 7 average. We thank Ms. Thomas for her commitment to our eighth graders, and we are humbled by our eighth graders’ tenacity in seeking out exciting educational futures.
