“We exceeded our targets we set for ourselves in math and we were really happy with our third and fourth-graders’ results. ”
Hyde Leadership Charter School-Brooklyn celebrated impressive academic growth for third through fifth-grade students—14% growth in math and 10% growth in ELA—on the 2017-2018 New York State exams.
Teachers and leaders at Hyde-Brooklyn have seen steady growth on their ANet interims over the past five years, consistently performing above peer schools. Hyde-Brooklyn leaders attribute their improved scores to leaders’ and teachers’ relentless focus on their instructional priorities:
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ELA focus: Encourage text-based discussions and writing by crafting standards-aligned, text-dependent questions
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Math focus: Increase students’ fact fluency and computation to problem-solve by prompting and requiring students to share, discuss, and critique each other’s thinking both orally and through writing
Dr. Sandra J. DuPree, Hyde-Brooklyn’s executive director, shared that instructional coaching was a key component of their success: “The instructional coaching supported us as we shifted our thinking around how we used data. The levels of differentiated support received by teachers allowed them to identify potential barriers that caused stagnation. In the end, teachers were able to increase their confidence, enthusiasm, and outcomes.” ANet Coach Rashid Johnson supported teachers and leaders with using data and student work to drive instruction and plan rich, engaging lessons for students.
Dr. DuPree noted that Hyde-Brooklyn’s mission is to develop the deeper character and unique potential of each student, but to effectively deliver on the school’s mission it had to dedicate time and resources to do the same for teachers. “Guiding and supporting teachers as they ‘unpacked’ challenges strengthened us, as a school community, which is when the real analysis began.”
To keep their success going through the 2018-2019 school year, Dr. Dupree affirms that Hyde-Brooklyn will continue to “set and maintain high expectations because as a community, we can achieve them.”