FACT SHEET:

Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School (15K530)

December 2010

Fact Sheet: Proposed Phase-out Scenario for the Metropolitan

Corporate Academy High School
Overview
 Based on an extensive review of data and community feedback, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) has
determined that the Metropolitan Corporate Academy High School (MCA) is unable to turn around and cannot provide a high-
quality education to its students. The DOE is proposing that MCA be phased out.
 Proposing to phase out 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.
 The phase-out process would be gradual and happen over the next several years. MCA would complete phasing out in June
2014.
 We hope you share our view that we can—and must—do better for students. The DOE will continue to work closely with MCA
staff and families to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed in school.

Summary
 In 2009-2010, the1 four-year graduation rate (including August graduates) at MCA was 47%, well below the citywide
average of 63%.
 Last year, MCA earned an overall C grade on its Progress Report, with an F grade on Student Performance, a D grade on
Student Progress, and a C grade on School Environment. The Progress Report results for MCA put the school in the bottom
11% of all high schools that received a 2009-2010 Progress Report.
 The New York State Education Department (SED) named MCA as one of the “Persistently Lowest Achieving” (PLA) schools
in the entire state in 2008-2009.
 Last winter, the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) voted to phase out MCA based on evidence that the school was unable to
improve student performance significantly. A lawsuit prevented the DOE from following through with those plans.
 MCA was rated “Underdeveloped” on its most recent Quality Review in 2008-2009, suggesting serious deficiencies in the way
the school is organized to support student learning.
 MCA staff and families have worked hard to improve the school. The DOE also offered considerable support to MCA,
including extensive training for school leadership and teachers, helping MCA build strong partnerships with community groups,
and working with the school’s administration to use grant funds most effectively. Unfortunately, these efforts have not turned
the school around.

What would the proposal mean for current students?

If this proposal is approved, MCA would be phased out gradually over the next several years. Below are enrollment plans for
current MCA students, if the school is phased out.

 Current first-time ninth grade students would have the option of completing high school at MCA or may participate in the
high school admissions process and apply to attend a different school as a 10 th grader in September 2011.
 Current repeat ninth grade students would complete high school at MCA if they earn credits on schedule. As the school
becomes smaller, these students would receive more individualized attention through graduation to ensure they are receiving the
support they need to succeed. Students would also be encouraged to meet with their guidance counselor to review progress
toward graduation and consider applying to a transfer school.
 Current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are on track to graduate would complete high school at MCA if they
continue to earn credits on schedule. As the school becomes smaller, students would receive more individualized attention

1
The graduation rate cited here represents the City’s calculation of the four-year graduation rate on the school’s 2009-2010 Progress Reports. It
is similar to the State method, and typically there is only modest deviation between our calculation and the State rate. Citywide four-year
graduation rates for the Class of 2010 are still being audited by the New York State Education Department and will likely not be available until
Spring 2011. The most recent available four-year graduation rate (including August graduates) for New York City was 63% for the Class of 2009
and the citywide Regents graduation rate for the same year was 46%.
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION • 52 CHAMBERS STREET • NEW YORK, NY 10007 •
WWW.NYC.GOV/SCHOOLS
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2

through graduation to ensure they are receiving the support they need to succeed. Students would also be encouraged to meet
with their guidance counselor to discuss all of their options.
 Current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are not on track to graduate should meet with their guidance counselor to
discuss options. Students could complete high school at MCA or consider applying to a transfer high school.

If MCA is phased out, the school would no longer admit new ninth grade students after the end of this school year. MCA would
continue to serve students currently enrolled in the school until the school completes phasing out in June 2014.

Background
MCA Performance
 Last year, MCA’s four-year graduation rate (including August graduates) was 47%, well below the citywide average of 63%.
MCA ranks in the bottom 6% of high schools citywide and in the bottom 9% of high schools in Brooklyn. In 2008-2009, the
four-year graduation rate at MCA was 47%, placing the school in the bottom 7% of high schools citywide and in the bottom 9%
of high schools in Queens.
 If Regents diplomas alone counted toward graduation—as will be the case next year—the 2009-2010 four-year
graduation rate at MCA would drop to 18%, well below the citywide average of 46%.
 MCA earned an overall C grade on its Progress Report last year, with an F grade on Student Performance, a D grade on Student
Progress, and a C grade on School Environment. MCA ranked in the bottom 11% of high schools citywide receiving a 2009-
2010 Progress Report. MCA earned an overall D grade on its 2008-2009 Progress Report, with a D grade on Student
Performance, a C grade on Student Progress, and a C grade on School Environment.
 Last year, 73% of first-year students at MCA earned at least 10 credits. MCA’s first year credit accumulation ranks in the
bottom 31% of high schools citywide. That same year, second and third year credit accumulation rates dropped significantly
with only 56% of students in their second and third years accumulating at least 10 credits. Earning at least 10 credits is a key
predictor of future student success because students who fall behind often have trouble getting back on track to graduate.
 The school’s attendance rate continues to be extremely low. Last year, the attendance rate was 77%, eight percentage points
below the citywide average of 86% for high schools. In fact, this attendance rate is among the very lowest for any high
school in New York City, placing MCA in the bottom 7%. In 2008-2009, the attendance rate was 79%, placing the school in
the bottom 12% citywide.
 MCA was rated “Underdeveloped” on its most recent Quality Review in 2008-2009. During Quality Reviews, experienced
educators spend several days visiting a school, observing classrooms, and talking to staff, students, and parents. Schools are
rated on a four-point scale, with “Well Developed” as the highest rating. “Underdeveloped” is the lowest rating a school can
receive on the Quality Review, equivalent to a score of one out of four. A score of “Underdeveloped” indicates serious
deficiencies in the way a school is organized to support student learning.
 Safety issues have been a concern at MCA in recent years. On the 2009-2010 New York City School Survey, 21% of students
reported feeling unsafe in the hallways, bathrooms, and locker rooms. That same year, 8% of parents expressed concerns about
their children’s safety. In addition, 26% of teachers reported that discipline and order were not maintained at the school.

Demand for the School is Low, Suggesting that Families Are Seeking Better Options2
 Demand for MCA has fallen over recent years. MCA admits students into one educational option program and one screened
program through the high school admissions Process.
 Over the past two years, demand for MCA’s educational option program declined from 3.6 applications per seat for September
2008 enrollment to an average of 2.3 applications per seat for September 2010 enrollment.
 Similarly, demand for MCA’s screened program has dropped from 5.3 applications per seat for September 2009 enrollment to
3.9 applications per seat for September 2010 enrollment.

2
Audited enrollment data are not yet available for the current school year. Enrollment data are from the 2009-2010 school year, audited as of
October 31, 2009. Demand data reflect high school admissions applications submitted in early December 2009 for students beginning high
school in September 2010. This data captures the demand for MCA prior to the DOE’s proposed phase-out of MCA. As a result, these enrollment
and demand figures do not reflect the impact of that proposed phase-out announcement.
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Despite Our Best Efforts, Performance at MCA Remains Low

We recognize that MCA’s staff members have worked hard to improve the school, but the school has not turned around. Over the
previous years, the DOE has offered numerous supports to Metropolitan Corporate Academy, including:

Leadership Support:
 Helping the principal develop MCA’s Comprehensive Education Plan and set school goals.
 Connecting administrators with other schools to learn effective practices that could be replicated at Metropolitan.
 Training and coaching the principal to enhance instructional and organizational coherence.
Instructional Support:
 Working with the school to create teacher teams that meet weekly to review and develop consistent assessments of student work;
teams also use data to improve instruction for English language learners, special education students, and students performing
below grade level.
 Providing training to the principal, assistant principal, and teachers on using data to improve student achievement, using data to
evaluate, develop, and monitor teaching practices, lesson-planning using understanding by design, writing meaningful
observations, student engagement, implementing new state standards in Social Studies, and the use of ARIS, Progress Reports,
and the Quality Review rubric.

Operational Support:
 Helping the school implement and allocate more than $54,000 in grant funding, which has been used for extended-day violence
prevention programs, and $115,000 in School In Need of Improvement funds from the state.
 Coaching staff on budgeting, human resources, recruiting and retaining talented teachers, and compliance issues.
Student Support:
 Providing training to guidance counselors on using scholarship reports and graduation tracking systems.
 Supporting partnership programs with NY City College of Technology, NY Public Library, and City College.
 Working with the school to establish relationships with community-based organizations, such as Hospital Audiences Inc.,
College Summit and College Now, through which students take college courses and participate in conflict resolution and theatre
arts programs that focus on health and self-esteem.
 Supporting extensive after-school activities such as tutoring, Regents and SAT exam prep courses, and dance and arts.
 Helping the school address violent incidents and student suspensions by creating a school crisis management team made up of
school leadership and social service professionals.

We Know That We Can Do Better

Like most New York City public schools, MCA serves a high-need population: 18% of students require special education services
and 3% are English language learners. But other schools serving similar students have achieved far better results.

 At the High School for Violin and Dance, a Bronx school, 24% of students require special education services and 9% of
students are English language learners. That school achieved an 83% four-year graduation rate in 2009-2010, with 70% of
students earning Regents diplomas.
 At Belmont Preparatory High School, a Bronx school, 17% of students require special education services and 18% of students
are English language learners. That school achieved a 69% four-year graduation rate in 2009-2010, with 63% of students
earning Regents diplomas.
 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 MCA.

Community Feedback
On November 17, 2010, Superintendent for Staten Island/Brooklyn High Schools Aimee Horowitz held a School Leadership Team
meeting and parent meeting at the school to discuss what is working at MCA, what isn’t working, and how we can work together
to serve students better. Parents had very little feedback about the school.
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Supporting Current and Future Students

We Remain Focused on Helping MCA Students Succeed
During the proposed phase-out, 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.
 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.
 Facilitating partnerships with community-based organizations to support youth development initiatives at the school.
What You Can Expect
Within the next two weeks, you will receive a letter notifying you that the formal proposal to phase out MCA has been published
and that a joint public hearing to be held at the school has been scheduled. The joint public hearing will be held in January 2011 by
the DOE, District 15 Community Education Council and MCA’s School Leadership Team, among others. The Citywide Council
for High Schools will be invited to participate in the joint public hearing. During this hearing, community members, including
parents and students, will be able to share their thoughts on the phase-out proposal.

The proposal to phase out MCA 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,
MCA will not accept new ninth grade students next school year.

Sharing Your Concerns and Questions

The DOE 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 PEP prior to their vote on the proposal. Please submit any comments you have at:

Phone: 212-374-3466
E-mail: HS.Proposals@schools.nyc.gov

We also encourage you to visit the Website created to serve MCA at

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