New York City Schools See Success In New Century High Schools
In the 5 years since New York City Schools received funding from philanthropic giants like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, and the Open Society Institute New Yorkers have watched closely the development of New Century High Schools (NCHS). The $70 million investment funded an initiative to create smaller high school communities in this vast metropolis. The goal is to provide children in New York City Schools with more choices to drive them toward their goals of college, or practical employment.
Currently, 83 New Century High Schools are educating over 13,000 high school students. These schools are markedly different than traditional New York City Schools. The first difference is in size. A NCHS is housed in a larger high school, but only educates about 400 students.
Pedagogy between traditional New York City Schools and the NCHS also differs. A curriculum based on teen development principles, and that adheres to strict standards, is used in all of the New Century High Schools. The standards address issues that have always plagued the New York City Schools:...