NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
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FACT SHEET:M.S. 571 (13K571)December 2010
Fact Sheet: Proposed Phase Out Scenario for M.S. 571
Overview
Based on an extensive review of data and community feedback, the New York City Department of Education (DOE)has determined that M.S. 571 is unable to turnaround and cannot provide a high-quality education to its students. TheDOE is proposing that M.S. 571 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. The school would complete phasingout in June 2013.
Students are not zoned to this school. All fifth graders in the district would continue to participate in the MiddleSchool Choice process and enroll in sixth grade at a middle school.
We hope you share our view that we can
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and must
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do better for students. The DOE will continue to work closelywith M.S. 571 staff and families to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed in school.
Summary
M.S. 571 has struggled for years. In 2010,
only 8% were on grade level in English Language Arts (ELA), andonly 14% of students were on grade level in math
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making M.S. 571 one of the very lowest-performing middleschools in the entire City.
M.S. 571 earned an overall D grade last year on its Progress Report, with F grades in the Student Performance,Student Progress, and School Environment sub-sections of the Report.
M.S. 571 staff and families have worked hard to improve the school. The DOE also offered considerable support toM.S. 571, including extensive training for school leadership and teachers, helping M.S. 571 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.
During conversations with the M.S. 571 community, we heard concerns about inconsistent school policies,student safety, and a low attendance.
The community did have positive feedback about the school’s leadership
and staff and new efforts to help struggling students. However, we do not believe these positive components areenough to move the school in the right direction.
What would the proposal mean for current students?
If this proposal is approved, M.S. 571 would be phased out gradually over the next several years and would no longeradmit new sixth grade students after the end of this school year. However, current sixth and seventh students would stayat M.S. 571 as it phases out.Below are enrollment plans for current M.S. 571 students, if the school is phased out.
Current sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students
would complete middle school at M.S. 571.Next school year, M.S. 571 would serve students in grades seven and eight. Then, during the following school year, M.S.571 would only serve students in grade eight. Phase out would be complete in June 2013.
Background
M.S. 571 Has Struggled for Years
The overwhelming majority of M.S. 571 students remain below grade level in English Language Arts and math.
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In 2009-2010, only 8% of students were performing on grade level in English
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putting M.S. 571 in the bottom 2% of all middle schools in New York City in English. It is also the lowest-performing middle school in English in District13. In 2008-2009 performance in English was also in the bottom 2% of middle schools in New York City.
In 2009-2010, only 14% of students were performing on grade level in math
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putting M.S. 571 in the bottom 4% of all middle schools in New York City in math. In 2008-2009 performance in math was in the bottom 10% of middleschools in New York City.
With so few students performing at grade level, M.S. 571 students must make substantial progress to get back ontrack. Unfortunately, M.S. 571 ranks in the bottom 5% of middle schools citywide in terms of learning growth inEnglish and the bottom 7% of middle schools citywide in terms of learning growth in math. If such poor performancecontinues, M.S. 571 students will fall even further behind their peers in other schools.
M.S. 571 earned an overall D grade last year on its Progress Report, with F grades in the Student Performance,Student Progress, and School Environment sub-sections. This represents a decline from an overall B grade on the
school’s previous two Progress Reports, with D grades for School Environment during both of those years.
The school’s attendance rate continues to be
extremely low. Last year, the attendance rate was 83%, well below thecitywide average of 92% for middle schools. In fact, this attendance rate is among the very lowest for any middleschool in New York City and is the lowest attendance rate for any middle school in District 13.
Safety issues have been a concern at the school. On the 2009-2010 New York City School Survey, nearly one in threestudents
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28%
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reported feeling unsafe in the hallways, bathrooms, and locker rooms at M.S. 571. Parents also
expressed concerns about their children’s safety, with
17% reporting that they felt their children were unsafe at school.Most teachers
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64%
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reported that discipline and order are not maintained at M.S. 571.
Demand for the School is Low, Suggesting that Families Are Seeking Better Options
M.S. 571 is located in District 13, which has Middle School Choice. During the Middle School Choice process,students are able to rank their middle school preferences across all schools in the District. Among District 13 studentsapplying to start middle school in September 2010, only 25% of applicants ranked M.S. 571 as one of their top-threechoices.
Despite Our Best Efforts, Performance at M.S. 571 Remains Low
We recognize that M.S. 571 staff members have worked hard to improved the school, but the school has not yet turnedaround.
To help the school’s efforts to improve performance the DOE has
offered numerous supports to M.S. 571,including:
Leadership Support:
Leadership mentoring, training, and coaching for the principal on recruiting and retaining talented staff, setting schoolwide goals, and developing systems to help implement best teaching practices.
Working with the principal to develop a detailed plan that aligned with
M.S. 571’s
Quality Review, outlined itsstrengths and areas for improvement, established a timeline, and assigned action items to individuals.
Connecting administrators with other schools to learn effective practices that could be replicated at M.S. 571.
Instructional Support:
Supporting the principal in creating individual teacher goals, developing a plan-of-action for each teacher, andcreating an individualized training plans.
Helping the principal analyze data to find patterns and trends in the performance of various sub-groups of students,particularly English language learners and students with disabilities.
Working with the principal, assistant principal, literacy and math coaches, and a data specialist to develop a datasystem to project and monitor student progress.
Offering professional development to teachers in curriculum planning, student engagement, project-based learning,and designing assessments.
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Working with the school to establish teacher teams that focus on the needs of English language learners, students withdisabilities, and students performing below grade level.
Arranging for on-site content experts to coach teachers in English, math, social studies and science.
Working with M.S. 571 to ensure students with disabilities and English language learners receive proper services.
Operational Support:
Guidance on implementing $400,000 in grant funding; the school received $50,000 to have lockers installed inclassrooms and a $350,000 grant to use with P.S. 9 to create a library.
One-on-one support to the principal and staff on topics including budgeting, human resources, recruiting and retainingtalented teachers, building management, and operational compliance issues.
Guidance on managing relationships with the other schools on campus to allow for efficient and coordinated use of facilities and shared spaces.
Student Support:
Implementing the Mayor's Truancy Program, through which M.S. 571 received three mentors to help bolster studentattendance and established a school attendance team that meets semi-weekly to analyze data and develop long-termplans to improve attendance.
Helping M.S. 571 secure partnerships with Brooklyn Community Services, which provides after-school and academicenrichment programs, and Urban Advantage, which exposes students to science through cultural institutions.
We Know That We Can Do Better
M.S. 571serves a high-need population: 11% of students require special education services and 9% are English languagelearners. But other schools serving similar students have achieved far better results:
At the School of Integrated Learning, a Brooklyn school that
is in M.S. 571’s peer group, 20% of students require
special education services and 6% of students are English language learners. At that school, 25% are on grade level inEnglish and 43% of students are on grade level in math. The School of Integrated Learning is in the top 10% of schools citywide in terms of learning growth in English and the top 13% of schools citywide in terms of learninggrowth in math.
At Bronx Latin, also in M.S. 571’s peer group, 15% of students require special education services
and 13% of studentsare English language learners. At that school, 27% of students are on grade level in English and 76% are on gradelevel in math.
While all students are still not where we’d like them to be, these schools are getting far better results
while serving asimilar mix of students to M.S. 571.
Community Feedback
On October 27, 2010, District 13 Superintendent James Machen held a School Leadership Team meeting and parent
meeting at the school to discuss what is working at M.S. 571, what isn’t
working, and how to work together to betterserve students. Approximately 25 parents attended. While they had positive comments about strong communication with
the school and the school’s leadership and staff, they had concerns about a number of issues. P
arents said:
School policies are inconsistent, leading many parents to be confused about homework and uniform requirements.
There are serious concerns about student safety.
There is a lack of after-school activities, homework help, and enrichment programs.
Parental involvement is low and must be improved.The School Leadership Team expressed some similar concerns and cited problems with low attendance and difficultiesin bringing low-achieving students up to grade level. They also had positive feedback about new efforts, which include
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