NYC Community Schools: Our Results

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Overview

  • Community Schools were a cornerstone of the education agenda entering into the de Blasio Administration – with a campaign commitment to launch 100 Community Schools.
  • We have far exceeded the initial target and currently support 267 Community Schools across every district in NYC.

The RAND Corporation

  • In 2016, The Mayor’s Office of Opportunity contracted with the RAND Corporation for two evaluations of the Community School Initiative – an implementation study and an impact study.

Key Findings

Watch a video summary of key findings from the RAND’s Impact Study on NYC Community School Initiative.

Below are key findings from the RAND Impact Study.  All findings are based on comparisons Community Schools and a comparison group of demographically-similar non-Community Schools.

Graduation Rates in Community Schools were significantly higher than comparison schools. 

  • Over three years, graduation rates in community schools were 4.9 percentage points higher than comparison schools.
  • This effect was particularly pronounced in the third and final year of the study, when graduation rates in community schools were 7.2 percentage points higher than comparison schools. 

Chronic Absenteeism was significantly lower than comparison schools, especially for vulnerable populations.

  • The elementary/middle school chronic absence rate for Community Schools was 7.3 percentage points lower than non-Community Schools.
  • High schools had a chronic absenteeism rate that was 8.3 percentage points lower than non-Community Schools.
  • High school students in temporary housing saw a chronic absenteeism rate that was 9.3 percentage points lower than that of students in temporary housing in non-Community Schools. 
  • For Black students, the chronic absenteeism rate was 10.1 percentage lower in Community Schools than for Black students in non-Community Schools.

Student Achievement was significantly higher than in comparison schools:  math scores, credit accumulation and on-time promotion.

  • 3-8th grade math scores in Community Schools were 0.13 standard deviations higher than scores in non-Community Schools. This finding can be illustrated in the following way: an average Community School student who would typically be in the 50th percentile citywide, her math score would instead be in the 54th percentile because she attended a Community School. 
  • High school students in community schools accumulated an average of 1.3 more credits per year compared to students in comparison schools.  Assuming on track progress is 11 credits per year, 1.3 credits is equivalent to 12% of a regular school year's accumulation. 
  • This finding was significant across all subgroups of students, with English language learners and Hispanic students earning an average of 1.4 more credits than their counterparts at comparison schools. 
  • Community school students matriculated to the next grade on time at higher rates than comparison schools. Those rates were higher for community school students by 1.2 percentage points for elementary and middle school students. 

Disciplinary Incidents were significantly less frequent than in comparison Elementary and Middle Schools.  

  • Community Schools saw an average of 0.10 fewer disciplinary incidents per student per year at the elementary and middle school level compared to non-Community Schools.  In other words, in a school with 500 students, there were 50 fewer incidents every year. 

Contact Us

Have a question? Contact the Office of Community Schools at communityschools@schools.nyc.gov. 

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