My School in the News

My school is referenced in this article .... Bronx High School for Law and Community Service .....



Hard work earns Bronx High School of Science borough's best graduation rate

BY Tanyanika Samuels
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Wednesday, June 24th 2009, 4:00 AM
Monaster/News

Principal Valerie Reidy and students from the Bronx H.S. of Science, known nationwide for producing Nobel prize-winning scientists and other notable graduates.
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It's one of the highest-ranking schools in the city, so it's no surprise the Bronx High School of Science had the best graduation rate in the borough.

Still, it's not a distinction school officials take lightly.

"We take our mission very seriously," said Principal Valerie Reidy Tuesday. "We're a college preparatory school, so we impress on our students the need to graduate and realize their dreams."

With a 98.3% graduation rate, Bronx Science leads in the Bronx after city officials announced on Monday the greatest percentage of city high school graduates in 22 years.

Officials boasted a 56.4% graduation rate for June 2008, up 3.6% from the previous year, according to Education Department statistics.

Bronx Science is known nationwide for producing Nobel prize-winning scientists and other notable graduates.

In continuing that tradition, Reidy credited teachers who "break their backs" to make sure students are learning.

"While we're focused on our teaching, we also ask, 'Was it learned?' It all pays out in the end when we see the graduation and college acceptance rates."

At the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, school officials can boast a 94.3% graduation rate.

"Our graduation rate is a testament to the hard work of our talented teachers, our talented students and our parents, who care tremendously about the progress their children make," said Principal Alessandro Weiss.

The school partners with Lehman College, which gives students a taste of college life, and with the nonprofit Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, which sponsors school trips to study American history.

"It takes all the links in the educational chain to result in this level of success," said Weiss.

At the other end of the scale were schools with the borough's highest dropout rates: Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the South Bronx (35.3%); Bronx High School for Law and Community Service in Belmont (31.6%), and Jane Addams High School for Academic Careers, a vocational school in the South Bronx (29.3%). Principals at those schools did not return calls for comment.

Also on the list were Evander Childs High School (41.4% dropout rate), which the city shuttered in June 2008, and the Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Soundview (34.2%), which will close this month.

Both institutions suffered from absenteeism, safety issues and low graduation rates.

In each case, the city Education Department replaced the large school with several smaller schools to help improve student performance.

tsamuels@nydailynews.com