Data Portal
> School Profile

Frank McCourt High School

Frank McCourt High School, nominated by [Closed] Competency Collaborative, is a middle/high school in New York, New York that describes itself as a public district school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

View Website

Location New York, New York

Governance Public district school

Grades Middle, High

Students 424

Locale Urban

Principal Danielle Salzberg

Demographics

Percentage of students*

4%

English Learners

58%

Free/Reduced Lunch

25%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black —

American Indian/Alaska Native —

Asian —

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —

Hispanic or Latino —

White —

2+ Races —

Why Frank McCourt High School was nominated

Frank McCourt High School is committed to developing all students to be genuinely college-ready. Their course offerings are determined by the students and teachers together, and there is a strong focus on collaboration and interdisciplinary work. From a recent article on wnyc.org: "From the minute we opened we had a very diverse population and we needed to navigate that," says Danielle Salzberg, principal of Frank McCourt High School, on the Upper West Side, which opened in 2010. "Kids come with different educational backgrounds and different socioeconomic backgrounds. We opened our doors fully aware that we were going to be meeting different kids' needs in different kinds of ways." To meet those needs, Salzberg and her team turned to a mastery-based model. "It's the best way to provide feedback to students that allows them to understand themselves and be empowered as learners," Salzberg says. "We focus a lot on student engagement. What are we doing to challenge their thinking and not just have them be compliant?" The school is thriving. With 20 percent of its 400-plus students diagnosed with a learning disability and about half of its kids coming from families in economic need, McCourt nonetheless outperforms citywide averages on state-mandated Regents exams, graduation rates and post-secondary enrollment.... Support extends beyond teacher interventions. With a schoolwide emphasis on working in groups, students' most-used academic resources are often their peers.... "Mastery-based learning is a complete paradigm shift for most teachers," says Salzberg. "It means thinking about grading as a way to provide feedback, and not a random act that we do because the quarter is ending."

Student experience design

FMHS is a community that empowers students to be life-long learners, critical thinkers, allies and leaders in their own lives as well as in their communities. Our goal is to empower students to be the leaders of tomorrow by working to model what it means to be in collaboration with one another through thoughtful and meaningful conversations, restorative practices, and shared celebration. FMHS graduates are prepared to enact change in the real world when they move on to their next chapter. We celebrate each individual member's strengths and diversity, encourage collaboration, and inspire equity-driven, empathetic life-long learners.

Core Practices

Core Practices	Length of Use
Student Advisories	5+ years
No Tracked Classes	5+ years
Multiple Opportunities To Demonstrate Mastery	5+ years
Project-based Learning	5+ years
Restorative Practices	5+ years

All Practices

Advancement On Mastery

Anti-racist Practices

Assessments For Career Readiness

Assessments For Deeper Learning

Assessments For Social-emotional Skills

Blended Learning

Career Prep And Work-based Learning

Teachers As Co-leaders

Co-leadership

Competency/mastery-based Education

Competency Framework

Culturally Responsive Practices

Early College High School

Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles

Grading Policies Focus On Mastery

Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

Interdisciplinary

Individual Learning Paths

Individual Learner Profiles

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics

Multi-age Classrooms

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

Reallocation Of Resources For Those Most In Need

SEL Curriculum

SEL Integration School-wide

Student-led Conferences

Students Access Their Own Data

Student-led Goal Setting

Self-paced Learning

Students Develop Projects

Trauma-informed Practices

key reasons for innovating

Mental health concerns

Models Implemented

Grades K-12

New Tech Network

Date Updated: 4/1/2024

*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.