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Newburgh Free Academy West

Newburgh Free Academy West, nominated by Big Picture Learning, is a high school in Newburgh, New York that describes itself as a public district school serving learners from a primarily urban area.

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Location Newburgh, New York

Governance Public district school

Grades High

Students 125

Locale Urban

School Building Administrator Ebony Clark

Demographics

Percentage of students*

5%

English Learners

100%

Free/Reduced Lunch

26%

Students with Disabilities

African American or Black —

American Indian/Alaska Native —

Asian —

Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —

Hispanic or Latino —

White —

2+ Races —

Why Newburgh Free Academy West was nominated

As a school in the Big Picture Learning network, this school supports the organizational mission of activating the potential of Schools, Systems, and Education through student-driven, real-world learning. Its design helps to scaffold and facilitate student learning aligned with the "10 Expectations" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K96c-TGnSf4) and it is organized to implement the "10 distinguishers" (https://www.bigpicture.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=389353&type=d&pREC_ID=902235) to deliver "one kid at a time" personalized learning situated in the communities it serves.

Student experience design

We believe that schools should be guided by one clear principle: that everything we do, should be ""what's best for students."" This means that schools need to adopt ""an all hands on deck approach"" and commit to doing whatever it takes to support positive student development. Our goal is to connect the students' interest to relevant and meaningful learning experiences while encouraging students to always do their personal best. We believe there is a genius in each child and they have the potential for greatness. Our teaching and administrative staff will always be committed to educating Newburgh's students, one child at a time. At NFA West we aim to foster a nurturing and positive educational environment to all students, regardless of their previous setbacks or current obstacles so that they can achieve academic success. This is a non-traditional high school campus that will provide an innovative, personalized education to youth in the Newburgh School District who might otherwise be lost in a traditional school setting.

Core Practices

Core Practices Length of Use

Student Advisories
5+ years

Community And Business Partnerships
5+ years

Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics
1-2 years

Project-based Learning
3-4 years

Restorative Practices
5+ years

All Practices

Assessments For Career Readiness

Career Prep And Work-based Learning

Culturally Responsive Practices

Extended Learning Opportunities

All Courses Designed For Inclusion

Interdisciplinary

Individual Learner Profiles

1:1 Mentoring

Multi-age Classrooms

No Tracked Classes

Peer To Peer Support

Performance Based Assessment

SEL Curriculum

SEL Integration School-wide

Social Justice Focus

Student-led Conferences

Students Access Their Own Data

Student-led Goal Setting

Students Develop Projects

Tutoring

key reasons for innovating

Desire to be on the cutting edge and demonstrate what’s possible

Models Implemented

Grades K-12

Big Picture Learning

Date Updated: 4/1/2024

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