Our Insights
What’s Special
Top-notch instruction and lots of supports for all kids; 11th-graders travel abroad
The Downside
Located far from the nearest subway stop
Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics is one of the top-performing high schools in the Bronx. The school admits a broad range of students—from struggling to high achievers—yet its graduation, college attendance and college readiness rates are on par with the city's most competitive schools.
Key to Bronx Center's success is an impressive range of student supports and partnerships with outside organizations. For instance, the elite private school, Horace Mann, shares its math and science curriculum with teachers and also provides space for Bronx Center's graduation ceremony.
The school hits a lot of high marks. Teacher satisfaction is high, as is their regard for longtime principal Edward Tom, who designed and founded the school in 2004. Students feel safe at school and virtually no one gets suspended.
For a small school, Bronx Center does an unusually good job of meeting the needs of a diverse community of learners. Top students are challenged plenty. By their senior year they spend up to eight periods each week in each of their Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Struggling students may spend three or four semesters, rather than the typical two, studying algebra, geometry or algebra 2. To ensure everyone studies physics, stronger students take Regents-level physics, which requires advanced math skills, while others take a conceptual physics course, which relies less on computational skills. Regardless of their pace of learning, all students must take four years of math and science.
AP classes are offered in several subjects and students can earn college credits by taking free courses at Lehman College.
Teaching styles vary by subject and grade. In some lower-grade classes, teachers deliver very structured lessons and keep close tabs on students' work throughout the period. One teacher gives students color-coded disks that they raise at the end of a task, or upon the teacher's request, in order to convey how well they understood the concept or skill taught: "Got it," "kind of get it," or "completely lost."
In some English and history classes, teachers emphasize a type of class-wide discussion called “Harkness” circles, where students take the lead addressing each other with questions and responses while the teacher mainly listens. And, in some math classes, teachers use the flipped classroom method: Students are expected to take the first stab at learning a skill or topic at home by watching a video, reading up on it and taking notes. Classroom time is then devoted to students doing lots of practice problems while the teacher monitors and gives mini-lessons tailored to their needs.
There are a range of elective courses such as drama, musical theater, film, choir, engineering, computer coding and robotic. Through a partnership with the Open Future Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students build life skills such as confidence and self-awareness, upper-grade students may take semester-long courses focused on answering essential questions such as, “how well do you know who you are?”
Grant-funded summer programs run by the school help students shore up skills and prepare for the rigors of the upcoming grade. Before starting high school, rising 9th-graders spend four weeks working on English and math skills as well as bonding with their peers through sports and other group activities. Another summer program for rising 12th-graders focuses on college admissions prep.
With support from several organizations, each year many 11th-graders have the opportunity to travel abroad over the summer or during Spring break to places such as Malawi, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and Denmark.
Spanish is the only foreign language taught.
Bronx Center shares a building with Eximius College Preparatory Academy. Students from both schools may participate in building-wide PSAL sports teams and activities such as school plays.
There is a very active college office led by a fulltime college counselor. Many graduates attend CUNY and SUNY schools, but each year some students attend private colleges on scholarships. The school has a particularly strong record of students earning POSSE scholarships.
SPECIAL EDUCATION: There is a range of services and supports, including ICT (integrated co-teaching) in all subjects and self-contained classes in select subjects. The special education teachers and support staff provide academic help to students before and after school each day. (Laura Zingmond, web reports and interview, November 2018)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Computer Science
Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
Not offered in 2021-21AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryBronx Center for Science and Mathematics (X05R)
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
Spanish
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)
Boys PSAL teams
Baseball, Basketball, Soccer
Girls PSAL teams
Badminton, Basketball, Soccer, Softball, Volleyball
Coed PSAL teams
Stunt
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
1363 Fulton Avenue
Bronx
NY
10456
Buses: Bx11, Bx15, Bx17, Bx21, Bx35, Bx41, Bx41-SBS
Contact
Other Details
This school shares a building with Eximius College Prep
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