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Our Insights

What’s Special

Instruction offered in music, theater, film, digital media and visual arts

The Downside

Few student take advanced coursework

The High School for Youth and Community Development (YCD) is a small school on the Erasmus Hall Educational Campus, which offers students instruction in visual arts, film, digital media, music and theater.

Students may sing in the chorus, learn to play keyboards and produce music in a recording studio. They create web-based documentary films through a partnership with the Educational Video Foundation and learn computer coding and web design. Students display their artwork in galleries and well as government and corporate offices. They also participate in the annual Shakespeare Festival at the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

YCD’s overall graduation and college readiness rates run average for the city. However, few students take advanced coursework in the upper grades and many graduates enroll but do not stay in college. To push students further and help more prepare for college, the school provides extra academic and college admissions guidance beginning in 9th grade through a partnership with CAMDA College Express and a grant from GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs).

Those ready for the challenge may take campus-wide Advanced Placement courses. The administration and teachers are redesigning math instruction to help get more students ready to take calculus by their senior year, according to YCD’s Comprehensive Educational Plan.

Counseling, mediation and other social services are offered to students and families through a partnership with Counseling in Schools.

Incoming freshman participate in a summer orientation session.

YCD students may participate in campus-wide PSAL sports teams. The Brooklyn College Community Partnership provides arts and sports programs, as well as SAT prep and tutoring to all students on the Erasmus campus.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: There are ICT (integrated co-teaching) classes. (Laura Zingmond, web reports, December 2018)

 

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
91%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
78%
Average daily attendance
 
95%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
14%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
100%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
100%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

495
Number of students
Citywide Average is 615

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
83%
Students with disabilities
 
21%
Multilingual learners
 
11%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
3%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
84%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
44%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
36%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
91%
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
83%
18.5
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
238
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 191
How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
87%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey, 2022-23 School Quality Guide, 2021-22 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2023 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

Not offered in 2021-21

Computer Science

 
27%

Physics

Not offered in 2021-21

Advanced Foreign Language

 
6%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
16%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
18%

Music

Not offered in 2021-21
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
33%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
30%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
31%
From the 2020-21 and 2022-23 School Quality Guide

How many graduates who are eligible received Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding to attend a NYS college?
 
48%
This shows how well this school supports low-income students to get funding for college.
How many of those TAP recipients made it through college? Learn more
From unpublished, anonymized student-level data for the class of 2016-17 provided by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in coordination with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), brought to you by
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
49%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought to you by Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

College and Career Exploration (K06B)

Admissions Method: Open

Program Description:

This is a program for students to accelerate their completion of their high school requirements. In the 11th grade, students will take AP classes at our school; College Now classes, and internships with partner organizations. In the 20-21 school year, students from partner middle schools will participate in the pilot of our Early High School program, starting in the 8th grade. Interested students will also participate in multiple programs in partnership with SUNY Downstate.

21st Century Design and Communication (K06C)

Admissions Method: Open

Program Description:

In this program, students follow any of several potential career pathways, participating in learning activities and apprenticeship in the various career fields of advertising, graphic design, coding, public speaking, news/sports casting & writing. Courses beginning in the 9th grade include: Graphic Design 1 & 2, Sportscasting and Sports Writing, Public Speaking, Advertising, Coding, Computer Science and AP Computer Science

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Art History, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, AP Statistics, AP United States Government and Politics, Arts (College Course [Credited]), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Cross Country, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

911 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11226

Trains: B Line, Q Line to Church Av

Buses: B103, B12, B16, B35, B41, B44, B44-SBS, B49, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4


Contact

Principal: Mary Prendergast

Parent Coordinator: Chantal Desdunes

Phone: 718-564-2470

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Erasmus Hall Educational Campus with four other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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