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Our Insights

What’s Special

Strong community partnerships, whole-child supports, enrichment and family engagement

The Downside

High chronic absenteeism, below average math scores

The Community Health Academy of the Heights (CHAH) offers classes about personal and public health, and older students pursue internships in health careers. Local nonprofit Community League of the Heights (CLOTH), launched the school in 2006, in partnership with New York Presbyterian Hospital and Columbia University Medical Center. The school's new six-story building in south Washington Heights has wide and well-lit hallways and stairwells, with expansive views of Columbia Presbyterian hospital from several windows.

CHAH prides itself on its reflective and open-minded community. "If you've ever been excluded, beat up, marginalized, this is the place where you can be welcome," says Principal Mark House, a former social studies teacher and assistant principal at West Bronx Academy of the Future. He feels that "school should be fun," but first, he believes, students need to feel safe and grounded. CHAH hosts a School Based Health Center through Community Healthcare Network, where a psychiatrist, social worker, and nurse practitioner are housed. Each student gets a mental health diagnostic exam each year, in addition to vision screenings and access to other health resources.

House is proud of his "amazing teachers," who work together to improve instruction and develop their practice, even over the summer. Almost all of them said they trust the principal’s leadership and would recommend this school to other families and teachers on the most recent NYC School Survey

CHAH has struggled to improve its attendance, with a higher-than-average share of students absent at least a month of the school year. Test scores for grades 6-8 are well below the city average, but have increased steadily in recent years. Most students enter 6th grade below grade level in reading or math, and many students are current or former English language learners. The percentage of 8th graders earning high school credit is far higher than the district or city averages, according to the School Quality Report. High school students may take several Advanced Placement courses, and many graduates go on to two or four-year colleges like CUNY, SUNY, Syracuse, St. Johns, and Trinity College in Connecticut. 

CHAH has full-time music, art and dance teachers, as well as a dance studio and fully equipped visual arts and music rooms, according to the Arts in Schools Report. The cafeteria and gym are clean and bright, but small. Other after-school activities include homework help and the Sexuality and Gender Acceptance alliance, which covers gender and LGBTQ issues. Both CHAH and CLOTH go out of their way to engage parents, bringing them in the building for adult education classes, free evening activities such as Zumba classes, a food pantry, and affordable housing access.(Nicole Mader, March 2015; web update, May 2019)

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School Stats

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

Is this school safe and well-run?

From 2022-2023 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
92%
80% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
39%
51% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
92%
77% Citywide Average
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
82%
0% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
1%
1% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From 2023 End-of-year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Report

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
88%
79% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
2.5

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
18%
42% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
36%
51% Citywide Average

From 2023 End-of-year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Report

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
55%
60% Citywide Average
How many students graduate in 4 years?
96%
91% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
612
Asian
2%
Black
10%
Hispanic
85%
White
2%
Other
1%
Free or reduced priced lunch
92%
Students with disabilities
24%
English language learners
22%

From 2023 End-of-year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Report

Average daily attendance
88%
86% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
41%
45% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

Uniforms required?
No

How does this school serve special populations?

From 2023 End-of-year Attendance and Chronic Absenteeism Report

How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
80%
84% Citywide Average
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
85%
77% Citywide Average

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
2%
7% Citywide Average
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

Community Health Academy of the Heights (M07A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Calculus AB, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, AP Studio Art - 2D, AP United States Government and Politics, Chemistry (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Soccer

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Cross Country, Softball, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Golf

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

504 West 158Th Street
Manhattan NY 10032

Trains: 1 Line to 157th St; A Line to 168th St; C Line to 163rd St - Amsterdam Av

Buses: Bx6, Bx6-SBS, Bx7, M10, M100, M101, M2, M3, M4, M5


Contact

Principal: David Falciani

Parent Coordinator: Connie Santana

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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