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Our Insights

What’s Special

Students study on the Brooklyn College campus

The Downside

Two different school locations; not many sports

Brooklyn College Academy is a small high school with a long history of preparing kids for college. In fact, it was one of the first schools in the city to allow students to take college courses on a college campus, combining two years of high school with two years of college.

In 9th grade, students take a pre-college class to gradually introduce them to the rigors of college work. One of the first college-credit-bearing courses is Introduction to Theater Arts, given in-house to 10th graders, along with other choices such as speech or music. By the time seniors are ready to graduate, they will have earned anywhere from six to 45 college credits along with their high school diploma. The wide range of college courses offered includes calculus, sociology, physiology, psychology, business and forensics.

Established in February 1986 by the New York City Board of Education in collaboration with the City University of New York, the Academy started as a middle and high school for teens at risk of dropping out. It has evolved into a screened high school for high achievers. Today, only roughly half of the students are from low-income families, says parent coordinator Suhadie Lajara-Rivas. 

The Academy is housed at two locations and admits students from throughout Brooklyn who meet the criteria. The Lower and High School (grades 9-10) is located in a renovated warehouse at 350 Coney Island Ave. The Upper Institute (grades 11-12) is at Brooklyn College.

In addition to the perks of a college campus, the Academy has unique homegrown features, such as a mindfulness room with mood lighting and cushioned seats. Girls, who make up the majority of students, may join a mentoring program called SmHEARTGirls!. A respected and well-known world music ensemble is run by a passionate and innovative teacher. “It gives kids an outlet,” says Lajara-Rivas, because the school is “so academically driven.” Although the school does not offer much in the way of sports or clubs, teens may sing in a gospel choir, join student government, or play basketball or volleyball, she adds.

Longtime principal Nicholas Mazzarella is a respected and trusted leader. On school surveys, teachers report he has a clear vision, and most of them would recommend the school to other families.

Students at the Lower and High School annex wear a uniform, but 11th and 12th graders do not, allowing them to blend in more easily with the college students on campus. They share many of the privileges of college students, such as access to the college library, but they are not allowed to access the pool or anyplace college students must pay extra to use.

One downside of the annex location is its small auditorium/gym. However, the school has use of Prospect Park across the street in good weather, as well as a gym at Brooklyn College.

The school is noted for a small inclusion program for District 75 called PS 77 (there are four sites under this name), for high school students with autism. They take classes with Academy students and receive extra help with academics and social skills. On campus, 11th- and 12th-grade autistic students meet in advisory sessions and trade advice on how to deal with social situations. The school has a peer support program at the annex to help children become more engaged in classroom social activities.

The Academy is “very hands-on” with the college application process, says Lajara-Rivas. Most graduates go to college, although most do not attend Brooklyn College because they have already spent two years on that campus. Popular choices include City University of New York (CUNY) and State University of New York (SUNY) schools, in addition to top-tier schools like Harvard and Cornell. (Lydie Raschka, DOE data, interview, February 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?
 
98%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
90%
Average daily attendance
 
94%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
15%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
73%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
87%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

632
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
71%
Students with disabilities
 
16%
Multilingual learners
 
1%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
90%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
43%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
34%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
100%
3.6
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
201
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
97%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 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

 
4%

Computer Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Physics

Not offered in 2019-20

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2019-20

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
29%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
4%

Music

 
70%
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?
 
94%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
98%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
95%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
86%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
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

Brooklyn College Academy (K84X)

Admissions Method: Screened With Assessment

Requirements:

  • Average Course Grades - 50%
  • School based assessment - 50%

Program Description:

Brooklyn College Academy High School is an Early College School that provides a challenging high school curriculum in addition to a rigorous college program at Brooklyn College. Brooklyn College Academy students receive a substantial head start when applying to college, by graduating with a minimum of 12 to 50 college credits. This opportunity is maximized by students spending their last two years of high school on Brooklyn College Campus where they enjoy an actual college experience. For more information about how to complete this program's application requirements, please visit Brooklyncollegeacademy.com

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP English Literature and Composition, AP United States Government and Politics, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, Arts (College Course [Credited]), Biology (College Course [Credited]), Calculus (College Course [Credited]), Comp Sci/Math Tech (College Course [Credited]), Econ/Gov (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Uncredited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Uncredited]), Other (College Course [Credited]), Science (College Course [Credited]), Science (College Course [Uncredited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages), World Languages (College Course [Credited])

Boys PSAL teams

Basketball

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Volleyball

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

350 Coney Island Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11218

Trains: B Line, Q Line to Church Av; F Line to Fort Hamilton Parkway

Buses: B103, B16, B35, B67, B68, B69, BM3, BM4


Contact

Principal: Shernell Thomas Daley

Parent Coordinator: Suhadie Lajara

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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