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STAR Academy-P.S. 63

Grades: 3-K, Pre-K, K-5
Staff Pick Staff Pick for Special Ed
121 East 3 Street
Manhattan NY 10009
Phone: 212-674-3180

Our Insights

What’s Special

Exciting math curriculum, strong leadership

The Downside

Low enrollment

Some schools face setbacks and see only hardship ahead; others see opportunity. STAR Academy-PS 63 is a shining example of the latter, a school where tireless teachers and administrators have found a meaningful new way to connect with a high needs population of kids and families without sacrificing academic rigor. The result? Test scores are rising, kids are being nurtured and classes feel alive.

Former special education teacher Darlene Cameron became principal in 2007 and has worked hard to make the school more inclusive, converting almost every classroom to ICT (integrated co-teaching) rooms that mix special needs and general education students with two teachers, one with a degree in special ed. Assistant Principal Jodi Friedman, who gave us our tour, previously taught at the school for seven years, and continues to teach 4th-grade science. She serves as the school's math coach and together with Cameron spearheaded an ambitious revamping of the school's academics in anticipation of the implementation of Common Core academic standards.

Over the course of two summers, teachers re-educated themselves in the new math, eventually creating in-house assessments, a data-tracking system for student growth and even writing their own math curriculum. "When you know your content well enough to plan it," Friedman said, "you really look at student work and see their strengths, misconceptions, how to move them."

After a citywide plummet in Common Core-aligned standardized test scores in 2013, STAR was one of a handful of schools that saw their numbers rebound in 2014. Word problems, a previous deficit, now form the core of the school's math approach. In a kindergarten class, children glued goldfish crackers to grids to add together the correct number of snacks, while 1st-graders tackled doubles facts in groups using beads after reading the story Grandma's Necklace.

Each day, children have one 45- to 60-minute period of teacher instruction and group work in math plus a second 20-minute period of math games and skills. Two days a week, kids of mixed grade levels work together in math stations. Star Academy is a "showcase school" for math instruction; educators from all over the city visit to see the math program in action.  

For English language arts, teachers use the Teachers College Reading and Writing programs, supplemented with phonics and shared texts. In social studies the focus is on big concepts, Friedman said, noting that older students are encouraged to write about weighty topics such as immigration and the Holocaust. During our visit, a lively class of 5th-graders divided into two groups, scouring through articles to prepare for a debate on Pets in Schools.

As in math, ELA scores have jumped, an improvement that Friedman credits in part to a schoolwide literacy program that takes place during the first half hour of each day. Advanced students may also use that morning time to learn the ukulele with the school's music teacher, engage in extra arts enrichment or learn gaming and coding in technology club.

All students take art, gym and science several times a week, and learn to play the keyboard. First- through 5th-graders also dance once a week through a partnership with Notes in Motion. STAR offers full-time, free after-school for k-5, and pre-kindergartners may participate in a fee-based after-school program through Notes in Motion until 6pm each day. Like the rest of the school, the pre-k program is small, with two classes of 13 students each at the time of our visit.

Nurturing students emotionally as well as academically is an overarching theme at STAR, which stands for self-managed, team-player, accountable and respectful; the makings of an ideal student. Schoolwide jobs like recess buddy and newscaster are a very real way of giving kids responsibility and helping them work on important social skills. Instead of a time-out room, the school has a Responsibility Room, where students are encouraged to work through emotions and recognize the difference between a big problem and a small one. The school works with New York University to be culturally reponsive in their teaching practices. 

At the time of our visit, much of the 100-year-old building's facade was under restoration, which caused some water damage and necessitated the playground equipment being covered, although kids still play in the yard, Friedman said. The school shares the building amicably with The Neighborhood School, using the fourth floor, while Neighborhood is on the third. Both schools share the second floor, cafeteria, gym, library and auditorium.

Like many District 1 schools, STAR Academy has long struggled with enrollment and attendance. Students travel from all five boroughs to attend, and many families are in temporary living situations, creating an ever-shifting student population. In addition to an attendance team comprising teachers and counselors, outside caseworkers help STAR families find real solutions to getting kids to school and on time, like arranging busing when possible—or even giving them alarm clocks.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Nearly all classes are ICT (integrated co-teaching). Self-contained classes have been phased out. An effort is made to support all students—and not to let learning differences hold them back; for example, someone with writing difficulties might have a designated "scribe" to help them express ideas. "You may have a kid who can only write at a kindergarten level, but who can think at a very high level," Friedman said. STAR has a guidance counselor, psychologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, speech therapist and social worker for students and families.

ADMISSIONS: District 1 choice. (Aimee Sabo, February 2015; updated, November 2018)

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School Stats

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

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
80%
82% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
1% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
88%
84% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
15.1

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
38%
53% Citywide Average
How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
45%
50% Citywide Average

What is the Pre-K like?

From the NYC Program Assessment (CLASS and ECERS-R) Database through 2019-2020

Instruction: Teachers ask kids to explain their reasoning when they solve problems
Activities: Children explore art, music, sand/water, dramatic play and more
Language: Teachers talk and listen to kids in a supportive way
Interaction: Teachers ask kids good questions and invite back-and-forth conversation

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
179
Asian
2%
Black
17%
Hispanic
64%
White
11%
Other
5%
Free or reduced priced lunch
77%
Students with disabilities
32%
English language learners
3%
Pre-K seats
10
3-K seats
15

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
89%
90% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
49%
40% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
30% Citywide Average
How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
0%
23% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
21% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
0%
12% Citywide Average


For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

East Village (District 1)
Trains: L Line to 1st Ave; J Line, M Line, Z Line to Delancey St-Essex St; F Line to 2 Line Ave; 6 Line to Bleecker St; B Line, D Line to Broadway-Lafayette St
Buses: B39, M101, M102, M103, M14A, M14D, M15, M15-SBS, M2, M21, M3, M8, M9

Contact

Principal
David Gonzalez
Parent Coordinator
Ashley Bisono

Other Details

Shared campus?
Yes
This school shares a building with the Neighborhood School
Metal detectors?
No

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