West Prep Academy

West Prep Academy is a tiny middle school with a free after-school program featuring a marching band. Teachers help students who often start behind in reading and math, using close reading and adjusting lessons to their needs. The school also offers various electives and activities, like Lego robotics and dance, and celebrates student work with arts showcases.

Most students are behind in reading and math when they arrive, and close to half have disabilities, but the city's impact and performance data shows that teachers help them progress. They place emphasis on "close reading," which involves analyzing and interpreting a text to understand its deeper meanings. They also focus on writing and speaking, according to the school's yearly plan.  

Teachers adjust lessons to meet the needs of faster and slower learners, according to an article in Chalkbeat. In an 8th-grade social studies class, some students were strong test takers performing on grade level. Others were from small special education classes. During a lesson about the Little Rock Nine, who integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957, the teacher gave some students a checklist of instructions and let others tackle the assignment independently.

Despite its tiny size, West Prep has a variety of extras on topics that vary depending on student interest. Past electives include Lego robotics, art & meditation, anime, lacrosse, chess, green screen special effects, dance, step team, and outdoor adventures. The work is celebrated in arts showcases twice a year. An after-school program operates five days a week until 5:30 p.m., and includes sports, arts, homework help and academic support.

A summer “bridge” program gives incoming 6th-graders the chance to make friends, meet their teachers and work on a media project.

The school has a small ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) Nest program, in which students with autism and typically developing students learn together in smaller classes. In the comments section, the parent of a 6th grader in the program wrote, "As a public school teacher myself, I like that there is consistent communication with the school, a principal who is accessible, and that my son is finding his niche there."

Children are called “scholars” at West Prep, and wear purple and gray uniforms. Those who keep their grades up are invited on special outings such as rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding. Photos on the website show a trip to Guatemala for these "super scholars."

Attendance could be stronger; almost half of the students miss a month or more of school, which can result in gaps in understanding when they miss lessons. Some students complain of bullying. The school works with the Morningside Center, which helps students build social and emotional skills to create a more caring and fair school environment.

The school was founded in 2009. After a couple of location moves, it is now at 220 W. 108th Street. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and email, July 2024)