Frederick Douglass Academy

Frederick Douglas Academy is a combined middle and high school offering a nice range of electives and college-level courses.  Students may study Japanese and Latin, work with flight simulators in an aviation class and take Advanced Placement (AP) classes.

Ayisha Fullerton became principal in 2017, replacing Joseph Gates who stepped down in June 2017.  A former physics teacher, Fullerton most recently served as the Director of Renewal schools for the Department of Education, and prior to that was an assistant principal at the flagship Eagle Academy in the Bronx.

There are a lot of offerings in technology and the sciences.  Middle school electives include classes in computer programming, gaming and web design. High school students can choose from a range of AP courses including statistics, calculus, biology, chemistry and physics.

In the humanities, AP courses include microeconomics, United States and European history, English, Spanish, French and Latin. Students learn French in middle school and may pursue other languages in high school.

Middle school test scores in English and math fall below the citywide and district averages.  However, students do gain ground by high school. The college readiness rate, meaning percent of students who perform well enough in math and English to avoid remedial classes at City University of New York (CUNY) colleges, exceeds the citywide average.

To bolster math instruction, teachers are getting training through a consulting group founded by Lucy West, a former director of mathematics for Manhattan’s high performing District 2, according to the school’s 2016-17 Comprehensive Education Plan

There are some concerns over discipline and safety. Roughly half of the students report bullying and nearly a quarter of them say they don't feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and lockerrooms, based on respsonses to the 2016-17 NYC School Survey.

There are sports teams for both middle and high school and a range of after-school clubs and activities such as karate, chess, aviation, debate, robotics, and yearbook. Partnerships with organizations such as Harlem Samba and Mentors in Medicine offer additional learning opportunities in the arts and sciences.

There is a dedicated college office. Most graduates attend CUNY and SUNY schools and some go on to private and out-of-state colleges.

ADMISSIONS:  Admissions is based on a review of students’ grades, test scores and attendance record. Middle school admits District 5 students and residents. The high school admits students citywide with priority to ongoing students and then to students and residents of Districts 3, 4, and 5. (Laura Zingmond, web reports, November 2017)