Young Leaders Elementary School

At Young Leaders Elementary School students enjoy enrichment activities such as martial arts, dance, drumming and chess.

Principal Jaleelah Cooke has led the school since 2013. She is trusted and regarded highly by parents and teachers based on their responses to the annual NYC School Survey.

The school is moving in the right direction. The data shows that Young Leaders is helping students of all levels gain ground, based on test scores. One notable achievement: English language learners outperform the citywide average for their peers in reading scores.

There are bilingual instruction classes where students start out learning in both Spanish and English and gradually move to English-only instruction.

The school uses Columbia University's Teachers College Reading and Writing Program where students read books of interest in a range of topics and write and revise multiple drafts of work across many genres, according to the school’s annual set of goals, the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP).

Once a month, teachers host sessions for parents eager to learn strategies for helping their children with homework.

There’s an onsite after-school program run by Roads to Success. In addition to literacy lessons and homework help, students participate in a range of activities including art and games.

One challenge for the school is getting children to attend regularly. Many are chronically absent, meaning they miss more than 18 days of school each year.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Young Leaders has classes called ICT (integrated co-teaching) that mix up to twelve students with disabilities into general education classrooms. It also has small self-contained classes and SETSS (special education teacher support services), designed to provide more support to students in need, as well as occupational, physical and speech therapy onsite. 

ADMISSIONS: Priority to students living in the southern portion of District 7. (Laura Zingmond, DOE data and reports, January 2020; photo from school's website)