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Our Insights

What’s Special

Safe, family-like environment; Regents exams not required

The Downside

Not everyone graduates on time

The Community School for Social Justice is a tiny, safe school with a family-like environment and a curriculum based on in-depth projects rather than Regents exams. Students may write and produce their own plays on the theme of social justice with the help of teaching artists from the Manhattan Theatre Club and the Tectonic Theatre Project.  

The school caters to students who enter high school with very weak academic skills and, while not everyone graduates on time, most of those who do graduate go on to college. Some students are homeless, and many had poor attendance in middle school, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan.

The school works hard to boost attendance with the help of two full-time social workers, a guidance counselor and the staff of a health clinic on campus. Each student is assigned to a “family group” of 15 students and one advisor, who meet four times a week for all four years of high school.

The school is a member of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, a group of schools that are exempt from most Regents exams. Instead, students must present portfolios of their work to a panel of teachers to demonstrate what they have learned in school and provide evidence of progress.

The school shares a building with Health Opportunities High School.  

(Clara Hemphill, statistics, December 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?
 
80%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
67%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
83%
Average daily attendance
 
71%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
78%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
100%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
100%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

216
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
92%
Students with disabilities
 
26%
Multilingual learners
 
19%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
2%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
88%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
25%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
19%
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%
5.6
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
44
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?
 
96%
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

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
23%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
3%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
41%
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?
 
58%
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

Social Action (X47A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Components of the program include: social action club, work with activists who are involved with social justice issues, social action and community service internships, whole school examination of social justice issues.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Econ/Gov (College Course [Credited]), Global History (College Course [Uncredited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited])

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Outdoor Track, Table Tennis

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Softball, Table Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Stunt

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

350 Gerard Avenue
Bronx NY 10451

Trains: 2 Line to 149th St-Grand Concourse; 3 Line to 145th St; 4 Line, 5 Line to 138th St; 6 Line to 138th St-3rd Ave

Buses: Bx1, Bx13, Bx19, Bx2, Bx21, Bx32, Bx33, M1, M102, M125, M7


Contact

Principal: Jaime Guzman

Parent Coordinator: Candida Cocco

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the building with Health Opportunities HS

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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