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Our Insights

What’s Special

Strong leadership; longer school day; students learn audio engineering and app development

The Downside

School is moving in right direction but has a ways to go

Longwood Preparatory Academy (Longwood Prep) in the Bronx is a small high school making some big strides thanks to strong leadership and supportive programs for students.

Principal Asya Johnson is a former special education teacher who has worked in both traditional public and charter schools and once served as the director of special education for District 79, which focuses on alternative high schools and programs for older students in New York City. 

When Johnson arrived in January 2016, the school, formerly known as Banana Kelly High School, was struggling with a high dropout rate and absenteeism, low staff morale and rapid turnover of leadership (Johnson was the school’s fifth principal in five years). Since then, courses and activities have been added, the number of incoming 9th-graders has more than doubled and the school adopted a new name to reflect a new beginning. Teachers also say they like and respect Johnson, based on their responses to the NYC school survey and reporting by Chalkbeat, which described Johnson’s office as being lined with laudatory notes from staff. 

Longwood Prep receives extra funding and support as part of the city's Renewal and Community Schools program aimed at improving low-performing schools, The additional resources have been a boon to the school, helping Johnson and staff tackle challenges and expand opportunities for students.

All students participate in CTE (career and technical education) that emphasizes media, technology and design. Ninth-graders take a class in digital literacy that introduces them to a range of software. Tenth-graders choose between two paths they stick with through graduation: app development or audio engineering.

A “student success center” is staffed by a full-time college counselor as well as student mentors who are trained to lead workshops on topics such as why GPA (grade point average) matters when applying to college.

Motivated students can earn college credit by taking Advanced Placement and College Now courses.  All students learn Spanish.

Attendance, which has improved but still has a ways to go, is monitored very closely. Teachers are paired with struggling students to keep tabs on them, and all students are given incentives to show up each day. For instance, they accumulate points for good attendance that they exchange for rewards such as skipping a homework assignment or dressing down for the day. To get kids to show up on a sub-freezing day in early January, the school served hot chocolate and doughnuts as a morning treat.

Classes run for an hour, which is longer than the typical 42-minute period, and the school day runs until 4 p.m. The longer classes and school day allow teachers more time to deliver lessons and schedule extra help for all. For example, in addition to daily classes in algebra, 9th-graders take a math modeling course twice a week that addresses gaps in their foundation skills. Academic tutoring as well as prep for Regents exams and the SAT are offered after school and on Saturdays.

All students attend small-group advisory sessions where they discuss issues and engage in activities that focus on character development and conflict resolution. Upperclassmen also serve as mentors to incoming freshmen.

There’s a nice range of after-school clubs and activities thanks to partnerships with outside organizations such as a poetry and theater program through Urban Word, a painting club through Public Color, and art, dance and academic help though Bronx Community College. Through a grant to create calm mindfulness spaces in high schools, Longwood Prep installed a state-of-the-art audio booth, where students can express themselves by recording and sharing music with their peers.(Laura Zingmond, interview and web reports, January 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?
 
89%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
83%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
100%
Average daily attendance
 
84%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
53%
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 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

352
Number of students
Citywide Average is 615

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
92%
Students with disabilities
 
30%
Multilingual learners
 
13%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
1%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
90%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
39%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
26%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
81%
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
90%
7.7
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
116
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 191
How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
77%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey, 2022-23 School Quality Guide, 2021-22 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2023 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

Not offered in 2021-21

Computer Science

Not offered in 2021-21

Physics

Not offered in 2021-21

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2021-21

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
60%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
6%

Music

Not offered in 2021-21
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
29%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
92%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
22%
From the 2020-21 and 2022-23 School Quality Guide

How many graduates who are eligible received Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding to attend a NYS college?
 
33%
This shows how well this school supports low-income students to get funding for college.
How many of those TAP recipients made it through college? Learn more
From unpublished, anonymized student-level data for the class of 2016-17 provided by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in coordination with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), brought to you by
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
63%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought to you by Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
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

Longwood Preparatory Academy (X94A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Career and Technical Education classes (CTE) in Graphic Arts, Web Design and Multi-media. Freshman mentoring program, college trips and career exploration beginning in 9th grade.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP United States History, Chemistry (Advanced Science), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Softball

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

965 Longwood Avenue
Bronx NY 10459

Trains: 2 Line, 5 Line to Prospect Av; 6 Line to Longwood Av

Buses: Bx17, Bx19, Bx4, Bx46, Bx5, Bx6, Bx6-SBS


Contact

Principal: Asya Johnson

Parent Coordinator: Cynthia Paula Montes

Phone: 718-860-1242

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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