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P.S. 274 The New American Academy at Roberto Clemente State Park

Grades: Pre-K, K-5
275 Harlem River Park Bridge
Bronx NY 10453
Phone: 718-901-9703

Our Insights

What’s Special

Hands-on, discovery-based projects in an innovative teaching model

The Downside

Struggles with chronic absenteeism and classroom order and discipline

The New American Academy at Roberto Clemente State Park, PS 274, is based on a unique educational model where groups of 60 students learn in large, open classrooms taught by four teachers, including one certified in special education. Teachers stay with students as they move from grade to grade in a process known as "looping,” which nurtures deep relationships throughout the school community.

Despite the school’s innovative approach, standardized test scores have lagged behind other schools in District 9, though they have been inching up in recent years. More than half of all the students are chronically absent, meaning they miss at least 18 days of school, which is likely contributing to both the low test scores and the low number of teachers who report that order and discipline are maintained in their classrooms on the Annual School Survey.

Principal Pepe Gutierrez was originally a teacher at the first New American Academy, PS 770 in Brooklyn, before founding PS 274 in 2013. The school offers a dual language program in Spanish and English as well as a Spanish bilingual transitional program, and mostly serves students whose families live within the school’s attendance zone in the Morris Heights neighborhood of the Bronx.

The school’s most recent Quality Review celebrated the teachers’ high expectations for their students and their collaborative approach to instruction and professional development. Key parts of the New American Academy model are that "master teachers" in each grade mentor younger faculty with varying levels of experience and new hires get a five-week training session in the summer.

Teachers design their lessons together, organized around six themes a year with plenty of hands-on, discovery-based projects. The school also has music and visual art teachers serving all grades, and partnerships with the Bronx Children's Museum, New Victory Theater and the Rubin Museum of Art according to the most recent Annual Arts in Schools report.

P.S. 274 shares a building with middle school IS 229. Students enjoy nearby Roberto Clemente State Park, which sits along the Harlem River waterfront, for PE classes and after school programming run by SCAN NY. They can also participate in the school’s Saturday STEAM program, where they learn engineering and tech skills through fun activities like making fireworks in a jar, glowing slime, and coding Lego robots, according to the school’s Comprehensive Educational Plan.

Admissions: PS 274 is a zoned school. (Nicole Mader, web reports, April 2020)

Read more

School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
80%
82% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
1% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
98%
84% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
9.2

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
9%
53% Citywide Average
How many elementary school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
21%
50% Citywide Average

What is the Pre-K like?

From the NYC Program Assessment (CLASS and ECERS-R) Database through 2019-2020

Instruction: Teachers ask kids to explain their reasoning when they solve problems
Activities: Children explore art, music, sand/water, dramatic play and more
Language: Teachers talk and listen to kids in a supportive way
Interaction: Teachers ask kids good questions and invite back-and-forth conversation

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
386
Asian
1%
Black
32%
Hispanic
63%
White
3%
Other
2%
Free or reduced priced lunch
100%
Students with disabilities
32%
English language learners
11%
Pre-K seats
32

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
83%
90% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
64%
40% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

This school offers Dual Language classes in Spanish.

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
30% Citywide Average
How many students with disabilities scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
10%
23% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
21% Citywide Average
How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
6%
12% Citywide Average


For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

Morris Heights (District 9)
Buses: Bx18, Bx3, Bx36, Bx40, Bx42

Contact

Principal
Pepe Gutierrez
Parent Coordinator
Harriet Burnett Livermo

Other Details

Shared campus?
Yes
This school shares the building with IS 229
Metal detectors?
No

Zone for the 2019-2020 school year. Call school to confirm.

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