M.S. 180 Dr. Daniel Hale Williams

MS 180 in Co-Op City offers two smaller screened programs: School for the Arts (creative and performing) and Pre-Engineering & Math, and a larger unscreened program. All students have access to a terrific selection of arts: dance (classical and modern), fine arts, music (vocal and instrumental), computer, theater, and video production and photography. 

The large school is divided into four small academies, called “houses,” each named after a famous figure, such as Barack Obama or Sonia Sotomayor. Each team of adults stays with the same students for three years to ensure every child is known and their academic and social needs are met. The school’s good attendance may be a result of the accountability of the house system, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP).

Each house has a connection with a college such as Fordham University, Columbia University or Manhattan School of Music. Students take college trips and some are tutored online in partnership with these colleges, according to the city’s report called the Quality Review.

The school has strong academic support and high expectations, the Quality Review shows. There are honors classes on every grade. Test scores are especially strong in reading. Academic help is available during and after school for struggling students. The school uses the respected Middle School Quality Initiative, a program designed to boost vocabulary and reading in high-need schools. 

There appears to be friction between the staff and Principal Marlon Williams, who took the helm in 2016, following the long-time leadership of Frank Uzzo. Most teachers do not think Williams is an effective manager, according to school surveys.

While the friction may be getting the teachers down, it does not seem to have had a significant effect on achievement. The numbers of 8th grade students taking high school (Regents) level classes in math, science, history and Spanish, and sitting for the exams, has doubled in recent years, according to the CEP. 

The school also offers Living Environment Regents to 7th graders. Advanced Placement courses in computer assisted design, and advanced math, are available in the Truman High School Campus next door. 

Special education: The school has a large special education program and the building can accommodate students with physical disabilities. It has a renovated occupation and physical therapy center. The Academic, Career and Essential Skills Program (ACES) provides students with practical skills they can use when they leave school, including computer training. Students take field trips to practice life skills and attend the Special Olympics.

Admissions: Admissions to School for the Arts and Pre-Engineering & Math is dependent on grades, attendance, an audition and a writing sample. The unscreened program is by lottery with preference to students and residents in District 11. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, April 2019)