Brooklyn Preparatory High School

Brooklyn Prep offers a good selection of art classes, starting with a choice of multimedia arts or music appreciation in 9th grade, and moving into an array of electives, such as comics illustration, photography, Latin dance, chorus, photography, keyboards and band.

Enrollment has risen steadily under the leadership of principal Noah Lansner, who joined the school in 2010. He has added electives, tightened up discipline and improved the graduation rate, according to school data and surveys. Most teachers would recommend the school to other families.

The school prides itself on close relationships, nurtured primarily in small advisories three times a week. These are intentionally mixed-age groups in order to build strong relationships across the school. Twelfth-graders mentor 9th-graders who need extra support, and peer tutoring takes place twice a week after school.

Students study in different ways, not only by reading textbooks, according to the school's Quality Review. In a history class, for example, teens rotated through “stations” to watch a video clip, review a document and analyze a photo.

Reading, writing and discussion are focuses in every subject area. For instance, 9th-graders read the nonfiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks before launching into a related unit on genetic disorders and diseases. For a writing assignment, students were asked to describe the character of their neighborhood, with one teen writing an essay titled "Unwritten Rules for a Puerto Rican."

Teens present and defend their best work through a portfolio process at the end of the semester, presented to a group of peers and visitors. The portfolio is a collection of written reflections, projects, papers and tests.

All seniors take a class in which they write a 7- to 10-page research paper on a topic of their choice in preparation for college writing. Past topics have included ISIS, the school-to-prison pipeline, LGBT discrimination, racial inequality and homelessness.

One downside is that some students miss many days of school. Calls go home if they are late, according to the yearly plan. Guidance counselors work to build relationships with parents of struggling teens by selecting two parents each week for special attention. Another downside is that the building has metal detectors.

The school shares the Harry Van Arsdale building with Williamsburg Preparatory High School and the Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design. Sports are campus-wide.

There is a full-time college adviser. Students take at least two college trips each year. The majority of the graduates attend CUNY and SUNY schools.

ADMISSIONS: Not based on grades. Priority to Brooklyn students or residents. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interview, May 2018)