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Williamsburg Preparatory School

Grades: 9-12
Staff Pick Staff Pick for Special Ed

Our Insights

What’s Special

Does a good job with a wide range of academic abilities

The Downside

No lockers; metal detectors

Hard work is a virtue at Williamsburg Prep, but so is participation in sports and clubs. Founded in 2004, this well-run school has a reputation in the neighborhood for its calm hallways, many clubs, strong sports teams and well-behaved teens, says the parent coordinator, Lisa Staszewski. It boasts a good track record of taking students whose performance was average in middle school and getting them ready for college.

The staff is committed to mixing students of all abilities together, including students with special needs, who do well here according to tests and surveys. A strong team of special education teachers has a reputation for helping low scorers pass Regents exams, says Staszewski.

Freshmen take two periods of math, and freshmen and sophomores take double periods of English, one of which includes 20 minutes of quiet reading time. Teachers assign reading outside of class too, and provide worksheets that break long writing assignments into manageable chunks.

Students seem pleased with the many ways they can develop talent outside of academics, according to school surveys. These include working on the literary magazine, or joining drama, dance, chess or engineering clubs. Sports are campus-wide.

College visits begin in 9th grade and continue throughout all four years. Students also visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the New York Aquarium and other venues, sometimes in mixed-age groups, the parent coordinator says.

Teachers report that Principal Michael Shadrick is trustworthy and an effective manager. Ninety-eight percent of them would recommend the school to other families.

Williamsburg Prep is located in the Harry Van Arsdale building, shared with Brooklyn Prep and Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design. Because there are no lockers, teens carry backpacks and coats from room to room.

Students must pass through metal detectors, which were in place before the school was founded. While it is a downside for some, Staszewski says, it makes others feel safe.

Two full-time college counselors help students apply to college. Parents meet with staff one-on-one for assistance with financial aid forms. Students attend colleges such as Cornell, Brandeis, CUNY Hunter, Gettysburg and SUNY Albany. Occasionally a graduate gets into very competitive schools like Middlebury or the University of Wisconsin. (Lydie Raschka, interview and web reports, April 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?
 
95%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
85%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
100%
Average daily attendance
 
86%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
45%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
92%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
85%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

679
Number of students
Citywide Average is 617

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
85%
Students with disabilities
 
25%
Multilingual learners
 
5%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
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?
 
38%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
30%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
91%
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?
 
98%
2.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
234
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?
 
79%
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

 
3%

Computer Science

 
6%

Physics

 
4%

Advanced Foreign Language

 
8%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
37%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
23%

Music

 
10%
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?
 
72%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
62%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
48%
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?
 
61%
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?
 
81%
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

Williamsburg Preparatory School (K39X)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), Algebra II (College Course [Credited]), AP Art History, AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Human Geography, AP Physics 1, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Studio Art - 2D, AP Studio Art - Drawing, AP United States History, Arts (College Course [Credited]), Biology (College Course [Credited]), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Comp Sci/Math Tech (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Other (College Course [Credited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Volleyball

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Cross Country, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Softball, Volleyball

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

257 North 6 Street
Brooklyn NY 11211

Trains: G Line to Lorimer St; L Line to Bedford Av

Buses: B24, B32, B39, B44, B44-SBS, B46, B48, B60, B62, Q54, Q59


Contact

Principal: Kellyann Witkowski

Parent Coordinator: Lisa Staszewski

Phone: 718-302-2306

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Harry Van Arsdale Educational Campus with two other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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