John Adams High School

For years, John Adams High School teetered on the brink of closure and struggled to attract students. Its administration and faculty now believe the worst is behind them and see the school gradually rebounding, thanks to stronger academics, new programs and efforts to create a more welcoming environment.

Signs of progress: The graduation rate jumped from less than 55 percent in 2014 to nearly 71 percent in 2018. The attendance rate also slightly increased within that time frame, and chronic absenteeism declined. Perhaps most important, in 2016 the state removed John Adams from the list of schools threatened with state takeover. And, according to the New York Times, John Adams has been identified as a “rise” school, meaning it will no longer be considered a renewal school come the 2018-2019 school year.

Principal Daniel Scanlon came to the school in 2013. After reviewing the building and evaluating student feedback that indicated that many students did not want to be at John Adams—which Scanlon himself described as having been punitive and drab—he set out to enact change.

To improve discipline, John Adams has implemented Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports (PBIS), which focuses on rewarding and reinforcing positive actions. As a result, the suspension rate has dropped to just 1 percent, which is below the citywide average.

The school has restructured its academics and is now divided into several small learning communities (SLCs), aiming to provide students with both the resources of a large school and the sense of community and individualized attention offered at a small school.

There are eight SLC programs: STEM; the Future Educators Academy; Media and Fine Arts Academy; Pre-Med Academy; Justice, Law and International Studies Academy; a Newcomers Institute; the International Baccalaureate (IB) program; and the Queens Business Institute. Within these SLCs, there is one new career and technical education (CTE) program in law. The school is developing a CTE program in business.

John Adams added its selective IB program in the fall of 2016. It offers a challenging curriculum that stresses student projects and the development of research skills. The school also offers a wide range of Advanced Placement courses and College Now classes.

After school, students can participate in a number of extracurricular activities, such as the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) program, robotics, debate, school band and many PSAL sports, including cricket and girls lacrosse.

"We want to try to make opportunities available to kids," Scanlon said. "We're trying to find something for every student."

Despite these changes, the school still has room for improvement. Chalkbeat said John Adams, with 2,300 students, had 21 confirmed instances of bullying in the first half of the 2017-2018 school year. Half of the student body thinks that bullying happens frequently, according to school surveys.

The school is located in Ozone Park and has an on-site health clinic operated by North Shore LIJ health network.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Adams offers a range of supports, including tutoring services as wells as self-contained and integrated co-teaching (ICT) classes.

ADMISSIONS: Citywide. Criteria vary among the learning communities, with some screened programs and others using the educational option method. There is also a zoned program for students living in the area. (Gail Robinson, March 2015; updated June 2018)