Our Insights
What’s Special
Lots of sports to engage teens who fell behind in 9th grade
The Downside
Some students struggle to get along
Urban Dove (UD) Team Charter School offers several hours of sports every day as a way to engage older students who have struggled in school and who are behind in their studies. Started in 2012, this charter school is open to students who are 14-16 years old and who earned fewer than 9 credits their freshman year.
The school has a longer day and year. In addition to regular high school classes, teens spend 2.5 hours on seasonal team sports, such as volleyball, softball or basketball, or soccer, weight training, yoga or dance.
Students are divided into teams of about 16 members with a “coach,” who serves as an adult mentor and travels with them throughout the day for all three years. The coach supports them with friendships, conflicts, organization, and job readiness skills like leadership and teamwork.
The school's founder, Jai Nanda, was a basketball coach at another transfer school, Lower East Side Prep in Manhattan, in the 1990s. He noticed that his team members had better school performance during the sports season, and their attendance dropped after it ended.
Nearly half the students have special education needs. Every classroom has two teachers: one for general education and one for special education. All students use laptops or iPads to work at their own pace on tasks suited to their needs. With the school’s trimester system, students can earn credits faster and catch up more quickly. However, very few are ready for college-level work by graduation.
More than 100 students participate in paid internships, mostly at local elementary schools. They help run after-school and summer programs for younger children, planning activities, organizing games, and serving as role models.
Students and staff use restorative practices to address conflicts. They meet in circles once or twice a week to discuss and solve problems together. This method has reduced suspensions. While most students report some bullying on the NYC School Survey, they overwhelmingly say they feel safe in school and that conflicts are resolved fairly. (Lydie Raschka, interview and web reports, August 2024)
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Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
Contact & Location
Location
1256 East 21st Street
Brooklyn
NY
11210
Trains: to Bedford-Nostrand Aves
Buses: B38, B44, B44-SBS
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Other Details
This school shares a building with East Midwood Hebrew Day School
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