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Our Insights

What’s Special

Engaging project-based learning and strong college advisory

The Downside

Limited course offerings

Leaders High School values learning through projects, team work, field trips and meaningful assessments rather than standardized exams. It is an innovative school with a diverse student body and a dedicated staff. The school’s graduation and college-readiness rates are above the citywide average. Many Leaders’ graduates are the first in their families to attend college.

Academics & Instruction: In all classes, lessons emphasize depth over breadth—teachers spend more time on fewer topics and students do lots of reading, writing and research in all classes, often in small groups. Leaders is part of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, a network of schools exempt from administering all but the English Regents exam. Eleventh- and 12th-graders must complete PBATs (performance-based assessment tasks) in English, math, history and science on topics of their choosing. This might be a lab report based on an original experiment in science or a literary analysis of a novel in English. Students prepare papers and oral presentations to show their knowledge; outside Consortium experts assess their performance.

Leaders is also an NYC Outward Bound school that emphasizes learning through field trips, projects and team work—an approach that complements the Consortium model of instruction. Twice a year classes are paused for a week for students to complete “intensives,” in-depth studies on topics of personal interest such as the “science of ice cream,” circus arts, world religions, backcountry camping, photography and Mexican culture. Ninth-graders spend a week at a free outdoor adventure camp run by Outward Bound.

Like all small schools, there are limits to what Leaders can offer. All students study either Spanish or Japanese. The school offers elective classes that may vary by semester. Recent options included psychology, makerspace, theater, constitutional law, visual art, business and economics, school newspaper and sewing.

There are campus-wide Advanced Placement courses open to students attending all schools in the building. Some are taught by teachers from Leaders High School.

Leaders runs an intervention program to help struggling readers.

Culture & Environment:  Four days a week students meet with their “Crew” a small group that stays together and is led by the same teacher for all four years. Students from different backgrounds get to know each other through frank discussions and team-building exercises. Academic help, independent reading and college guidance also take place in Crew.

Guidance counselors focus their efforts on providing social, emotional and mental health support for students, while an assistant principal closely monitors academic progress to make sure students stay on track for graduation.

The school uses Restorative Justice, a program that addresses discipline through mechanisms such as peer mediation and conversation circles.

Special Education & English as a New Language (ENL): The school offers dedicated ENL classes for beginning speakers. ENL teachers also visit classes to provide extra support for students learning English. Roughly half of all classes are taught by two teachers, one certified in the subject taught and the other certified in special education. ENL and special education teachers work closely together to plan lessons.  

Building & Facilities: Leaders is one of five schools in the Lafayette Educational Campus. All schools share use of the building’s two gymnasiums, outdoor athletic fields and renovated auditorium. Students may participate in campus-wide sports teams.

College & Career: There is a fulltime college counselor who meets with each student and family multiple times before graduation. Students visit colleges and get support throughout the college admissions process in Crew. Eleventh-graders take a college essay writing class and explore career options through paid internships. (Laura Zingmond, web reports and interview, August)

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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?
 
93%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
90%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
94%
Average daily attendance
 
82%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
59%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
100%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
89%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

378
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
74%
Students with disabilities
 
19%
Multilingual learners
 
14%
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?
 
82%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
42%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
33%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
84%
6.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
129
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
87%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 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

 
23%

Computer Science

 
8%

Physics

 
9%

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2019-20

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
2%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
5%

Music

Not offered in 2019-20
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?
 
12%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
80%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
72%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
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

Leaders High School (L34A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Leaders High School is a NYC Outward Bound School implementing the EL Education model (see www.nycoutwardbound.org and eleducation.org). Leaders uses hands-on learning that has real-world application to ignite a joy for learning and discovery in our students. At our school, leadership, active citizenship, and character development go hand in hand with academic rigor and challenge.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Handball, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Table Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Cricket

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

2630 Benson Avenue
Brooklyn NY 11214

Trains: D Line to Bay 50th St; N Line to 86th St

Buses: B1, B3, B4, B6, B64, B82, B82-SBS, X28, X38


Contact

Principal: Thomas Mullen

Parent Coordinator: Urasia Oliver

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Lafayette Educational Campus with four other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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