Children’s Aid College Prep Charter School Featured in Education Week
Last summer, Children’s Aid opened its first charter school, Children’s Aid College Prep, to provide a high-quality education to young children in the Bronx. The school serves over 130 kindergarten and first-grade students and prioritizes students who are English language learners, at-risk of academic failure and/or currently involved in the child welfare system. The school’s mission is to ensure that children achieve academic success by providing them with the best instructional practices, advancing their physical, emotional, and social needs, fostering a sense of pride and hope, and serving as a safe and engaging community hub.
Chlidren’s Aid College Prep implements a community school model proven effective in improving academic performance, increasing attendance and retention, building confidence and self-esteem, and addressing a need for health services among poor children. Community schools differ from other schools because they provide comprehensive services for children, including medical, dental, and mental health services, after-school programming, summer camps and family support services. Children’s Aid College Prep incorporates community school best practices with a newly designed, rigorous instructional program that puts students on a college-bound path early.
A January 2013 article in Education Week describes the school’s approach, in a story focused on how educators are taking a comprehensive approach to learning by addressing the social-emotional needs of students.