FACT SHEET:

Performance Conservatory High School (12X262)

December 2010

Fact Sheet: Proposed Phase-out and Replacement Scenario for

Performance Conservatory High School
Overview
 Based on an extensive review of data and community feedback, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) has
determined that Performance Conservatory High School (Performance Conservatory) is unable to turn around and cannot
provide a high-quality education to its students. The DOE is proposing that Performance Conservatory be phased out.
 Proposing to phase out a school is the most difficult decision we make. We are proposing this action because we think it’s
the right thing for current and future students in this community.
 The phase-out process would be gradual and happen over the next several years. Performance Conservatory would complete
phasing out in June 2014.
 The replacement process would also be gradual. A new high school would be proposed to open in the building where
Performance Conservatory is located and would begin enrolling ninth grade students. The new school would gradually grow as
Performance Conservatory’s enrollment decreases.
 We hope you share our view that we can—and must—do better for students. The DOE will continue to work closely with
Performance Conservatory staff and families to ensure that all students receive the support they need to succeed in school.

Summary
 Last year, the four-year graduation1rate (including August graduates) at Performance Conservatory was 49%, well
below the citywide average of 63%.
 Last year, Performance Conservatory earned an overall F grade on its Progress Report, with F grades on the Student
Performance, Student Progress, and School Environment sub-sections. The Progress Report results for Performance
Conservatory put the school in the bottom 1% of all high schools that received a 2009-2010 Progress Report.
 Performance Conservatory staff and families have worked hard to improve the school. The DOE also offered considerable
support to Performance Conservatory, including extensive training for school leadership and teachers and working with the
school’s administration to use school funds most effectively. Unfortunately, these efforts have not turned the school around.

What would the proposal mean for current students?

If this proposal is approved, Performance Conservatory would be phased out gradually over the next several years. Below are
enrollment plans for current Performance Conservatory students, if the school is phased out.

 Current first-time ninth grade students would have the option of completing high school at Performance Conservatory or
may participate in the High School Admissions Process and apply to attend a different school as a 10th grader in September
2011.
 Current repeat ninth grade students will complete high school at Performance Conservatory if they earn credits on schedule.
As the school would become smaller, students would receive more individualized attention through graduation to ensure they
are receiving the support they need to succeed. Students are also encouraged to meet with their guidance counselor to review
their progress toward graduation and discuss their options, which may include applying to a transfer school.
 Current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are on track to graduate will complete high school at Performance
Conservatory if they continue to earn credits on schedule. As the school would become smaller, students would receive more
individualized attention through graduation to ensure they are receiving the support they need to succeed. Students are also
encouraged to meet with their guidance counselor to discuss all of their options.

1
The graduation rate cited here represents the City’s calculation of the four-year graduation rate on the school’s 2009-2010 Progress Reports. It
is similar to the State method, and typically there is only modest deviation between our calculation and the State rate. Citywide four-year
graduation rates for the Class of 2010 are still being audited by the New York State Education Department and will not likely be available until
Spring 2011. The most recent available four-year graduation rate (including August graduates) for New York City was 63% for the Class of 2009
and the citywide Regents graduation rate for the same year was 46%.
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION • 52 CHAMBERS STREET • NEW YORK, NY 10007 •
WWW.NYC.GOV/SCHOOLS
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 2

 Current 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students who are not on track to graduate should meet with their guidance counselor to
discuss options. Students could complete high school at Performance Conservatory or consider applying to a transfer high
school.

If Performance Conservatory is phased out, the school would no longer admit new ninth grade students after the end of this school
year. Performance Conservatory would continue to serve students currently enrolled in the school until the school completes
phasing out in June 2014.

Background
Performance Conservatory Has Struggled for Years
 Last year, Performance Conservatory’s four-year graduation rate (including August graduates) was 49%, well below
the citywide average of 63%. Performance Conservatory’s graduation rate ranks in the bottom 7% of high schools citywide
and in the bottom 10% of high schools in the Bronx. This is a decline from the prior year when Performance Conservatory had a
four-year graduation rate of 56%, which placed the school in the bottom 20% of high schools citywide and in the bottom 25% of
high schools in the Bronx.
 If Regents diplomas alone counted toward graduation—as will be the case next year—the 2009-2010 four-year
graduation rate at Performance Conservatory would drop to 17%, well below the citywide average of 46%.
 Performance Conservatory earned an overall F grade on its Progress Report last year, with F grades on the Student Performance,
Student Progress, and School Environment sub-sections. Performance Conservatory’s Progress Report score ranks in the
bottom 1% of high schools receiving a 2009-2010 Progress Report. Performance Conservatory earned an overall C grade on
its 2008-2009 Progress Report, with a D on Student Performance, a C on Student Progress, and a C on School Environment.
 Last year, only 51% of first-year students at Performance Conservatory earned at least 10 credits. Performance Conservatory
ranks in the bottom 3% of high schools citywide and in the bottom 4% of high schools in the Bronx in credit accumulation. That
same year, an even smaller percentage of students in their second and third years accumulated 10 credits. Earning at least 10
credits is a key predictor of future student success because students who fall behind often have trouble getting back on track to
graduate.
 The school’s attendance rate continues to be extremely low. Last year, the attendance rate was 76%, ten points below the
citywide average of 86% for high schools. In fact, this attendance rate is among the very lowest for any high school in
New York City, placing Performance Conservatory in the bottom 5%. In 2008-2009, the attendance rate was 80%, placing
the school in the bottom 15% citywide.
 Performance Conservatory was rated “Proficient” on its most recent Quality Review in 2008-2009. During Quality Reviews,
experienced educators spend several days visiting a school, observing classrooms, and talking to staff, students, and parents.
Schools are rated on a four-point scale, with “Well Developed” as the highest rating. “Proficient” is equivalent to a score of
three out of four.
 Safety issues have been a concern at Performance Conservatory in recent years. On the 2009-2010 NYC School Survey, 20%
of students reported feeling unsafe in the hallways, bathrooms, and locker rooms. That same year, 20% of parents
expressed concerns about their children’s safety. In addition, 83% of teachers reported that discipline and order were not
maintained at the school.

Demand for the School is Low and Declining, Suggesting that Families Are Seeking Better Options2
Demand for Performance Conservatory has fallen in recent years. Performance Conservatory has one limited unscreened program
to which students may apply through the High School Admissions Process. For September 2008 enrollment, Performance
Conservatory received 8.7 applications per seat. This number dropped to 7.6 applications per seat during the following year. Then,
for September 2010 enrollment, Performance Conservatory received 3.3 applications per seat.

Despite Our Best Efforts, Performance at Performance Conservatory Remains Low

We recognize that Performance Conservatory staff members have worked hard to improve the school, but the school has not
turned around. Over the previous years, the DOE has offered numerous supports to Performance Conservatory including:

2
Audited enrollment data are not yet available for the current school year. Enrollment data are from the 2009-2010 school year, audited as of
October 31, 2009. Demand data reflect high school admissions applications submitted in early December 2009 for students beginning high
school in September 2010.
NYC DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 3

Leadership Support:
 Helping the principal develop the school’s Comprehensive Education Plan and set school goals.
 Connecting administrators with other schools to learn effective practices that could be replicated at Performance.
Instructional Support:
 Training and on-site support for teacher teams to foster collaboration, explore effective teaching practices, and use data analyses
to improve instruction for targeted student populations such as English language learners, special education students, and
students performing below grade level.
 Offering training for staff on individualizing instruction, using data to make instructional decisions, new state standards, and
curriculum development.

Operational Support:
 Guiding the school in working with other schools on campus to ensure efficient and coordinated use of facilities and shared
spaces.
 Providing one-on-one support to principal and school staff on budgeting, human resources, recruiting and retaining talented
teachers, and compliance issues.

Student Support:
 Training for guidance counselors on how to use scholarship reports and graduation tracking systems
 Helping the school identify strategies to improve student attendance and reduce.
We Know That We Can Do Better
Like most New York City public schools, Performance Conservatory serves a high-need population: 23% of students require
special education services and 9% are English language learners. But other schools serving similar students have achieved far
better results.

 At Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies, a Bronx school, 25% of students require special education services and 19% of
students are English language learners. That school achieved a 67% four-year graduation rate in 2009-2010, with 35% of
students earning Regents diplomas.
 At High School for Violin and Dance, a Bronx school, 24% of students require special education services and 9% of students
are English language learners. That school achieved a 83% four-year graduation rate in 2009-2010, with 70% of students
earning Regents diplomas.
 While all students are still not where we’d like them to be, these schools are getting better results while serving a similar mix of
students to Performance Conservatory.

Community Feedback
On November 23, 2010, High School Superintendent Geraldine Taylor-Brown held meetings with the School Leadership Team
and parents at the school to discuss what is working at Performance Conservatory, what isn’t working, and how to work together
to better serve students. Approximately 10 parents attended. They had positive feedback about the school’s new leadership and
said that communication between the school and families has improved as a result. However, we do not believe these
improvements are enough to move Performance Conservatory in the right direction.

Supporting Current and Future Students

We Remain Focused on Helping Performance Conservatory Students to Succeed
During the proposed phase out, the DOE will build on our past efforts to help the school by:
 Providing teacher training around issues including curriculum planning, improving teaching practices, and tailoring instruction
to individual student needs.
 Fostering opportunities for teachers and administrators to connect with colleagues in other more successful schools, allowing
them to learn from one another, improve teaching, and better support students.
 Facilitating partnerships with community-based organizations to support youth development initiatives at the school.
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Plans for New Schools for the Performance Conservatory Community

As we work together to create better options for the Performance Conservatory community, we will keep in mind what had worked
at Performance Conservatory and do our best to incorporate those positive elements into replacement plans. For example:
 We will work with the community to retain partnerships with community based organizations that are offering valuable services
to the school community; and
 We will consider what elements of the school structure are working and do our best to include those features in a replacement
school, if Performance Conservatory is phased out.

What You Can Expect

Within the next two weeks, you will receive a letter notifying you that the formal proposal to phase out Performance Conservatory
has been published and that a joint public hearing to be held at the school has been scheduled. Replacement plans will be published
in a separate proposal. The joint public hearing will be held in January 2011 by the DOE, District 12 Community Education
Council and the Performance Conservatory’s School Leadership Team, among others. The Citywide Council for High Schools will
be invited to participate in the joint public hearing. During this hearing, community members, including parents and students, will
be able to share their thoughts on the phase out proposal.

The proposal to phase out Performance Conservatory will be voted on by the Panel for Educational Policy (PEP), which is
composed of members appointed by Mayor Bloomberg and the five Borough Presidents, during a public meeting scheduled for the
first week of February 2011. During this meeting, the public will have another opportunity to comment on the proposal. If the PEP
approves the proposal, Performance Conservatory will not accept new 9th grade students next school year.

Sharing Your Concerns and Questions

The DOE is seeking your feedback on the proposal. We will record your comments and include them in our analysis of public
feedback, which is presented to the PEP prior to their vote on the proposal. Please submit any comments you have at:

Phone: 212-374-3466
E-mail: HS.Proposals@schools.nyc.gov

We also encourage you to visit the Website created to serve Performance Conservatory at
http://schools.nyc.gov/community/planning/changes/bronx/performance. We will update that Website regularly with important
dates, answers to frequently asked questions, and new information as it becomes available.