Giving Compass' Take:

• The NYC renewal turnaround program that intended to improve struggling schools will most likely terminate, leaving parents and educators with questions about the next steps. 

• What exit strategy will be more effective? Fixing the problems with renewal schools in the program or closing them all together?

• Read more about the research of the failing renewal schools in New York City. 


New York City is poised to end its $750 million Renewal Schools program, which city officials knew within a year of its launch in 2014 was unlikely to produce the promised “fast and intense” improvements in academic achievement in many of the city’s lowest-performing schools, according to the New York Times.

The education department would not confirm the program is winding down and did not respond to repeated requests for comment. But in his weekly appearance on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer show, de Blasio did not deny the program is ending, and even suggested it is reaching its “natural conclusion.”

However, he bristled at the characterization that the program — which was meant to improve long-struggling schools by giving them extra social services and academic support, including on-site health clinics, coaches for teachers and extended school days — was deeply flawed.

This left educators, parents and students guessing on Friday about what’s next for the 50 schools that are still a part of Renewal, which has been one of the mayor’s signature education initiatives.

One education department administrator, who works with multiple Renewal schools and spoke on condition of anonymity, said it is not yet clear, if the program ends, what the city’s exit strategy would be and whether the schools will continue receiving additional supports and resources.

Two independent analyses conducted by outside researchers, including the one by Pallas, have found the program has had a limited impact on academic performance.

Whether de Blasio will face pressure to come up with a new strategy for intervening in the city’s lowest-performing schools — and what that might be — is unclear. Research does not point to any single approach for turning around low-performing schools.

Read the full article about NYC's renewal turnaround program for schools by Alex Zimmerman at Chalkbeat