ROSALYN YALOW CHARTER SCHOOL: Eliminating the Learning Achievement Gap

The Rosalyn Yalow Charter School will eliminate the learning achievement gap for economically disadvantaged urban children—including special needs students and English language learners—by using an engaging and demanding curriculum to graduate our students at or above grade level in literacy and math. Yalow’s goal is to develop the whole child and encourage each young student to excel.

NYS Achievement Recognition Award

On April 23, 2020, New York State Interim Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe identified the Rosalyn Yalow Charter School as one of 582 high-achieving schools from across New York State as Recognition Schools. Rosalyn Yalow is now ranked among the top 13% of the 4,782 public and charter schools in the State.

As the New York State Education Department noted, “Recognition schools are those with high academic achievement and strong progress, that also perform acceptably for all subgroups for which they are accountable... Recognition schools like Rosalyn Yalow Charter School represent the very best in public education and are a testament to the hard work and dedication of your students, staff, and community.”

Our Students

Yalow’s diverse population comes from all over the Bronx, with some students traveling almost nine miles each way to get to the school. They come from the far north, far east, far south, and a concentration around the school area—forming a triangle from the school northwest to Coop City and then south to Hunts Point. All this, and we maintain a 94.3% attendance rate. That rate demonstrates motivated students and loyal parents. Yalow is committed to providing a quality educational experience, one that will inspire our students to reach their goals.

We currently have 95 students (18.1%) with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). We also provide speech, counseling, and physical therapy services to our students. We have 69 students (13.2%) who live in non-traditional housing, such as shelters or shared apartments, and 95.2% of our students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunches. 35.9% are English Language Learners. Our diverse student makeup includes 57.7% Hispanic and 39.6% African or African American. 46% of our students come from households that speak languages other than English at home. All these cultures give our students and staff a wonderful opportunity to learn from one another. (Statistics as of 2021)

Our Curriculum

Yalow Charter School is committed to aligning its curriculum to New York Common Core state standards and will use the Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) program, approved by the State Education Department, for K-3, the Core Knowledge Sequence for 4th and 5th grades, and the Singapore math program for K-5. Singapore math balances computational fluency with conceptual understanding so children can master concepts, and it was designed with English Language Lerner students in mind. This math is in use at premier elementary schools in NYS, such as Hunter College Elementary and Scarsdale schools.

Yalow’s partners include the Bronx Arts Ensemble (BAE) and the Kasparov Chess Foundation (KCF). Yalow will use elements of the BAE arts and music programs already present in 80 Bronx public schools. Our chess coaches teach chess 4 times a week, to all students. Our k–5 chess team has outperformed students from the best public and private schools in the city and state, winning the 2018 NYS Scholastic Chess Championship. Yalow has a 5-day fencing program initially created with the assistance of Columbia University’s coach, taught by internationally accomplished coaches. The arts, chess, and fencing programs will be fully integrated with academics during the school day, enriching the lives of our students and teaching them the disciplined commitment and verve required to succeed in life.

What makes us unique

We believe all children will learn and thrive in an environment that provides a wide array of learning support to both children and their families. We intend to give our K-5 children a strong foundation in literacy, which is essential to scholastic success in higher grades. Our key design elements include a 9-hour school day, 8 a.m.5 p.m., a high-quality curriculum, teaching teams, differentiated instruction, help for at-risk children, and parent involvement. K-1 class schedules include two blocks of nap/play/snack time to keep young children alert.

Our team teaching model links a NYS certified, experienced lead teacher with a licensed social worker in grades K-2 and a second teacher in later grades. Social workers, identify social/emotional issues and help students having trouble in small groups in class and in special sessions if need be. This guidance will follow data-driven assessment using the NWEA and STEP Literacy assessments. We also have a Response to Intervention team, with focused special education and English language-learning teachers working student caseloads.

Rosalyn Yalow is part of the Montefiore School Health Program, offering mental health counseling on-site to students, and will expand to offer free medical, dental, and vision care at no cost to families if they have no insurance.

Our Family Support program helps children develop better social skills and relationships through play, self-expression projects, and behavior modification. Parents learn to manage their stress and develop kind but firm strategies to work with their children while still fostering a strong family bond.

Visit yalowcharter.org for more information or call (347) 735-5480.