Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Alternative Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Micro school leaders report sharp declines in suspensions and big gains on exams
Summary
At the board meeting, At Promise micro school staff reported that a 21-student cohort posted large reductions in suspensions and improved course and Regents pass rates after targeted supports and visiting-teacher partnerships.
At a March board meeting, presenters for the district’s At Promise micro school reported notable disciplinary and academic improvements after a year of targeted supports. Program leaders said the micro school enrolled 21 students this year and documented a marked fall in disciplinary incidents: for the current reporting period they described an 85% decrease in out-of-school suspensions (OSS) and a 100% decrease in in-school suspensions (ISS) compared with the prior full year for that cohort.
Administrators described changes in instructional delivery that helped raise course pass rates. They said students in traditional settings were enrolled in 125 quarter‑1 courses and passed 35 (a 28% pass rate), while the same students in the micro school were enrolled in 154 quarter‑1 courses and passed 142 (a 92% pass rate). For the second quarter the micro school reported a similar pattern: district-enrolled classmates passed 51 of 148 courses (34%), while micro school students passed 163 courses for a 94% pass rate.
Presenters also reported progress on Regents and state reading exams. Thirteen scholars took 23 New York State reading exams in June 2025 and passed eight (35%); the same 13 students later took 21 Regents exams in January 2026 and passed 14 (67%), an increase the program described as evidence that students are learning in the micro‑school environment.
Program staff outlined staffing that combines a small full‑time team with visiting teachers for specialized subjects (Spanish, family consumer sciences, civic readiness, math) and named several support staff roles—guidance and social work—credited with daily interventions. They said visiting teachers and a focus on individualized relationships helped students engage with testing; presenters gave several anecdotal examples of students passing exams after repeated attempts.
Student testimonials underscored the staff’s point: several students said the micro school is less overstimulating, provides more interactive instruction, and includes emotional supports that helped them attend and complete work. Presenters said all nine seniors in the cohort are on track to graduate in June or August and that some plan to attend SUNY Orange or trade school.
District officials said the micro school recruited students from several prior programs (Reconnect Learning and the student support center) and emphasized the program’s role in credit accumulation, attendance stabilization, and social‑emotional support. The board praised the staff and the presentation closed with an offer to share video testimonials and follow up slides for trustees who requested them. The board did not take a formal vote tied specifically to micro school operations during this meeting.
