Leading our students on an intellectual adventure
Ascend is a network of K-12 public charter schools serving 5,800 students in 15 schools across Brooklyn—New York’s most populous borough. Our undertaking is to lead our students on a great intellectual adventure, provide them with an exceptional college preparatory education, and place them firmly on the path to success in college and beyond.
Our health protocols for opening school
Our mission
Ascend’s mission is to develop a scalable solution to the underachievement of economically disadvantaged children—a network of urban, college-preparatory, K-12 charter schools, operating with widely available financial resources, and posting achievement levels equal or superior to schools educating students from middle-class families.
Ascend schools equip students with the knowledge, confidence, and character to succeed in college and beyond. By offering a rich liberal arts education in a supportive environment, we animate children’s natural sense of curiosity and prepare students to think on their own, thrive on their own, and engage the world as informed, responsible citizens.
Our history
Ascend opened its first school—Brooklyn Ascend Lower School—in 2008 to 210 students in kindergarten through second grade, and today educates 5,800 students in kindergarten through twelfth grade at 15 schools in Brooklyn. Ascend posted the highest proficiency gains in both English language arts and mathematics on the New York State Common Core exams among large New York City charter management organizations over the four year period from school year 2014-15 to 2018-19. In school year 2019-20, 96 percent of our high school senior class graduated on time, and 100 percent of our graduates were accepted to college.
Ascend school are located in the Central Brooklyn neighborhoods of Brownsville, Bushwick, Canarsie, Cypress Hills, East New York, East Flatbush, and Lefferts Gardens.
A new generation of public schools
Ascend Public Charter Schools offers a rich, varied, rigorous Common Core-aligned curriculum, in a warm, supportive, and joyful culture. All Ascend schools occupy inspiring, light-filled, privately-leased facilities that express our highest aspirations for our program and our students. Ascend schools are open to all students by lottery—with no admission criteria other than New York City residence—at no cost to families. As truly public schools, we fill every vacated seat through grade 9, proudly serve students with special needs and English language learners, never “counsel out” challenging students, and operate at district spending levels.
We backfill every vacant seat through grade 9,
and yet...
Proficiency growth for large CMOs, 2015-2019
Ascend posted the highest combined four-year gain in ELA and math proficiency of large charter networks in the city,
Our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
At Ascend, we recognize that within the education system as a whole and our own organization, many systems and structures, even when well-intentioned, serve to perpetuate white supremacist culture. We recognize our participation in oppressive systems and we fully commit to becoming a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist organization.
Our results
Ascend succeeds when our students discover a passion for learning and master essential knowledge and skills.
Strong academic gains
Our liberal arts curriculum, inquiry-based instructional practices, and supportive cultural model are driving striking gains in student achievement while promoting student independence and agency. Over the four-year period from school year 2014-15 to school year 2018-19, the percentage of Ascend’s students found proficient or advanced in English language arts rose from 25.3 to 60.5, and in math from 31.7 to 71.8, a gain of 35 percentage points in ELA and 40 percentage points in math. In school year 2018-19, more Ascend students scored a level 4 than level 3 network-wide in math—meaning they’re not just proficient, they’re experts.
A superior educational option
Ascend offers a superior educational option to our communities. In every comparison—regardless of school, grade, or subject—our students outperformed their district peers, in many cases by 40 percentage points or more in 2019. In both ELA and math, our students achieved levels of proficiency higher than their peers across both New York City and New York State enrolled in both district and charter schools. In a particularly meaningful achievement, proficiency among Ascend African American students was higher than white students statewide in both subjects, thereby reversing the achievement gap by race. For the second year in a row, Ascend’s economically disadvantaged students outperformed their non-economically disadvantaged peers statewide in math, reversing the achievement gap by income, and came within one percentage point of doing so in ELA.
Proficiency growth in ELA, 2015-2019
Proficiency growth in math, 2015-2019
High school achievement
School year 2019-20 our twelfth grade class—Brooklyn Ascend High School’s seniors—completed their Ascend education and graduated high school. Ninety-six percent of this first graduating class graduated on time, and 100 percent of graduates were accepted to four-year colleges.
Parent satisfaction
Ascend families appreciate the benefit of an Ascend education. In 2019, 96 percent of parents responding to a survey—including parents of children with special needs—expressed satisfaction with “The education my child has received this year,” and with “The overall quality of my child’s teacher this year.” Ninety-five and 91 percent, respectively, agree with the statements, “I feel respected by my child’s principal,” and “[the school] promotes family and community involvement in the school.”
Notes of appreciation
"I have grown tremendously as an Ascend teacher in the past five years. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in workshops, coaching meetings, and professional development sessions to hone my teaching practices. This has enabled me to create a joyous classroom environment."
Sara Tageldein
Lower school teacher
“My favorite class is math. I like to solve problems, and even though it’s challenging sometimes, math brings me the most happiness. I’m really excited about college. I want to get the most education so I can know as much as I can about the world and be ready for it.”
Avery
Middle school student
"Being at Ascend has made me a teacher who is willing to accept feedback and grow everyday. My mentor was instrumental in my growth. She provided me with feedback and always encouraged me to be better. I am forever grateful to be a part of the Ascend family."
Jeanna Buchanan
Middle school teacher
“When I applied to Ascend, a panel of students interviewed me. I thought that was so cool. I knew then that Ascend really encouraged kids to take ownership of their education. I teach Humanities English; we’re reading The Biography of Malcolm X now. And every Humanities class reads Shakespeare!”
Richard Tucker
Middle school principal
Schools at a glance
Lower schools
Brooklyn Ascend Lower 2008
Grades K — 4
89% free or reduced-priced lunch
97% students of color
CSD
18
723
Students
Brownsville Ascend Lower 2009
Grades K — 4
87% free or reduced-priced lunch
95% students of color
CSD
23
569
Students
Bushwick Ascend Lower 2010
Grades K — 4
87% free or reduced-priced lunch
92% students of color
CSD
32
554
Students
Canarsie Ascend Lower 2013
Grades K — 4
75% free or reduced-priced lunch
97% students of color
CSD
18
628
Students
Central Brooklyn Ascend Lower 2014
Grades K — 4
70% free or reduced-priced lunch
96% students of color
CSD
22
454
Students
Cypress Hills Ascend Lower 2018
Grades K — 4
74% free or reduced-priced lunch
90% students of color
CSD
19
279
Students
East Brooklyn Ascend Lower 2019
Grades K — 3
71% free or reduced-priced lunch
98% students of color
CSD
19
45
Students
East Flatbush Ascend Lower 2019
Grades K — 4
85% free or reduced-priced lunch
94% students of color
CSD
18
141
Students
Lefferts Gardens Ascend Lower 2019
Grades K — 4
93% free or reduced-priced lunch
97% students of color
CSD
17
117
Students
Middle schools
Brooklyn Ascend Middle 2011
Grades 5 — 8
78% free or reduced-priced lunch
98% students of color
CSD
17
478
Students
Brownsville Ascend Middle 2013
Grades 5 — 8
85% free or reduced-priced lunch
97% students of color
CSD
23
473
Students
Bushwick Ascend Middle 2015
Grades 5 — 8
83% free or reduced-priced lunch
94% students of color
CSD
32
331
Students
Canarsie Ascend Middle 2017
Grades 5 — 8
94% free or reduced-priced lunch
98% students of color
CSD
18
478
Students
Central Brooklyn Ascend Middle 2018
Grades 5 — 8
65% free or reduced-priced lunch
96% students of color
CSD
22
272
Students
High schools
Brooklyn Ascend High School 2015
Grades 9 — 12
75% free or reduced-priced lunch
98% students of color
CSD
23
422
Students
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