Throughout the past year, Bank Street College of Education, in partnership with the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab, has participated in New York City Public Schools’ Next Generation Community Schools (NGCS) pilot program to help strengthen teaching and learning in 20 K-5 and K-8 community schools across New York City.
The initiative is supported through a three-year $5.5 million grant from the Robin Hood Foundation and aims to implement high-quality, rigorous academic experiences into the community school model. The program enriches teaching and learning practices by incorporating academic programming and instructional leadership coaching facilitated by Community-Based Organizations (CBOs).
As part of this work, Bank Street and the University of Michigan Youth Policy Lab are leading professional development and coaching focused on mathematics education that builds the capacity of schools’ CBOs to provide expanded learning time while utilizing the game-based supplemental small-group math club program, High 5s.
“We are excited to support the Next Generation Community Schools’ commitment to strengthening learning inside and outside of the classroom with a focus on the whole child, families, and community,” said Tracy Fray-Oliver, Vice President, Bank Street Education Center. “In collaboration with the University of Michigan, we are proud to work with these 20 schools and their CBO partners to provide high-quality, developmentally appropriate math learning experiences in the early grades across their schools.”
The High 5s program was developed at the University of Michigan with input from MDRC and the developers of the Building Blocks (Clements & Sarama, 2013) pre-K math curriculum. The program prioritizes joyful math experiences for children that build enthusiasm for learning and discovery while nurturing a strong foundational understanding of mathematical principles. High 5s pairs four to five children with one facilitator for math clubs, which meet three times a week for 30 minutes each and offer engaging math enrichment in a setting outside of regular classroom instruction.
“Robin Hood partners with high-impact community organizations and government on evidence-based interventions to improve academic outcomes. Our collaboration with Bank Street College of Education and New York City Public Schools on Next Generation Community Schools is a strong example of this approach given the strong research base behind Community Schools and the High 5s program,” said Christopher Caruso, Managing Director of School-Age Children, Robin Hood. “We’re thrilled to work with these great partners to create higher quality learning experiences for students across these new community schools.”
Launched in January 2023, the program will continue through June 30, 2025.