When Personalized Learning Also Boosts Special Education Students
March 20, 2019
By: Tara Garcia Mathewson
Source: The Hechinger Report
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The longer students attend Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School, the better they do.
Many enter in sixth grade performing years behind grade level. By the end of middle school, though, they’re doing better than their peers in District 13. And that’s despite the fact that nearly 30 percent of Brooklyn Lab’s students have disabilities that qualify them for special education services – double the portion of students in District 13 who do.
Brooklyn Lab, which opened in 2014 and serves students in sixth through 10th grade on its way to expanding into a full high school, stands out in a charter sector that has been criticized for pushing out students with complex learning needs. These students may need more time and help from teachers, and they may not test well, thus bringing down a school’s overall performance, which can threaten a school’s reputation and even charter renewal.