School and Academies Overview

The Christa McAuliffe School is a community school district public middle school that has continuously ranked as a top school in the State of New York since 2006. Christa McAuliffe students have, over the last 30 years, attended the top universities across the world and many have attributed their success in high school and beyond to the educational experiences they had as a student at our school.

Year over year, our student population averages approximately one thousand students, and each year students have demonstrated overall increases in achievement and progress. Even during the extreme inconsistencies caused by COVID-19, our 8th grade students demonstrated an increase in proficiency on the statewide English Language Arts exam, going from 94% proficiency pre-pandemic to 98.4%.

Currently, we are home to 990 scholars. 67.7% of our students are listed as free or discounted lunch recipients (these statistics can be confirmed at schooldigger.com). According to the data shared on data.nysed.gov, our students who have been classified as economically disadvantaged have demonstrated proficiency in both ELA and Math across grade levels. In 2021, 96% of 6th grade students who took the math state exam and were given economically disadvantaged status demonstrated proficiency.

ABL

Law is a social studies elective that encourages critical thinking, sharpens public speaking skills, and promotes civic participation. Aligned to the New York City Department of Education Civics for All curriculum, the law courses offered at the Christa McAuliffe School address the growing need for civics education in our nation's schools and provide students with unique opportunities to have their voices heard.

• The sixth grade law curriculum is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in civics, and encourage students to think critically about the rules that govern our society. Students examine our nation's founding documents and evaluate the efficacy and fairness of America's institutions. Students are also tasked with analyzing their own identities and exploring how their unconscious biases may affect the way they view the law.
• The seventh grade law curriculum focuses on the US legal system, ethics in criminal justice, and the role of the attorney in the courtroom. Students explore the philosophy behind US law and differentiate between civil and criminal courts. Students will use their knowledge of the court system and the procedures in the trial court to role play in a simulated trial.
• The eighth grade law curriculum is centered around debate and discussion of current events, conducting research, and re-evaluating the US Legal system. Students use their knowledge and skills developed in the first two years in the law program to defend their points of view, and give speeches on the issues most important to them. Following Civics For All's Project Soapbox initiative, students have the unique opportunity to test their public speaking skills in a city-wide competition. Students also use their persuasion skills to take part in Take Action!, a city-wide initiative in which student-activists work inside and outside of their school buildings to raise awareness about issues facing their communities.
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ASR

Introduction to Number Theory covers the foundational mathematics of computer science and cryptography, topics normally taught in high school and college. The course is ideal for students who have the ability to think algebraically, abstractly and make logical inferences. Working together, our 8th grade students discover mathematical theorems by making and verifying hypotheses about complex data patterns.

In Civil Engineering 8th grade students discuss and research different types of construction materials and methods, architectural designs and structures such as skyscrapers and bridges. The students will research the engineering of constructions of their choice by synthesizing multiple sources to develop their topic with relevant details, quotations, scientific procedures/experiments and technical processes. The students will integrate multimedia and visual displays into their work to clarify, strengthen evidence and add interest to their work.

Science Olympiad allows 7th grade students to work collaboratively to design investigations that solve real-world science problems. Using the Scientific Method, students will complete background research on key scientific principles and phenomena, identify key variables to test, analyze data, and then conduct iterative trials with scientific models that attempt to solve the core problem. . Groups of students will compare their work to discover and articulate why certain trials were more successful than others. Students will gain a better understanding of the Scientific Method and how it is used everyday to better our society

In Sports Medicine 6th grade students discuss human anatomy, physiology, injuries and conditions related to participation in sports. Topics include skeletal anatomy, major muscular anatomy, care/treatment/prevention of various injuries. Students are immersed in research projects, class discussion and application to real-world experiences. There is a great focus on increasing depth of knowledge and complexity of the topics to provide a challenging environment.

AAH

In Sound production 6th grade students discuss and learn about sound production careers. Topics include physics of sound, elements of sound design which is produced through the program Sountrap. Students will learn to record and alter voices, create sound effects, layer sounds, compose a song, create mood using sounds, and create a story using sounds and music.

In Digital Media Design 7th grade students discuss how to use drawing tools on a digital platform. Topics include digital elements, principles of art and design, create graphic designs, draw figures in various poses, create digital self portraits, create a sculpture of stop motion animation, and create a digital storyboard.

In Stagecraft 8th grade students discuss hands-on theater and film class. Students will program and manage lights and sound. Students will design and create costumes and sets for the after school shows. Students will be introduced to programs such as ETCNomad and Lighting Visualizer and QLab.