Overview
- Advocates for Children released a two-year analysis of Passages Academy on Nov. 17 that draws on city data and client testimony as the City Council held an oversight hearing.
- Passages serves a student population that is more than 60% Black, over 90% male, largely low income, and has a far higher rate of disabilities, especially emotional disabilities.
- Students enter Passages academically far behind, scoring around the 10th to 18th percentile in reading and similarly low in math across the past two school years.
- Nearly 17% of eligible students did not receive required special education plans within 30 days, roughly a quarter of English learners received no ENL instruction, and the DOE omitted data on service delivery and attendance required by law.
- The report cites instructional disruptions from overcrowding and details poor post-release outcomes, while the DOE acknowledged gaps and said it will start afterschool and Saturday programs with speech therapy and small-group reading at two sites next month.