Pre-School (Private)   Pre-School (Public)   Elementary (Private)   Elementary (Public)   Middle Schools (Private)   Middle Schools (Public)   High Schools (Private)   High Schools (Public)   Colleges   Trade Schools

Profile of
M.S./H.S. 141 David A. Stein
Riverdale/Kingsbridge Academy

Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy is truly a community school. For many years, students who attended the middle school would have to commute to large high schools far from their homes, but in response to community demand, MS 141 added a high school in 1999 so that 8th graders would have a high-quality neighborhood choice. The school is headed by a cohesive team of administrators who aim to meet the needs of the students and the community. "Everyone who looks at RKA sees it as a neighborhood school," said Principal Danielle Phillips, pointing out that the school provides services for families, and students volunteer in the area's numerous senior centers and tutor at feeder schools.

The community gives back to RKA, with a local newspaper printing the student paper for free and the local assemblyman allocating funds to the school. The school is also in its fourth decade of a partnership with the Riverdale Community Center, which runs adult and youth education programs, a daily after-school program for middle school students, a teen center on weekend evenings, and a family literacy program for English language learners on Saturday mornings.

The middle school is bright, cheery, and racially diverse. Writing is emphasized in every subject, and we saw interesting writing projects, such as creative book reports and brochures advertising the functions of cells. Almost 90 % of 6th grade students score at or above grade level in reading, and about two thirds score at or above grade level in math. These figures fall as students move toward high school and the best students leave for selective schools such as Bronx High School of Science.

The school boasts a remarkable record of getting middle school students into specialized high schools. In 2006, 35 students --who made up 42 percent of the middle school honors program -- were accepted into specialized high schools, which Phillips calls "a mixed blessing" because it shows that the school is successful but also deprives the high school of some of RKA's best middle school students. Phillips said she is seeing more students choose to stay at RKA, a fact that she attributes to students' desire to be "big fish" in a smaller pond. Still, most students we spoke to who had been admitted to specialized high schools said they would be attending, including a couple who said their parents were making them despite their own wishes.

Perhaps as a result of many of the school's strongest students leaving after 8th grade, in the high school, the level of rigor seemed to drop off just a little bit, something Phillips said she is trying to improve. There are honors classes in every subject, and the school recently received a grant to expand its Advanced Placement program. Phillips also wants to see teachers in each grade planning together, something that has worked well in the sixth grade.

Almost every student in the school's first graduating class enrolled in college, with about two thirds at four-year colleges, but Phillips said one goal is to improve the caliber of universities that RKA graduates attend. The school held a college fair that other students in the area are invited to attend, and it recently began inviting 11th-grade families for individual college counseling appointments during a school break.

In 2002, the school added a new wing, which houses the library and high school. The sunny library is open to students during lunch and after school until 5:30 p.m. The dynamic librarian runs several popular book groups, including one in which students and parents read together and another where high school students determine whether new books are suitable for middle school readers. The videoconferencing capability of the library also allows students to communicate with children in other schools, as they have in a regional poetry slam.

The arts are strong. The school has spring and winter arts festivals. Sixth graders are required to sample all of the arts offerings -- including music, dance, drama and visual arts. High school students come to school early to participate in a band and chorus. The school recently received $50,000 to turn one classroom into a fully equipped dance studio.