KEY INSIGHTS g Strong, supported leadership was a consistent ingredient in schools making progress. Across charter and district settings, improvements in school culture, instructional coherence, and student engagement often coincided with well-supported principals and community school directors. In the Next Generation Community Schools pilot, joint leadership institutes and embedded coaching helped school leaders and community-based organization partners align around shared goals — laying the groundwork for stronger academic and attendance out- comes. At Ascend, a new K-1 charter in East New York, leaders designed a school model grounded in culturally responsive curriculum and responsive classroom practices. In just its first year, over 80% of families said they would recommend the school, and 89% of teachers said they felt valued and heard. Ascend also prioritized building strong instructional culture early: 95% of classrooms were rated proficient or better on internal observations — a foundation for long- term success. g Focusing on equity strengthens school design. Some of the most promising HQSF investments were intentionally designed with, and for, students historically underserved by the school system, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and those experiencing housing instability. When schools prioritized the needs of these students from the outset, they often built stronger family partnerships, more responsive supports, and a clearer sense of purpose. At Family Life Academy Charter Schools (FLACS), where 43% of students are multilingual learners — well above the citywide average (16.3%) — the network built a bilingual college counseling team, expanded access to early college coursework, and embedded targeted academic supports across its new high school. These design decisions gave students and families more personalized pathways to rigorous postsecondary opportunities while reinforcing a school culture that values inclusion and ambition. Across the HQSF portfolio, evaluation reports, student outcome data, and partner feedback surfaced three cross-cutting lessons that will continue to shape Robin Hood’s broader education strategy:
g Academic capacity support is essential to student success . HQSF investments consistently showed that strong instruction doesn’t happen by chance — it requires deliberate strategies and tailored technical assistance. Schools that made the most progress had a clear, evidence-based curriculum; regular use of formative assessments; professional development aligned with instructional priorities; and family engagement grounded in academics. For example, Zeta built teacher capacity around special education through targeted professional learning, leading to notable gains for students with IEPs. In community schools, High 5s math enrichment clubs and Relay-led leadership coaching equipped educators to better use data, align instruction, and support students. The takeaway: Innovation without infrastructure didn’t stick — lasting improvement required both.
22 ROBIN HOOD HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOLS FUND REPORT
ROBIN HOOD HIGH-QUALITY SCHOOLS FUND REPORT 23
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