2024 ANNUAL REPORT
WINDOWS
PROSPECT
Letter from our CEO
A window serves many purposes.
It can be flung wide open to bring in light and fresh air. It can frame a scene where colors change depending on the time of day. Above all, it gives us a way to pause and really look at things we might otherwise skip over.
The stories, videos, data points and photos in this year’s annual report are glimpses through a window into the moments — small and large — that make up the Prospect Schools community. Through these panes, we show what’s possible in a truly intentionally diverse learning environment.
The sun illuminates this year’s bright spots.
- We opened our newest middle school.
- We joyfully celebrated 15 years of operation.
- Hundreds of new students joined our classrooms.
- 3rd graders achieved 96% math proficiency.
- More seniors than ever before earned an International Baccalaureate diploma.
- We doubled down on leadership development and significantly diversified our teams at all levels.
- Within a single year, we increased staff retention by 10%.
From our students and educators, to our families, Board members and foundation partners, I’m proud of and grateful for the people working to achieve our mission day in and day out. Take a look through the windows below and you’ll be inspired and energized by the people who make our community so vibrant to behold.
Warmly,
Tresha Ward
CEO, Prospect Schools
BY THE NUMBERS
Our Students
Our Staff
At Prospect Schools our instructional and non-instructional staff both reflect the racial/ethnic diversity of our student body.
Prospect Schools increased staff retention from School Year 2023-2024 to School Year 2024-2025 by
Our Network
Today's
Achievements
Celebrating our
academic growth
In grades 3-8, Prospect Schools students outperformed their peers in NYC public schools, performing 28 percentage points higher in English Language Arts and 25 percentage points higher in Math.
Prospect Schools
Student Proficiency
2023-2024
On English Language Arts
New York State Exams
2023-2024
On Math
New York State Exams
Closing the Racial Achievement Gap
Increase in percent of 5th grade Black/Latinx students who scored proficient in English Language Arts from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 school year
Increase in percent of 3rd grade Black/Latinx students who scored proficient in Math from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 school year
Increase in percent of 5th grade Black/Latinx students who scored proficient in Math from 2022-2023 to 2023-2024 school year
Academic
SHOUT OUTS
Downtown Elementary School
96% of Downtown Elementary School 3rd graders scored proficient in Math on New York State exams.
Downtown
Middle School
87% of Downtown Middle School 7th graders scored proficient in Math on New York State exams.
Sunset Yards
Middle School
92% of Sunset Yards Middle School 5th graders scored proficient in Math on New York State exams.
Graduate
GAINS
We are proud of the gains our graduates make each year, and this past year was full of new milestones and achievements.
of graduates were accepted to college
of graduates were accepted to 4-year colleges
Year-over-year
College Matriculation Success
The number of seniors matriculating to a competitive or highly competitive college increased year-over-year, from 80% in 2022-2023 to 84% in 2023-2024.
Year-over-year increase of seniors who qualify as socioeconomically disadvantaged matriculating to a competitive or highly competitive college
Year-over-year increase of Black/Latinx seniors matriculating to a competitive or highly competitive college
How Our Graduates Compare
Percent of Prospect Schools Class of '24 who enrolled in a 2- or 4-year college or university
Percent of New York City Department of Education schools Class of '22 enrolled in a 2- or 4-year college or university
2022 is the latest data published by DOE. Source: NYC DOE College Readiness Report.
Colleges & Universities
Our High School Graduates are Attending
Investing In Our
People & Programs
We believe every child, regardless of background, can succeed academically and socially, with faculty-student interaction being as vital as the curriculum. This year, grounded in an emphasis on school culture, we are continuing to invest in the leadership capacity of all our educators and leaders.
The Summer Leadership Institute (SLI) was created to deepen our investment in leadership development. Seventy-five school and network leaders participated in a 5-day workshop focused on this year’s priority, “Culture is Everything.” Through case studies and role plays, leaders honed their adaptive and technical leadership skills, with sessions emphasizing people leadership, influential leadership, and personal growth. Another key goal was to strengthen relationships and foster cross-collaboration within our leadership cohort, building a stronger, more connected community of leaders.
This video highlights many of the moments made possible from the investments we are making in our people and our programs.
From faculty surveys, we see increasing job satisfaction rates — 83% of our faculty agree or strongly agree that the mission of Prospect Schools makes them feel that their job is important. Fulfilled, supported, and encouraged adults create positive learning environments and improved outcomes for kids.
Kecia Clark
Chief Academic and Schools Officer
International Baccalaureate (IB)
FOR ALL
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma program teaches students how to think critically about the world. It opens windows for them to develop nuanced perspectives on current and historic events, solve problems creatively, and make interdisciplinary connections.
We’re one of the only unscreened schools in New York City to offer this prestigious program to every student.
Increasing readiness for the IB Diploma program relies on the careful planning and groundwork laid by our educators.
Teaching Highlight
10th grade Humanities teacher Jen Chapin weaves essential skills her students will need to succeed in the IB Diploma program into her course curriculum, such as extensive writing practice, opportunities to sharpen analytical skills, build a critical mindset, and learning how to use source materials. Chapin also helps students with time management by guiding them through their personal project, an extracurricular assignment undertaken by all 10th graders throughout the year. Each student chooses something that interests them — it could be art, entrepreneurship, a sport, or a school subject — and conducts independent research and records journal entries before presenting their findings at an end-of-year exposition.
SHOUT OUT
3x
In 2024, the number of Black/Latinx students attempting the Diploma Program grew 3x from the previous school year
A World of Opportunity
The IB Diploma Program is a globally recognized, rigorous two-year curriculum that prepares students for success in university and beyond. At Brooklyn Prospect High School, we're proud to offer all students this challenging and rewarding program.
Expanding Our
Alumni Support
Last year we rolled out the Alumni Success Program, providing direct college and career resources for alumni by supporting them through their postsecondary journey, with exciting results. This year, we are continuing existing offerings while opening the window to new ways for assisting our graduates.
Alumni Success Partnerships
KIPP Forward
76 Prospect alumni are enrolled in our KIPP Forward partnership, where they receive direct college counseling and Career and Technical Education (CTE) support. Alumni from our college track program have been paired with College Success Advisors who offer guidance for academic planning, financial aid and socio-emotional health.
BravenX
We are launching a new pilot partnership with BravenX this year to support Prospect alumni as they turn their focus from college to the working world. BravenX offers participants a 14-week course with career mapping, resume writing and mock interviews to help secure internships and land their first job.
“The KIPP Forward program has been highly beneficial by offering diverse job options, tailored program variations to fit my career goals and personalized resume assistance to enhance my professional opportunities. Its comprehensive support ensures I’m well-prepared to succeed in the workforce.”
Alex White, High School graduating class of ‘24 and CTE Program participant
Looking ahead, we are organizing our first ever Career Development event for alumni in the Spring.
Check out our latest
Alumni Stories
Maria Herrera
Bard University
The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Maria Herrera grew up in Brooklyn. When she started school, Spanish was the only language she knew. With the care and attention of a particular teacher, a new vision of her future opened up. Maria graduated from Brooklyn Prospect High School with an IB Diploma in 2024 and is now enrolled at Bard College as a first-generation student. She credits Brooklyn Prospect High School for allowing her to grow her skills in critical thinking and creativity. She plans to pursue a career in nursing.
Marcus Sherriff
University of Michigan
Marcus Sherriff began his Prospect Schools journey at Clinton Hill Middle School and graduated Brooklyn Prospect High School (BPHS) in 2024 with an IB diploma. He is now pursuing pre-med studies at the University of Michigan and plans to become a physician. He’s adjusting well to the pace of college life: “The IB diploma program gave me a good introduction to not only academic writing, but more difficult work in general… [It] helped me learn how to balance school work and the things I enjoy, which is a skill I constantly use in college.” Reflecting on his time at BPHS, Marcus recalls the closeness he felt with his teachers, “I was able to joke around with my teachers and they constantly showed me how much they cared about me and their other students.”
Yassir Azzam
Macaulay Honors College at CUNY
When he began his undergraduate studies, Yassir Azzam (BPHS Class of ‘22) quickly captured the attention of his professors at Macaulay Honors College. A professor told Yassir he was really “hitting the nail on the head” as a first-year student and complimented his writing, analytical skills, and ability to engage with source material. Yassir credits the IB diploma program at Brooklyn Prospect High School for preparing him to take on the rigors of college. He is grateful to his high school teachers and administrators for making sure he could thrive: “I am where I am today because of my Brooklyn Prospect teachers.” Yassir received a merit scholarship from Macaulay Honors College and is studying psychology, neuroscience, and history. He is also on a pre-med track and plans to specialize in pediatrics at medical school.
Building A Career at
Prospect Schools
Martial Toussaint
Director of Student Support Services,
Clinton Hill Middle School
Martial Toussaint Director of Student Support Services, Clinton Hill Middle School. Martial Toussaint has immersed himself in every aspect of middle school education since he joined Clinton Hill Middle School in 2017. He has held a variety of leadership positions, including Head of Youth Development and School Culture, Director of School Culture, Interim Principal, and, most recently, Director of Student Support Services. Martial credits school and network teammates with helping him gain the skills, experience, and knowledge to develop himself as a leader.
Martial found recent leadership retreats focused on building capacity and calibration across the network hugely beneficial to his own professional development and that of the full Prospect community. He’s proud of the strong and stable school culture he helped build at the founding of CHMS that’s still in use to this day and is proud of their high teacher retention rate. With nearly 15 years of school culture experience under his belt, Martial is keen to have an impact on as many schools, students, and educators as possible.
Zoë Johnson
After-School Program Manager, Downtown Middle School
Zoë Johnson (Class of ‘19) credits Prospect Schools with opening her eyes to the joy of working with kids. As a Brooklyn Prospect High School senior, she interned at one of our schools for her Senior Project and it was there that her ambition to become an educator began. After graduation, Zoë studied childhood education at St. Francis College, which she says prepared her well for a career in education. During her second year of college she returned to the Prospect community as an Afterschool Program Aide and joined the team full time after graduating from college in 2023.
From the outset Zoë has felt supported to grow professionally at Prospect Schools. She credits her managers with helping her chart a path forward to her next role and build crucial skills like people management and leadership competencies.
Today Zoë is gratified when her students get excited about trying new things in the afterschool program. She finds working with middle schoolers to be particularly rewarding: “I love watching them grow and discover who they’re becoming. The joy I get from working with kids and seeing how quickly they pick things up is truly fulfilling.”
Making our
Mission Personal
Our educators embody the Prospect Schools mission in creative and personal ways, both inside and outside the classroom. Through their volunteer work and professional affiliations, they give our students a window onto professional life and the ways the Prospect Schools mission can serve the world at large.
Emily Vandehey
Director of Network Academics (K-5)
Emily co-facilitated a year-long workshop with the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, helping educators apply the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) to literacy instruction techniques. She helped members of other intentionally diverse schools gain a deeper understanding of how to foster a more supportive learning environment for all students and develop specific techniques for differentiated instruction. Emily enjoyed helping participants generate practical ideas for their individual schools and was proud to showcase the strong instructional work happening at Prospect Schools.
Kalisha Montoyo
Clinton Hill Middle School Art Teacher
Art teacher Kalisha Montoya was accepted into the 2024 Basquiat Project, a program that trains teachers to deliver a unique curriculum based on the life and art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The Brooklyn-born, Afro-Latino artistic genius defied traditional training and can serve as potent inspiration to young artists. Kalisha participated in a two-month professional development session at the Guggenheim Museum and opted to teach the curriculum to her 8th grade Prospectors.
“I was very impressed with how seriously they took the material,” Montoyo said. "The final project for students was amazing. Students chose a social justice issue they cared about and created a piece in any medium they wanted.”
Brannon O’Connor
Brooklyn Prospect High School Teacher
When High School Environmental Science and Systems teacher Brannon O’Connor learned about a chance to join a research and cleanup expedition off the coast of Maine, she knew she had to apply. Organized by the Rozalia Project, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting ocean pollution through hands-on cleanup efforts and data-driven advocacy, the trip took place over six days aboard a sailing and research vessel. O’Connor was joined by Brooklyn Prospect High School alum Marcus Sherriff (CO ‘24), and together with other participants, they collected and analyzed two tons of debris and conducted critical research to support the organization’s advocacy efforts.
“In [class], we encourage students to think about systemic change, explained O’Connor. “The Rozalia Project demonstrates how data collected on the shoreline can directly influence policy. It wasn’t just a beach cleanup trip.”
Explore our
FINANCIALS
Prospect Schools is a fiscally prudent organization that carefully balances sustainability and high-quality programming for every school we operate.
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School (Schools Only)
Prospect Schools
(Network Only)
Fiscal Year 2024 Brooklyn Prospect Charter School Income & Expenses (Schools Only)
Fiscal Year 2024 Prospect Schools Income & Expenses
(Network Only)
Based on unaudited Prospect Schools FY24 income and expenditures
Prospect Schools and Brooklyn Prospect Charter School are independent 501(c)3 nonprofits, linked through a formal institutional partnership.
Letter from our
BOARD CHAIRS
Prospect Schools opened 16 years ago when community members saw a need for diverse, integrated learning environments where students could develop a deep understanding of different perspectives and a lifelong passion for learning.
Open the window onto any classroom and you’ll see teachers nurturing creativity and innovation and preparing learners to graduate well-prepared and inspired to have a positive impact on society. As board members, we are proud to be part of delivering that mission for our network’s 2,600+ students.
School year 2023-2024 was filled with bright spots: we opened our third middle school in Sunset Park and celebrated our 15-year anniversary. Students and educators continued to demonstrate remarkable growth and academic success. We remain laser-focused on eliminating the proficiency gap among students and raising equitable outcomes for all by leading our students with curiosity, care, persistence, and passion.
The board member stories below offer a peek into the passions that motivate our dedication to Prospect Schools. Serving on the board has enhanced our lives and reinforced a lifelong passion for learning.
Thank you for your support.
Penny Marzulli
Gravelle Pierre
Prospect Schools
Board
Penny Marzulli, Chair
Ahmed Haque
Kate Eberle Walker
Eldridge Gilbert III
Stephen Bailey
Brooklyn Prospect Charter Schools Board
Gravelle Pierre, Chair
Sara Keenan
Theresa Sanchez
Joanne Garce-Rodriguez
Sagar Desai
Antoinette Koram Chukudebelu
Why we're proud to
SERVE ON THE BOARD
Sagar Desai
“As a board member, I've gotten to experience the diversity of Brooklyn and witness a leading national model for creating truly diverse, integrated schools. Since becoming a board member, I've loved connecting with parents and students, seeing our incredible educators in action at each school, hearing parents' excitement when their children are admitted and witnessing the inspiring stories of our graduates.”
Kate Eberle Walker
“I have witnessed the transformative power of Prospect Schools countless times during the 7 years I’ve served as a board member. The commitment to diverse perspectives and connected community, combined with innovative approaches to teaching and learning, have created an environment where our students graduate incredibly well-equipped for success in an interconnected world.”
Prospect Schools is grateful for its generous partners: The Charter School Growth Fund, US Education Department’s Charter School Program, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, The Walton Family Foundation, and Morgan Stanley. With their support we have been able to serve more students every year and offer an ever-improving program grounded in the values of Care, Curiosity, Passion and Persistence.
We extend our deepest gratitude to all the individual donors to Prospect Schools. Their generous support has made it possible to fund a wide range of supplemental initiatives across our schools, such as enrichment programs and upgrades to the outdoor spaces at the International Elementary School and the Commons in the High School. Thank you for making a difference in our students’ lives.
Neisa Herod-Cross
Neisa Herod-Cross joined Clinton Hill Middle School as a 6th grader and continued as a Brooklyn Prospect High School student. She was loved by many, including faculty members at both schools. Her family and friends describe her as generous, kind, a loving angel and a light in their lives. Bradley Jensen, who taught Neisa during middle school, recalls, "Neisa had a smile that could light up a room.” Neisa died in a tragic accident on March 26th, 2024.