Summary:
The Rochester City School District operates 8 high schools serving grades 9-12. The district faces significant challenges, with most of its high schools ranking in the bottom 10-15% of New York state. However, a few schools stand out as relative bright spots in the district.
The School of the Arts ranks the highest among Rochester high schools, placing around 800th out of 1,234 New York high schools. It has the strongest test scores, with students outperforming the district and state averages across many subject areas, and a relatively high 4-year graduation rate of 84.3%. Another standout is the School Without Walls, which has shown improvement in its statewide ranking and has above-average performance on the Regents exams compared to the district.
However, the other schools in the Rochester City School District generally struggle, with most ranking in the bottom 10-15% of New York high schools and having test scores well below state averages. The district-wide 4-year graduation rate of 84.3% is concerning, as it is significantly lower than the state average of 85-90%. Additionally, the district faces high rates of chronic absenteeism and economic disadvantage, with most schools having very high rates of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite high per-student spending and relatively low student-teacher ratios, the district is not seeing commensurate improvements in academic achievement, suggesting the need for comprehensive, systemic reforms.
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