About Us
Founded in 1998, Replications, Inc. is a nonprofit organization that brings outstanding education to under-served urban communities by replicating proven successful schools and providing ongoing school support. More than 8,000 students attend Replications’ 29 public middle, secondary, and high schools in New York City and Baltimore.
We believe no external factor — from race to economic status to geography — should prevent children from attending high-performing and intellectually rigorous public schools. In the urban settings that have been our focus, our schools educate many African-American and Latino children from low-income neighborhoods. Our goal is to make education an equal right, not an elite privilege.
Mission
We strive to offer superior educational opportunities to public school children who would otherwise be educated in poorly performing schools. We fulfill this mission by creating, one after another, small excellent schools. We promote high-quality learning to support students’ intellectual and creative development in a healthy environment. Our distinctive schools ensure teachers can teach in ways that allow students to gain the skills needed to succeed in the 21st century.
Method for Success
If you want model students, you have to start with model schools.
We study exemplary schools and identify what we call “Essential Features” of the model – aspects of school culture, academic program, and methods of assessment that are critical to the school's success and ultimately lead to student achievement. We then incorporate best practices gathered from our extensive experience in the field to replicate and adapt the models in new settings. Our proven method includes:
- Leadership Development: Replications identifies and coaches a potential School Leader
- School Development & Start-up: Replications works with the new School Leader to select a model for replication and identify the school’s Essential Features. Replications uses its wealth of established knowledge and current data to support the new School Leader through the start-up of a new school, including site readiness, obtaining supplies and equipment, teacher recruitment and training, curriculum planning, and the development of an Essential Features Action Plan to measure progress toward set goals.
- School Support: Replications provides ongoing school support to facilitate continued success, enabling principals and teachers to sustain their school culture, improve instruction through professional development and peer learning activities, and help their students achieve academic excellence. Replications also provides critical support in compliance with school system and state mandates, budgeting, and fundraising.
We combine a strong school culture with high-quality leadership and a structure that supports the school and its staff. Our programs for professional development, including the Replications' Leadership Institute, Replications' Teaching Institute, new school and planning retreats and Critical Friends Groups (professional collaborative learning communities), strengthen the school staff on an ongoing basis. We also assist our schools with budgeting and fundraising as well as teacher and student recruitment.