As the 2024-25 school year comes to a close, the Bank Street Education Center and Yonkers Public Schools (YPS) mark the final chapter of a seven-year collaboration through the Yonkers Public Schools (YPS) Network for School Improvement (NSI). Launched in 2018, the YPS NSI network has worked in partnership with district educators to strengthen middle school math education and improve outcomes for Black, Latinx, and students experiencing poverty to help ensure more are on track for success in high school by the end of 8th grade.
This work was grounded in a clear district challenge: students who are Black, Latinx, and/or experiencing poverty have been disproportionately underprepared for upper-grades mathematics. In response, the Bank Street Education Center and YPS collaborated to implement a continuous improvement model co-designed to address district needs and challenges, including student identity, data-driven planning, and equity-focused instructional change.
As Tracy Fray-Oliver, Vice President, Bank Street Education Center, said at the launch of the grant, “Success in math is a gatekeeper for college and career readiness, and Bank Street is committed to helping create the deeper and more equitable learning experiences that help all students learn.”
Over the course of the partnership, the network grew from 10 schools in its first two years to 23 schools at its peak, with 11 schools participating in its final year. Throughout this time, educators engaged in structured cycles of inquiry led by teacher teams, using classroom-level data and student work to reflect, plan, and iterate. These efforts were supported by professional development for math educators that allowed them to engage in math tasks, exchange ideas about their practice, and analyze network and school-level data to learn what is working and what needs to shift to support students.
This past year, the network’s focus turned to advancing math discourse by creating classrooms where students regularly share, question, and build on one another’s ideas in math. This shift, which aligned with district priorities, was made possible through close collaboration with district leaders.
The results of this work—based on feedback from teachers who completed the end-of-year survey—were significant. Student engagement in math discourse increased by 50% over the course of the year. Survey results showed a 7-point rise in the number of Black students who reported that their ideas were taken seriously in class. And among teachers, 84% reported growth in their math content and pedagogical knowledge, while 89% said their work in the network helped them focus more on student strengths than on deficits.
The partnership emphasized the belief that teachers and leaders are facilitators of learning who must meet students where they are to help them realize their full potential. “Through our work with Yonkers Public Schools, Bank Street is building the capacity of the district’s math educators to create learning environments and support structures that impact positive student outcomes at scale,” said Bank Street President Shael Polakow-Suransky.
As the formal partnership concluded, sustainability became a key focus in the final year. School teams were equipped with tools and strategies to continue this work independently, including Bank Street’s Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Toolkit and resources to strengthen math discourse. Many schools are already planning to extend these efforts to additional grade levels and classrooms in the year ahead. To share and reflect on this work, Bank Street and a district leader co-led a session at a national conference in San Diego, highlighting sustainability strategies. A podcast featuring the district, a school leader, and Bank Street was also recently recorded.
Reflecting on the partnership’s final year, Shannon Craig, Coach and Facilitator, Bank Street Education Center, shared a message to the educators she worked closely with: “Whether it was your first or fifth year, we built deep relationships across our network. You modeled reflective practice, centered student voice, and created classrooms where every student is heard. Thank you for your joy, your generosity, your vulnerability, and your laughter. It has been an honor to learn beside you.”
“This work stands as a powerful example of what’s possible when educators come together with shared purpose and a commitment to equity,” said Fray-Oliver. “We are deeply grateful to all the educators, leaders, and students who made this work possible—and look forward to seeing its impact continue in the years to come.”