NHA Brooklyn Scholars Academy
Brooklyn, NY (94% Poverty)
Student Engagement Measurement: Average 91% Highly & Very Highly Engaged
Student Responses By Grade
| Avg. | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | |
| Number of students | 47 | 49 | 45 | 40 | 48 | 23 | |
| Look forward to doing TrueSuccess | 87% | 87% | 98% | 91% | 98% | 74% | 74% |
| Like TrueSuccess overall | 96% | 96% | 94% | 98% | 100% | 90% | 100% |
| Like TrueSuccess LifeStories | 91% | 87% | 88% | 91% | 98% | 90% | 91% |
|
Do you act differently after doing TrueSuccess |
58% | 48% | 76% | 64% | 53% | 51% | 57% |
“I truly feel that the culture of the school is changing the students seem more invested, the behaviors are going down, the fighting, the bullying, etc. My students are sharing personal things with each other and learning about and showing empathy. It’s been really cool. The things the students are sharing are very hard things to hear let along for them to say. I feel a great responsibility toward my students more now than ever before.”
-Peter Schojan, Moral Focus teacher, Brooklyn Scholars
Students’ Comments Sampling:
3rd Grade:
“Since doing TrueSuccess, I act differently by not bullying.”
“I act differently because when somebody is being mean to someone else, I stand up for them.”
“I think TrueSuccess is awesome! I’m starting to have a better life!”
“I like TrueSuccess, it’s good for kids.”
“Now I act very different. I used to not care about what happened to my body and I wasn’t thankful.”
“I liked that we learned a lot of good things that we should not be doing in life.”
“I love TrueSuccess and I want to keep it for life.”
“Sometimes I feel powerful, like I’ve got TrueSuccess forever when I finish what I need to finish.”
“I act differently by helping people and respecting them.”
“I like the stories of the people who don’t give up and show self-control.”
“I think TrueSuccess will make you get rich and smart because I will get good grades on my report card.”
“I like that TrueSuccess sometimes brings us together.”
“I treat people the way they want to be treated because of TrueSuccess.”
“I like TrueSuccess because I learn more about moral focus and don’t do bad things.”
“I love the videos!”
“I have more manners than usual. For instance, I say thank you, please, and you’re welcome often.”
“I love the TrueSuccess stories.”
“I don’t like that TrueSuccess only comes once a week.”
“I like that we get to draw when we do TrueSuccess.”
“TrueSuccess is good because it gives us details about people from different places.”
“I am acting differently and learning how to control myself.”
“I think TrueSuccess will make you successful.”
“I act differently because then I will be a good student.”
“TrueSuccess is awesome!”
“I think TrueSuccess is amazing. I love it and I learn things from it.”
4th Grade:
“After doing TrueSuccess, I feel like I let all the hate out of me.”
“Everything changed, like my behavior and grades.”
“I like TrueSuccess because I learn a lot and have fun. It’s awesome!”
“I like the everyday stories of TrueSuccess because if we get in a situation, we know what to do.”
“It really helps kids with bad behavior.”
“I like that we, as a class, get to be open and express things to each other.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I listen to what people have to say.”
“I act differently because the stories have lessons and I have learned from that.”
“I am a little more open now and I am doing very well in Moral Focus. I also feel really happy.”
“I like that TrueSuccess has stories about reality.”
“I act differently by listening to the teacher and writing well.”
“I used to not care about anything in school, but after TrueSuccess, I try to pay attention.”
“I act differently by doing what’s right.”
“Before the TrueSuccess lesson about bullying I thought that it was okay for people to separate themselves from other people during recess. But we learned that the person was being bullied or might be depressed.”
“I act differently because my behavior wasn’t really as good as now. I used to chat with my friends a lot. Now, I’m not really talking to my friends in school.”
“I like everything about TrueSuccess!”
“I act differently by having self-control and showing respect.”
“I think TrueSuccess is amazing and I am looking forward to this program next year.”
“I don’t come into class with a sad face because all I do is learn. I come with a happy face!”
“I like the videos because they are very interesting to me.”
“I act differently because since we were talking about self-control, I usually show it more often in school and sometimes at home.”
“TrueSuccess helps me get better in life.”
“I learned what people did to make a difference and now I can try.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I’m nicer to people I wasn’t nice to before and I have more self-control.”
“I act differently by helping my mom clean the house and I also do my chores.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I am trying harder and harder to have good days.”
“I like that after watching the videos we can share our expressions out.”
5th Grade:
“I act differently because when I see a situation I know how to approach it and the right thing to do.”
“I like that it’s teaching you something but at the same time, you’re having fun.”
“After reading the stories, I think about the topics and I figure out how I can follow what the person did in the TrueSuccess story.”
“I like the stories and the people they selected to write about.”
“Now I make wise choices.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I act differently. I am more respectful and think twice before I act and I don’t say things out loud. I also do the right thing.”
“I like everything about TrueSuccess.”
“TrueSuccess inspires me to do things.”
“TrueSuccess tells about how you can have a bad time, but you can still be successful in life.”
“I act differently because I want to choose the right path.”
“I think that TrueSuccess is fun because every time we have it, we can’t wait for the teacher to come back the next week.”
“TrueSuccess is one of my favorite classes.”
“I act differently because I have a good attitude and feel really happy.”
“I learned to be nicer and to use more perseverance.”
“I like reading the stories.”
“I love the workbooks and the videos.”
“TrueSuccess makes me feel better about myself and want to try to do things differently.”
“After reading the TrueSuccess stories, I think you can do anything you set your mind to.”
“I act differently after doing TrueSuccess because sometimes I act up.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I treat others with respect.”
“In the beginning of the day, I like to walk around in class, but after the TrueSuccess class, I sit up straight and behave.”
“I’ve been better at showing self-control.”
“I think TrueSuccess is amazing for kids because it helps you get better in life.”
“I like that we get to talk about our stories and discuss them.”
“The people in the stories inspire me to try something new.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I start to act up and then become better.”
“I’m kinder.”
6th Grade:
“Before TrueSuccess I used to bully some people. Now I feel like apologizing and hugging someone.”
“I love TrueSuccess! It teaches kids how to follow the rules and have fun at the same time.”
“I love this class! This is my favorite class of the week! After doing TrueSuccess, I have become happier than before.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, my whole attitude just changes. It puts me in a good way.”
“I like that TrueSuccess helps you express yourself.”
“I think that the TrueSuccess class is the best class ever! It’s so interesting and cool.”
“I like all the cool and fun things we do.”
“I feel more grateful for the things I have because in the TrueSuccess units, it shows me that other people don’t have the things I have.”
“It’s educational and fun at the same time.”
“Every week I always feel excited about the class. We have fun while learning a lot of things. I always feel unhappy that we only have the class for 45 minutes.”
“It teaches us things we didn’t know about the world and opens our eyes.”
“TrueSuccess really helps me choose wise paths. Sometimes I make bad decisions and this really helps me.”
“I love TrueSuccess. We get to learn new advice about bullying. It motivates me to stop fights.”
“I am happier after TrueSuccess.”
“I feel that TrueSuccess is a great class to build feelings.”
7th Grade:
“TrueSuccess has shown me that even if you have been struggling in childhood you can succeed as you grow.”
“TrueSuccess has taught me to work hard for what you want and don’t cheat to get it.”
“TrueSuccess helps me get better grades and inspire me to do better.”
“I love TrueSuccess! We learn how to treat others.”
“TrueSuccess teaches us a lot about our virtues. Instead of just saying the words, we actually have activities that we do to learn about them.”
“I like the stories and the lessons behind them.”
“TrueSuccess gives us ideas of what we want to do or be.”
“Since TrueSuccess, I think before I talk and I am more considerate of people’s feelings.”
“TrueSuccess taught me different ways to handle different situations properly.”
“The videos that we watch are very interesting to me.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I treat others the way I want to be treated.”
“The only thing I don’t like about TrueSuccess is that it’s only 45 minutes, I wish it was an hour.”
“I understand life better. TrueSuccess makes me see the world in a better way. I take what I learned and share it with others.”
“I act differently after doing TrueSuccess because it teaches me a life lesson.”
“TrueSuccess shows us how to deal with problems.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I think about others’ feelings first before I act.”
“Now I think before I act and look at my options for what to do.”
“I believe that TrueSuccess will help us in life. It’s great! This is the best class, I love it!”
“We get to have real discussions and actually teach each other new things.”
“I love everything about TrueSuccess! This class is awesome, it will change my life.”
“TrueSuccess makes people feel good about themselves.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I think of life in a different way and I want to be an inspiration to others.”
“I act differently after TrueSuccess because now I try to walk away from stupid arguments.”
“Because of TrueSuccess, I take into consideration how people will feel when I react badly to them. But, if I have a positive manner towards them, then they will have a positive manner towards me.”
“TrueSuccess makes you want to do something in life.”
“I remember from the stories and videos how people help each other and I want to be just like them.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I learned that my actions are sometimes not good and that I should make better choices.”
8th Grade:
“After doing TrueSuccess, I stopped judging people because you never know what they are going through.”
“It’s interesting because overall, it teaches us a life lesson which makes me feel as if I’m not in school. In school we are given a lesson and then the test, but with TrueSuccess, we are given a test and then learn the lesson.”
“TrueSuccess makes me do good things because the people we’re reading and talking about are positively influencing us.”
“The TrueSuccess class teaches us about things that will matter in the future.”
“I liked learning about bullying. I find TrueSuccess to be educational.”
“Some of the things I learned about changed my outlook on things. Sometime my demeanor changes.”
“I like that TrueSuccess teaches me about others’ problems rather than my own. Sometimes I can reflect.”
“After doing TrueSuccess I started to appreciate things in my life more and I realize the good and bad in the things I do and say. Overall, I try to be a better person.”
“I learned that things can get better as long as you know you did your best.”
“I liked learning about people who made both good and bad decisions and the outcomes of each decision.”
“I like that TrueSuccess teaches us important lessons without long, boring lectures.”
“I’ve started to show more respect to everyone, including myself.”
“I started to think twice after a choice I made that could have affected me in a negative way.”
“After doing TrueSuccess, I am [aware of] what is right and wrong and I have to be true to myself.”
“Now I notice unfortunate people and help them more often because I realize how ungrateful I was before.”
“I act differently after doing TrueSuccess because everything in the class that we learned about inspires me to do better in life.”
“TrueSuccess helps me learn very significant life lessons.”