Harlem Renaissance High School's students are individuals who have not fully made the most of their 9th grade year for whatever reasons. They are given the opportunity to refresh and catch up with their peers. A Diploma Plus model school, the curriculum is based on a portfolio and workshop model classrooms. The Diploma Plus strategy gives a multi-tiered achievement premise which puts students into meaningful internship assignments, college classes, seminars, and broad-based community service programs. This allows us to stay true to our mission, and our focus remains on the student’s emotional, social and academic well-being. The co-curricular and extra-curricular activities are set up with this in mind, and our partnerships are selected based on how well they align with our mission. The Diploma Plus model was chosen because it's tailor to benefit the students; FOCUS and other tools compliment that model.

Diploma Plus

A competency based school program which allows for accelerated credit earning while insisting on high expectations. The Diploma Plus model divides students into Foundation, Presentation and Plus phases. At HRHS, the Diploma Plus model is further personalized using some of the school's own unique features. They are:

Trimester Schedule
The school year is divided into trimesters. Fall trimester in November, and the Winter trimester ends in March. The year concludes with the Spring trimester ending in June.

Portfolios
Each class requires the students to present a portfolio in order to graduate. At the end of each trimester, the students have mock presentations on the “portfolio review days”. They receive feedback from their teachers, and they compile the final graduation portfolios in Senior Seminar.

“My Renaissance” Plan
“My Renaissance” plan is the central piece of the students’ time at Harlem Renaissance High School. Through out their high school career, the students put together a five piece working plan:

• My Past: this is a reflection on past school experiences
• My Present: this is an assessment of the students current progress
• My Renaissance: this is a summary of the students’ goals and turning points
  
• My Progress: detailed steps of how the student will work to achieving their goals
  
• My Future: these are the students plans for life after Harlem Renaissance High School, Plus Phase, and beyond

F.O.C.U.S.

F.O.C.U.S. (Future, Opportunity, Community, Understanding, Success) is a place for personal reflection and development. For the students at Harlem Renaissance High School, it’s a place where they can learn the skills to solve problems. It’s a place where they can learn and grow in a safe and fun environments. It’s a place to set academic and career goals as well as receive support from their advisor as well as their peers. During F.O.C.U.S, students also create, edit and reflect on their “My Renaissance Plan.”

Community Gathering

Community Gathering meets daily from 8:30 AM - 9:00 AM. During this period all FOCUS Advisors and Student Advocates will meet with their students in the cafetorium. The main purpose of this gathering is to build community and ensure that students are prepared for the day ahead. This is a time for advisors and students to address personal, academic, and/or community issues, as well as to eat breakfast. Personal issues may include, among other things, schedule changes, interactions with other members of the community, or counseling referrals. Academic issues may involve past, current, or future projects or homework. Community issues may range from general information to special events.

Student Advocate
Each student is assigned a student advocate. The advocate, usually a social work intern, provides individual counseling and facilitates workshops for F.O.C.U.S. They provide resources, based on the students individual needs, to ensure a successful high school career.