Ascend conducts an annual lottery to fill open seats across all of our schools. Those who apply will be placed on a school’s wait list and will be offered a seat based on seats available and position on the list.

In accordance with the law, we give preference to residents of the Community School District (CSD) in which an Ascend school is located and to the siblings of students currently enrolled in a school operating under the same charter. We also give preference to students whose parents work for Ascend Learning or one of our schools.

Once enrolled at any level, a student can remain with an Ascend school through high school graduation. Complete the online application now.

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No; there is no entrance exam for our schools. Ascend schools are open to all students, and no student is denied a seat based on mental or physical ability, athletic performance, special needs, or language proficiency.

Once students are enrolled, we administer diagnostic tests in English language arts and mathematics to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses. These tests help teachers and instructional leaders understand the specific learning needs of each student. The results of the tests have no bearing on a student’s enrollment at the school.

Yes; Ascend schools are open to all students, and no student is denied a seat based on special needs.

Our student services, teachers, and school leadership teams are committed to creating an inclusive and integrated space for all students, and we have developed systems and procedures that target and support students with academic, emotional, and behavioral challenges. We work with the Department of Education’s Committee on Special Education to create, modify, and fully implement a student's individualized education plan (IEP).

We are committed to preparing our students for a life of boundless choice, ensuring that they understand that no test should ever act as a barrier in reaching their lifelong goals. We conduct benchmark tests that are summative assessments conducted throughout each term to evaluate students' academic performance and provide them with the most effective support. We also administer the New York State exams in English Language Arts and Mathematics to students in grades 3-8. In grades 4 and 8, the New York State Science exams is also administered. 

Cultivating self-reliant test-taking skills is crucial for students to develop confidence in their capabilities and achieve success in their educational journey.

No; Ascend schools are not co-located with Department of Education schools or with other charter schools.

Ascend schools are housed in inviting, custom-built or newly-renovated buildings where every design detail is chosen to communicate our high aspirations for teaching and learning at Ascend. In these spaces, school leadership teams can focus entirely on instruction and on forging the school’s distinctive culture rather than negotiating a space shared with other another school. For more information about our schools and their locations, click here.

As part of the application to attend Ascend, all applicants are asked to rank their preference for the Ascend school they would most like to attend. If accepted at more than one school, we will reserve a seat only at the highest ranked school to which a child was accepted. The child’s name will be removed from the lists of any school ranked lower. If you are not offered a seat at your highest-ranked school(s), you will remain on the wait list for any schools ranked higher.

If you choose not to rank schools on your application, preference will be determined based on the proximity of each school to the child’s address.

Ranking a school higher or lower does not affect the child's chances of being offered a seat at a particular Ascend school.

1. The student’s birth certificate, passport, or record of baptism which includes the date of birth

2. Up-to-date health exam form* (note that any student who does not have up-to date immunizations will be barred from school within 14 days of the start of school)

3. Proof of address, which may be verified by any two of the following documents that include the address of residence:

• A lease agreement, deed, or mortgage statement for the residence**

• A residential utility bill (gas or electric) in the resident’s name issued by a utility company (e.g., National Grid or Con Edison) dated within the past 60 days

• A bill for cable television services provided to the residence, including the name of the parent or guardian and the address of the residence and dated within the past 60 days

• Documentation or letter on letterhead from a federal, state, or local government agency, including the IRS, the City Housing Authority, Human Resources Administration, the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), an ACS subcontractor, or the federal Office of Refugee Settlement, indicating the resident’s name and address, dated within the past 60 days

• A current property tax bill for the residence

• A water bill for the residence, dated within the past 90 days

• A rent receipt, dated within the past 60 days

• An income tax form for the last calendar year

• An unexpired official NYS Driver’s License or learner’s permit

• An unexpired state, city, or other government issued ID (including an IDNYC card)

• Official payroll documentation from an employer, such as a pay stub with home address, a form submitted for tax withholding purposes, or a payroll receipt (a letter on the employer’s letterhead is not adequate), issued within the past 60 days; voter registration documents, including the name of the parent or guardian

• Unexpired, residency-based membership documents (e.g., neighborhood residents’ association), including the name of the parent or guardian

• Evidence of custody of the student, including, but not limited to, judicial custody orders or guardianship papers documents, issued within the past 60 days with name of student

*For students having a physical exam at the beginning of the school year, you must provide the most recent health exam form; following the physical exam, you can provide an updated form. Click here to download health form.

** If you are not the leaseholder of your residence, you must submit a Residency Affidavit.