Apply now for school year 2023-24! Click here to see why our parents love Ascend!

Apply now for school year 2023-24! Click here to see why our parents love Ascend!

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A broad, rich curriculum at Ascend lower schools

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Beginning in kindergarten with a curriculum fully aligned to the standards of the Common Core, Ascend lower schools establish a foundation of strong basic skills in early literacy, a conceptual understanding of math, critical thinking, intellectual drive, and enthusiasm for learning.

An extended school day provides for more time devoted to instruction and for a broad, rich curriculum that includes—in addition to English language arts and mathematics—science, social studies, music, the visual arts, physical education, and dance. Ascend’s curriculum blends teacher-led instruction, cognitively-guided instruction (CGI), and college-style discussion from the earliest grades.

A taste of our curriculum

In Number Stories, students explore a single problem, devise their own approaches, and contrast them with their classmates’ solutions.

Students work independently to solve the problem their own way.

Three children, selected by the teacher for the varying sophistication and efficiency of the procedures they tapped, present their solutions.

In the discourse, children see how each of the three approaches arrived at the same answer. The beauty of math is revealed, and deep conceptual understanding is built. Students are excited to engage a more efficient procedure next time.

Subject areas


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English language arts at Ascend


Beginning in the earliest grades, students develop a love of literature, as they think critically about texts, and engage in rich discussions with their peers.

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Math at Ascend


Watch how Ascend’s approach to mathematics ignites students’ curiosities and fosters a community of intellectual risk-takers. The three components of our math program ensure that students develop a deep conceptual understanding of mathematical concepts.

We equip our students with the broad capacities, prized in any era, which will allow them to flourish—whatever the future brings. At Ascend, liberal learning liberates.

Culture at Ascend


Ascend has developed a warm and supportive culture rooted in Responsive Classroom in the elementary grades—departing from a punitive and proscriptive disciplinary model associated with high rates of referrals and suspensions. Classroom communities nurture students’ sense of belonging, and by creating calm, orderly environments, Ascend schools foster children’s social and emotional competencies, obviating the reliance on punitive consequences.

In the lower school, our joyful culture builds students’ capacities to self-manage. Positive language replaces warnings and threats as students learn empathy and collaborative problem-solving.

Every morning in each class, students and teachers gather to greet one another, share news, and warm-up for the day ahead. Throughout the day, teachers talk about what students are learning and what excites them, rather than how they are behaving. Teachers’ language promotes learning, a sense of belonging, and self-discipline. When students do misbehave, logical consequences allow them to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity. In this environment, Ascend students learn social skills—cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control—that allow them to succeed academically and socially; the day can be spent enjoying academic, artistic, and extracurricular activities.

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Lower school locations


Brooklyn Ascend Lower

205 Rockaway Parkway

Grades K4

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Brownsville Ascend Lower

1501 Pitkin Avenue

Grades K4

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Bushwick Ascend Lower

751 Knickerbocker Avenue

Grades K4

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Canarsie Ascend Lower

9719 Flatlands Avenue

Grades K4

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Central Brooklyn Ascend Lower

465 East 29th Street

Grades K4

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Cypress Hills Ascend Lower

396 Grant Avenue

Grades K4

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East Brooklyn Ascend Lower

260 Shepherd Avenue

Grades K3

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East Flatbush Ascend Lower

870 Albany Avenue

Grades K4

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Flatbush Ascend Lower

123 Linden Boulevard

Grades K4

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Join our collaborative, intellectually driven educators in building the finest schools in Brooklyn.

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Join our collaborative, intellectually driven educators in building the finest schools in Brooklyn.

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Find the Ascend school closest to you and enroll now.

Learn with us

Find the Ascend school closest to you and enroll now.

Make a gift today to support Ascend students having rich, joyful learning experiences.

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Make a gift today to support Ascend students having rich, joyful learning experiences.

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