Awards/Honors

P.S. 249 The Caton School in the New York City Public Schools is a nationally recognized learning community where care, rigor, and collective responsibility drive exceptional outcomes for every student. From daily leadership greetings and structured social-emotional learning check-ins to a strong PBIS framework and culturally affirming celebrations, students experience school as a place of safety, belonging, and high expectations. Instruction is grounded in research-based practices, with standards-aligned mini-lessons, differentiated small-group instruction, and frequent formative assessments that allow teachers to respond to student needs in real time. Through tightly structured Achievement Teams, vertical leadership collaboration, and four-week data cycles, educators continuously refine instruction, intervene early, and extend learning for students ready for acceleration, resulting in strong achievement across all demographic groups, including multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and students from low-income backgrounds. Students are active partners in their learning, setting goals, engaging in self- and peer-assessment, and demonstrating deep understanding through discourse, problem solving, and authentic tasks, including the school’s signature math poster method and rich arts programming. Families are deeply engaged through consistent communication, workshops, and celebrations that reinforce trust and shared ownership of student success. These systems have produced sustained academic growth, equity of outcomes, and a long record of honors, including National Blue Ribbon School recognition and the NCUST America’s Best Schools Award. Visitors to P.S. 249 consistently observe joyful classrooms, purposeful instruction, and a unified school culture where adults and students work together with the shared belief that all children can and do achieve at high levels.