LION Selected as a New York State PLAN Pilot School
At LION, we want every student to graduate ready for the post-secondary path they choose, with the skills to thrive once they arrive. The results reflect that commitment: 90% of our graduates enroll in college within one year of graduation. Now, LION is building on that success by strengthening how students demonstrate the skills colleges and careers demand most, including research, critical thinking, and communication.
This work aligns with the New York State Education Department’s Portrait of a Graduate initiative, which emphasizes the knowledge and competencies students need to succeed after high school. LION was also selected as one of 23 schools statewide to participate in the PLAN Pilot, a state effort focused on modernizing student assessment. In plain terms, PLAN supports schools in expanding how students can show what they know, pairing traditional exams with performance-based assessments such as research projects, presentations, and real-world problem solving.
Building a rigorous pathway for every student
Since launching our high school program, LION has continued to ask a simple question: what do students need to be successful in the future they want? Over time, we have expanded access to advanced coursework through College Now and a suite of Pre-AP and AP courses open to all students, not only those with the highest grades. That commitment has earned LION Platinum AP Honor Roll recognition and the AP Access for All award, reflecting our belief that rigor should be available to every learner.
LION also believes strong assessment includes multiple measures. Traditional assessments help us understand how students perform compared to broader peer groups. Performance-based assessments, meanwhile, ask students to apply skills in contexts that feel real and meaningful, offering a deeper picture of what students know, understand, and can do. Together, these approaches help us support growth, strengthen instruction, and ensure students are prepared for the intensity of college-level work.
Why research and writing matter more than ever
Many students enter college able to write an expository essay, yet still need more practice with research, analysis, and evidence-based argument. College faculty have long emphasized that students benefit when these skills are developed before they arrive on campus. That is one reason the College Board launched AP Capstone in 2014, a two-year program designed to teach research, collaboration, and critical thinking through AP Seminar and AP Research.
With support from the Zegar Family Foundation, LION joined AP Capstone in 2018. Each year, multiple LION students earn individual AP awards. Based on 2025 exam results, the College Board recognized 15 LION students with a Seminar and Research Certificate, 22 as AP Scholars, 3 as AP Scholars with Honors, and 5 as AP Scholars with Distinction. Two Class of 2025 graduates earned an AP Capstone Diploma, and four Class of 2026 graduates are on track to earn the diploma this June. (See sidebar for award definitions.)
What the PLAN Pilot makes possible at LION
As a PLAN Pilot school, LION is helping lead the research and application of performance-based learning assessments. In the PLAN Pilot application, LION staff highlighted what we see in classrooms every day: students are often more engaged and perform more strongly when performance tasks are paired with traditional assessments. LION is building on that insight and on ongoing work to develop performance-based learning assessments (PBLA) as part of a broader vision for multiple measures of graduation.
The long-term goal is a scaffolded pathway that builds skills year to year, culminating in a cross-curricular research study, formal presentation, oral defense, and reflection. This approach reinforces the very skills students will be asked to use in college classrooms and beyond: asking strong questions, evaluating evidence, communicating clearly, and revising thinking based on feedback.
Students showing learning in real time
Throughout the year, LION staff participated in professional development and visited peer schools to learn from what others have enacted. AP Seminar and AP Research remain crucial parts of LION’s PBLA approach. In April, students shared the results of original research through formal papers and presentations, demonstrating confidence, clarity, and academic ownership.
Student research topics reflected both curiosity and relevance. Some examples include how loneliness affects the mental health of young adults, how community redevelopment shapes a sense of belonging, the social effects of the cell phone ban in schools, and the experiences of eldest Dominican daughters carrying caretaking responsibilities.
Looking ahead, LION staff are also exploring ways to incorporate performance-based assessment into STEM courses. We are excited to continue this work and share what we are learning, because when students have more meaningful ways to show their growth, they build stronger skills, deeper confidence, and clearer pathways to their future.
