Six years after Toronto's first and only Africentric school opened its doors, a new report suggests while the school is helping to create a sense of community for its students, there's still room for improvement.
The Africentric Alternative School -- located in the Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West area -- was originally created in part to address the high dropout rate and so-called achievement gap affecting students of African descent in Toronto.
The school's curriculum is based around culture and community. According to researchers at York University, while that unique curriculum has helped students feel at "home" in the classroom, there are still educational gaps that need to be addressed.
The students' EQAO results are below those of other schools in the Toronto District School Board and those across the province.
"There's room for improvement," Carl James, the director of the York University Centre for Education and Community, told CTV Toronto on Thursday. "There's lots of work that can be done to help teachers and the board."
The report also found the school still needs to establish a clear vision as it moves forward, and that it has been inhibited by a lack of funding, space and support staff. There has also been a challenge finding the appropriate teaching materials for the students.
"When we don’t have the resources, you have to ask yourself, 'What’s happening?'" parent Misstherra Jean-Showa said.
With a report from CTV Toronto's Natalie Johnson
