Queens Collegiate Academy

Queens Collegiate Academy needed additional Regents support for juniors and seniors who still required exams for graduation. Many had already moved on from the course content being tested, while their current classes needed to focus on new subjects and more advanced work rather than revisit earlier Regents material.

Existing after-school and Saturday Regents preparation had not produced the level of success the school was seeking. Older students often had jobs and other responsibilities that made it difficult to attend support outside the school day.

The school's ENL population had also grown rapidly from a small number of students to approximately 30 to 40, many of whom were Spanish speakers. At the time, the school did not have enough Spanish-speaking staff with the relevant subject expertise to provide the targeted support these students needed.

In spring 2026, Toolkit tutor Shayla Astudillo provided pull-out U.S. History and ELA Regents tutoring across seven periods, three days per week. This schedule allowed each student to receive two or three sessions during the school week. The program centered on small, targeted groups so instruction could respond directly to each student's needs.

Shayla worked closely with teachers, while school administrators shared observations that helped identify the specific areas of the exam each student needed to strengthen. That collaboration helped distinguish, for example, whether a student needed more support with an argument essay or with reading comprehension.

Alongside academic support, Shayla mentored her ENL students and advocated for thoughtful exam-taking plans that would give each student the strongest path to meeting graduation requirements.

• Spring 2026 tutoring cycle
• Pull-out tutoring
• Small, targeted groups
• Two to three sessions per student
• U.S. History + ELA Regents instruction
• Three days across seven periods

Students increased their U.S. History exam scores by an average of 14 points from baseline. Every senior Shayla supported in U.S. History passed the Regents exam with the exception of one student, exceeding expectations for the program.

One junior who entered the program with significant reading gaps and whose likelihood of passing was a serious concern for the school also passed the ELA Regents after working intensively with Shayla.

School leadership also highlighted the progress of bilingual ENL students and the strong relationships Shayla built with students across the program.