STARI Spotlight: Queens Technical High School
Inside Queens Technical High School’s Literacy Turnaround: How STARI Is Helping NYC Teens Thrive
When New York City high school students enter 9th grade, they bring a wide range of literacy skills, and for some, years of unfinished learning. At Queens Technical High School, a committed MTSS team is showing what’s possible when schools pair evidence-based interventions with collaborative leadership and a strong culture of teacher support.
A Data-Driven MTSS Model That Works
Each fall, the Queens Tech MTSS team screens all incoming 9th graders, identifies students reading below the 20th percentile, and conducts targeted secondary screeners. This data-driven process ensures students receive the right level of support from day one.
The result?
This year 140 students are enrolled in strategic reading, including three STARI classes that are taught five days a week.
Why STARI Stands Out
Teachers at Queens Tech highlight several features that make STARI work for adolescent readers:
- High-interest texts that students want to discuss
- Fluency routines that build confidence and energy
- Vocabulary, comprehension, and metacognitive strategies that transfer to other classes
- Supports that help multilingual learners accelerate quickly
Students especially love STARI texts that are set in NYC like Bronx Masquerade and Ask Me No Questions, and teachers report lively discussions that extend beyond the classroom.
“We’re seeing consistent growth. Even new teachers see progress early on.”
Leigh Carey
STARI Teacher
Collaboration Is the Secret Ingredient
Leigh Carey, STARI teacher at Queens Tech, describes the culture this way:
“This isn’t a trend. This is real, tangible work, and students are succeeding.”
That success is now extending beyond Queens Tech. Leigh credits
Gina Ceparano, District 24 Literacy Specialist, with helping spread the positive impact of STARI to other schools. Through Gina's leadership, District 24 has begun to build a more coherent and aligned literacy strategy. As a result, Queens Tech is now recognized as a hub school, offering model classrooms, coaching, and implementation support to other NYC high schools adopting STARI.
A Model for New York City
With strong leadership, consistent progress monitoring, and a shared commitment to students, Queens Tech has created a powerful blueprint for adolescent literacy.
SERP is proud to support their work and excited to highlight their story as NYCPS continues scaling STARI across the city.