Global Concepts Charter School, Lackawanna NY

Original Research by School Decision on Global Concepts Charter School

Global Concepts Charter School is a kindergarten-through-12 school in Lackawanna, a working-class Erie County city immediately south of Buffalo that has been reviving itself around industrial reuse, health care, and regional employment centers. The school serves a student population that is roughly split between white and students of color, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a school built to serve the local community and families who choose charter education in the region.

The school's state test results show a consistent academic challenge. In math, proficiency drops noticeably as students move from grade four—where a moderate portion meet proficiency standards—into the middle and high school grades, where proficiency declines sharply by sixth grade and remains low through eighth. English language arts shows somewhat more stability, with proficiency in fourth grade and eighth grade running near or above the middle of the school's range, while grades six and seven dip lower. Science results for grade five are modest, and grade eight science proficiency is notably low. When positioned against other districts in Erie County, the school's overall proficiency index sits below the county median. A parent may want to look into further with the school how it is addressing this performance trajectory and what additional academic supports are available in the middle and high school years, where the data shows a persistent gap.

The school has made two significant operational moves. It opened a newly built Career and Technical Education center in September 2024, the only such facility among Western New York charter schools. The center houses commercial culinary kitchens, media and design studios, and student-run food service, with NYSED-approved CTE pathways in culinary arts and visual communications, plus planned programs in nursing and entrepreneurship. Students who complete a two-year program and pass the state technical assessment can earn a CTE diploma endorsement—a concrete credential separate from the regular diploma. This kind of hands-on career option is valuable for families seeking an alternative to a purely academic high school experience and may serve students who learn better through applied work.

The school has also begun shifting toward restorative practices in how it handles discipline and daily culture. The younger grades now open the day with "Gator Circles" built on restorative techniques, and the high school is gradually adopting the same approach. A dedicated staff member supports implementation. This reflects a pedagogical choice: rather than traditional consequence-focused discipline, the school is using practices meant to build community and problem-solve conflicts relationally. This is the kind of cultural detail a family should understand when choosing any school.

Lackawanna itself is a place in transition. The closure of the Bethlehem Steel plant in the early 1980s devastated the local economy, but the city is now actively redeveloping that massive industrial waterfront. Wind turbines and a business park with manufacturers like Welded Tube and TMP Technologies are drawing jobs back to the former steel site. Housing has become competitive, with a local housing boom described by city officials as homes selling quickly and above assessed value. The Our Lady of Victory Basilica and the Olmsted-designed South Park with its botanical gardens anchor civic life. A downtown revitalization initiative is adding pedestrian connections and a pocket park. The region's largest employers are health care, manufacturing, and retail, and the Buffalo area workforce benefits from the Tesla operation just north of the city. This is a place with real economic momentum and ethnic and religious roots that shape community identity.

Global Concepts is a school tied to this place and this community. It serves students spanning kindergarten through twelfth grade, a broad span that means it is building community across a wide age range. The newly opened CTE center is a credible recent investment in visible career pathways. The test results require honest attention—middle and high school math proficiency especially needs explanation and strategy from the school's leadership. The shift toward restorative culture is a real pedagogical choice that families should understand. For parents considering charter education in Erie County and wanting a school with career-focused options and a school-wide restorative discipline model, Global Concepts merits a serious conversation about the academic supports available to address the performance gap, especially in grades six through eight.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 61 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

New York Regents Exams

4 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Ela	86	47.0%
Social Studies	75	57.0%
Math	28	11.0%
Science	17	18.0%

Math

Grade 341%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 541%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 634%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 728%

School 28% · district not reported

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Science

Grade 548%

School 48% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 831%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income27%Higher-income48%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income60%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income58%15 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income36%Higher-income54%18 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income35%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income71%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income57%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income65%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income38%Higher-income47%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income27%Higher-income48%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income20%Higher-income44%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income23%Higher-income17%6 pp gap