Chancellor Pledges Autonomy for Some N.Y.C. Schools

New York City will quadruple the number of schools that get additional freedom in exchange for good performance, the district’s chancellor has announced.

The expansion of the city’s “autonomy zone” was among a host of proposals outlined last month by Joel I. Klein, who was chosen nearly four years ago by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg to lead the nation’s largest school district.

The educational priorities for the mayor’s second term, detailed in a Jan. 19 letter from Mr. Klein to the city’s principals, revolved around the district’s three watchwords:...