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Irwin Altman Middle School 172

Grades: 6-8
81-14 257 Street
Queens NY 11004
Phone: 718-831-4000

Our Insights

What’s Special

Solid academics

The Downside

Teachers would like a greater voice

Housed in a building overlooking trees and athletic courts, MS 172 in Floral Park is a neighborhood school with solid test scores, honors classes and an active afterschool program. The school serves many children of South Asian ancestry, and some parents speak Punjabi, Bengali, Hindi and Urdu; others speak Spanish and Chinese, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan.

The school offers Living Environment and Algebra I accelerated courses and most students at this school earn high school credit. Beyond the usual core academics, MS 172 offers instrumental and vocal music, drama, debate and visual art. Students have the opportunity to compete in arts festivals and debate tournaments.

Principal Jeffrey Slivko took the helm in 2004 after serving as assistant principal at MS 74. While most teachers recommend the school to prospective parents, some grumble about the principal’s leadership, according to the NYC School Survey. Teachers say they would like more voice in the school, according to a two-day evaluation by the Department of Education called the Quality Review.  

One initiative to bolster better relationships between students is the South Asian Youth Action (SAYA), a girls empowerment group that meets twice weekly to help girls explore topics related to self-confidence, respect and peer pressure. Students participated in the Middle School Kindness Challenge. Students engaged in kindness activities that were designed to develop empathy, foster kindness and express concern for others.

Admissions: Zoned neighborhood school. Admission to the gifted and talented program is based on a combination of factors that make up a "composite score" and priority is given to students in the G&T program at PS 115. (Melanie Quiroz, web reports and DOE data, April 2019)

Read more

School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
72%
78% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
64%
58% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
88%
84% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
4% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
97%
79% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
1.2

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
67%
46% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
74%
51% Citywide Average

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
59%
39% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
788
Asian
63%
Black
9%
Hispanic
16%
White
9%
Other
4%
Free or reduced priced lunch
55%
Students with disabilities
16%
English language learners
6%

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
94%
90% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
19%
38% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

Uniforms required?
No

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
17%
15% Citywide Average


For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

Floral Park (District 26)
Buses: Q36, Q43, Q46, QM35, QM36, QM5, QM6, QM8, X68

Contact

Principal
Paul Desimone Jr
Parent Coordinator
Debra Hochrad

Other Details

Shared campus?
No
This school is in its own building.
Uniforms required?
No
Metal detectors?
Yes

Zone for the 2019-2020 school year. Call school to confirm.

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