When you step into the light-filled atrium at PS 178 you are met with friendly greetings from parents, a security guard and the largely bilingual staff. This small school excels at mixing learners of all abilities and giving each the individual attention he or she needs. "We've always been a school of inclusion," said Principal Deirdre Budd, a Bank Street graduate who founded the school based on principles from Teacher's College, a think-tank for innovative teaching in the areas of reading and writing.

PS 178 weaves three programs together in a remarkably cohesive way. In kindergarten and 1st grade, children alternate between English-only and Spanish-only classrooms to form the school's Dual language program. (Second-graders are in a stand-alone class with one bilingual teacher.) The school also has the only ASD Nest program in District 6 for high-functioning autistic children who are mainstreamed in small classes. And then there are classes that mix a variety of children with special needs with general education students. The learning goals are the same but the means vary.

Children get used to the special tools that abound in classrooms, like the ball chair, designed to help a wiggly child sit still. Academic abilities span many levels in one room. Because class size is small and there are many adults – we counted up to four in some rooms – teachers manage this range thoughtfully, and they send letters home so parents know how to help out too.

Adaptations for children with special needs have occasionally been adopted by the whole school in ways that seem beneficial. Movement and music, initially a tool to help special needs children start the day, is now a five-minute aerobic workout piped in over the loud speaker. Schedules and signs include both words and pictures so kids have more than one way to understand.

Teachers are flexible regarding curriculum changes. For instance, they switched to Envision math after finding that Everyday math didn't reinforce skills enough, but where Envision is too basic, teachers added more open-ended questions. Literacy takes place early in the day. Even art, gym and science teachers pitch in at this time to give kids special attention. "We like people who are multi-faceted and dual certified," said assistant principal Diana Barros. And the staff seems to like the school leadership. Teachers rarely leave and the same substitutes return, loyally, for years.

Students feel a sense of ownership of the building. It's not just the custodian who reminds the principal to turn the lights off when she leaves a room, but also the "green team," a group of kids who roam with green helmets and clipboards. However, as lovely as the building is, it doesn't have a real auditorium. Instead, they use the "gym-a-torium," or reserve other locations for school-wide events. Just as students are nurtured, so are families, who are embraced at events like International Day and invited to join a variety of classes like Zumba fitness or English as a Second Language. There is a second-grade choir that meets after school and a fee-based after-school program operated by the Children's Arts and Science Workshop.

Families are reluctant to leave this unique environment but the school only goes through 2nd grade. Those who wish to continue in dual language may choose Amistad or PS 98. Others have found spots at PS 152, Washington Heights Academy, PS 187 or Catholic schools.

Admissions: A zoned neighborhood school. In recent years, the school has also accepted out-of-zone children.  (Lydie Raschka, May 2012)