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Our Insights

What’s Special

Art, design and portfolio-building

The Downside

College readiness has a way to go

New Design High School offers students the chance to explore art and design. They host an annual fashion show and build portfolios for colleges focused on art, design or music. Art and design classes are held twice a week after school or during lunch. Ninth-graders explore various topics before focusing on one area for the rest of high school, though they can still switch if needed.

In Design Foundations, students learn basic drawing, color theory and design software. Design Portfolio 2D Art focuses on creating a portfolio with drawing and digital art, including critiques. Fashion and Textiles involves clothing design, fabric study and sewing techniques. Students can also earn the NYC DOE CDOS credential, showing entry-level job skills in retail, food service and office work through internships, job training and special projects.

Café 418, a student-run coffee shop, teaches customer service and café management. The “design collective” allows students to work on real graphic design projects with businesses like Stumptown Coffee. A rooftop event space is rented out, and students assist with events during New York’s fashion week.

Though New Design helps students who start out below grade level graduate on time, more than half leave unprepared for college-level work, according to city data. Social workers, interns, and trained staff use Restorative Justice to address conflicts and help students who are chronically absent. Attendance and safety are improving, according to the NYC School Survey.

All students participate in advisory periods called “Design for Life” for goal setting, social-emotional support and college and career planning. Students needing extra help may get one-on-one or small group support. Teachers also hold office hours twice a week after school. The school offers various clubs, such as scriptwriting, music production, podcasting, sound design, SAT prep, and coding.

English language learners receive support through combined English Language Arts and English as a New Language classes, as well as from a  literacy coach, reading intervention teacher and student teachers. 

The college counselor helps each senior with college applications and financial aid. Graduates have been accepted to institutions like Fashion Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design, Hunter College, Baruch College, and Manhattan College.

Founded in 2003, New Design is one of five small high schools in the Seward Park Educational Campus on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Sports are campus-wide, and students can take swimming classes and earn a lifeguard certificate in the building’s pool. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interview, September 2024)

 

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School Stats

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

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
95%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
87%
Average daily attendance
 
85%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
53%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

448
Number of students
Citywide Average is 617

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
86%
Students with disabilities
 
26%
Multilingual learners
 
4%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
2%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
91%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
34%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
21%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
71%
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
80%
20.2
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
490
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 191
How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
87%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey, 2022-23 School Quality Guide, 2021-22 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2023 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

Not offered in 2021-21

Computer Science

Not offered in 2021-21

Physics

Not offered in 2021-21

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2021-21

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
20%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
5%

Music

 
4%
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
39%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
27%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
38%
From the 2020-21 and 2022-23 School Quality Guide

How many graduates who are eligible received Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding to attend a NYS college?
 
42%
This shows how well this school supports low-income students to get funding for college.
How many of those TAP recipients made it through college? Learn more
From unpublished, anonymized student-level data for the class of 2016-17 provided by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in coordination with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), brought to you by
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
67%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought to you by Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

New Design High School (M53A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

The CDOS Commencement Credential is a certificate that is meant to show your readiness for entry-level jobs. It is possible to complete high school with a CDOS Commencement Credential only.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Studio Art - 2D, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Handball, Volleyball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

350 Grand Street
Manhattan NY 10002

Trains: B Line, D Line to Grand St; F Line, J Line, M Line, Z Line to Delancey St

Buses: B39, M1, M103, M14A-SBS, M14D-SBS, M15, M15-SBS, M21, M22, M9


Contact

Principal: Scott Conti

Parent Coordinator: Dilyon Stanislaus-Blache

Phone: 212-475-4148

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Seward Park Educational Campus with four other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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