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Our Insights

What’s Special

Mandarin Chinese and demanding academics

The Downside

Crowded building means some students take gym on Saturday

At the High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies, all students are expected to speak, read and write in English and Chinese by the time they graduate. It is an academically demanding school where teens are required to study Mandarin daily and take four years of math and science. Attendance is near perfect, as is the four-year graduation rate.

The school day is long, with some students beginning at 7:15 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Ninth and 10th grades are foundation years, designed to help students build proficiency in their second language to allow everyone to take classes together in 11th and 12th grades.

Native English speakers take a double period of Chinese every day all four years, and all other subjects are taught in English, at first, until children are more familiar with the new language. The reverse is true for native Chinese speakers, who take double periods of English. In their second year, children should are able to write one-page compositions in the new language, said a school administrator.

Although most of the students are of Chinese heritage, African Americans, whites and Latinos make up about 15 percent of the enrollment.

Ideally, dual language classes are a 50/50 split of native Chinese and native English speakers, but native English speakers make up roughly two-thirds of the school population. About one-third of the teachers are fluent in Mandarin.

The new Asian immigrant population at the school is declining a little. As a result, teachers are changing how they deliver lessons, from the more lecture-based style used in China to the more discussion-based style students are used to from their middle schools in New York. The shift has not been welcome by all teachers, and their discontent shows up on school surveys. 

The school reached 100 percent on its four-year graduation rate for the first time in 2017. This is significant given it is mostly a low-income population. Almost all children are prepared for college-level work, as shown on tests developed by City University of New York.

One element of college readiness can be seen in the school culture outside the classroom. Students seek help from older students, who serve as peer mentors, and are encouraged to make appointments with teachers for tutoring. They also meet in student-led study groups during their free periods. Working in study groups and asking for help are skills that have been shown to be helpful in college, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal that cites several research studies. 

While in high school, students may take college classes at New York University, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Baruch or Hunter. NYU undergraduates provide assistance with writing. The Chinese American Planning Council (CPC) offers work opportunities and an after-school program.

The school was founded in 2003 and moved into the old Seward Park High School building in 2004. It occupies the fifth floor and shares the building with four other schools: New Design High School, Essex Street Academy, Lower Manhattan Arts Academy and Urban Assembly Academy of Government and Law.

High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies uses one section of the cafeteria and the swimming pool. There are two gymnasiums, but some children must take gym on Saturday due to scheduling, according to an administrator. Students from all five schools may join PSAL sports teams.

Top graduates have gone on to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NYU, and have won scholarships for Georgetown and Cornell. Many go on to CUNY colleges. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interviews, March 2018)

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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?
 
99%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
97%
Average daily attendance
 
98%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
5%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

369
Number of students
Citywide Average is 617

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
79%
Students with disabilities
 
7%
Multilingual learners
 
12%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
93%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
15%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
10%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
62%
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?
 
86%
2.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
187
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?
 
65%
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

 
15%

Computer Science

Not offered in 2021-21

Physics

 
14%

Advanced Foreign Language

 
32%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
42%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
29%

Music

Not offered in 2021-21
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?
 
97%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
100%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
87%
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?
 
74%
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?
 
86%
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

High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies (M59A)

Admissions Method: Screened: Language & Academics

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Mandarin

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP English Language and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Physics (Advanced Science), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), 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: Meesun John

Parent Coordinator: Maureen Hickey

Phone: 212-475-4097

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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