The High School of Hospitality Management has a good record of graduating students on time--even those who enter 9th grade reading well below grade level.

The name is confusing: New students regularly arrive thinking “Hospitality” (often abbreviated “Hosp.” in DOE communications) refers to hospitals, and many are surprised to learn they won’t be studying health care. Others mistakenly think the school is a Career and Technical Education (CTE) school that will train them to work in hotels or restaurants. In truth, High School of Hospitality Management is a rather traditional high school--albeit one with an impressive kitchen.

Students (most of whom are female) take a regular Regents-prep curriculum. They also choose courses in culinary arts, business, hospitality or STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). For example, a chef teaches the basics of commercial food preparation in a large, industrial kitchen. In a “virtual enterprise” center, students run a simulated fashion business.

The culinary and hospitality courses don’t give students enough skills to step immediately into career-track jobs in restaurants or hotels, but they do provide a taste of what such careers entail.

One student, Pamela, had no interest in the hospitality industry before she arrived at the school. “Now I love it. I want to do it as a career,” she said. “I like to talk to people. I like to make them feel welcome.”

On our visit, most students seemed focused and attentive to the lessons taught by a competent and experienced faculty. Matthew Corallo, principal since 2007, said his aim is to create an academic culture where “it’s cool to be smart, it’s safe to be smart." [Note, Yves Mompoint replaced Matthew Corallo in September 2012.] We saw some lively teaching: English classes often incorporate a theatrical element, helping bring alive novels such as Fahrenheit 451 or To Kill a Mockingbird.

ENACT, a community-based organization, provides counseling for depression, substance abuse, faculty conflicts or poor study habits. “We really do take a hard look at every kid individually,” Corallo said. “Most of the kids feel they have somebody they can talk to. They have somebody they can reach out to.”

The school shares the Park West complex with Facing History School, Manhattan Bridges High School, Food and Finance High School, Urban Assembly School of Design and Construction and PS 138 (a small school for severely disabled students). The schools take turns using the shared cafeterias, gyms, auditorium and library. Students must pass through metal detectors, but the halls and classes of Hospitality Management seemed in large part orderly and safe. (More than 90 percent of Hospitality Management students responding to the Learning Environment Survey said they feel safe.)

One male student said the gender imbalance is “not really a big deal,” in part because many campus social activities or sports teams involve students from other high schools. The school uniform (blue or burgundy tops, black or gray pants) is liberally interpreted.

The school’s small size limits the number of electives, and Corallo said he eliminated Advanced Placement (AP) courses because he felt his teachers weren’t getting enough training to be proper AP instructors.

Special education: Students with special needs are taught alongside general-education students in Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classes, which feature two teachers (one of whom is certified to teach special education). Special-needs students also receive outside help as needed from specialists and may take specialized classes for Regents test preparation.

Admissions: The school is limited unscreened, open to students in all boroughs. Priority is given to students who attend an open house. (Skip Card, May 2012)