MARCH 2009 UPDATE: The Department of Education announced that MS 44 will begin to phase out in June 2009 and close permanently in June 2011.  MS 44 will not admit an incoming 6th grade; current students in grades 6-7 will continue through 8th grade as the school phases out.  The Computer School, which is currently located at MS 44, will be joined by the Anderson School, a selective K-8 school, and West Prep Academy, a new middle school, in September 2009.

OCTOBER 2007 REVIEW: Until recently, MS 44 had a reputation for violence and a revolving door of principals with five principals in five years. Now, under the leadership of Liza Ortiz, MS 44 has a calmer atmosphere, a smaller enrollment, and fewer kids with behavior problems. Teachers say they can concentrate on improving academic achievement.

Ortiz, named principal in 2006, established a school-wide discipline code of rules and consequences for breaking them. In her first year as principal, she said she aggressively reported infractions both large and small. This aggressive reporting put MS 44 on the state's list of "persistently dangerous" schools, but it also brought a level of discipline to the school. Corridors may still be loud during class changes, and we heard students cursing and complaining about having things stolen from them, but the classrooms we saw were orderly.

The enrollment of the school has decreased by half, making the building more manageable. Ortiz also pressured the Department of Education to assign fewer students with behavior problems to MS 44. She replaced half of the teachers, whom she believed had low expectations for students. "Some teachers may not have asked the kids to do more," she said. "If you look around, they are not here." Teachers who survived the transition appreciate the changes; one told us that there is now "a learning environment for teachers that has never been here in the history of the school," with teachers receiving ongoing training on how to plan together and identify the students who need the most help.

Parent organizations have also found support under the consistent leadership. "Having [Ortiz] there for over a year, we've learned how to work together," said Kathy Grajales, Parent Association president at the time of our visit. "That's what we needed." Parents are focusing on maintaining the school's science theme and making the school more attractive to families from the neighborhood, who generally do not choose the school. The Parent Association also coordinates part of the after school program.

We saw some excellent teaching and engaged students, such as in a 6th science class where students were working in groups to manipulate levers and in a 7th grade math class that included children with special needs. In other classes, teachers were friendly but less unimaginative. In one 8th grade social studies class, kids read aloud from a textbook.

At the end of 6th grade, students select between two houses: Environmental Studies and Leadership through Social Advocacy. Each house has its own counselor and activities: In Social Advocacy, kids participate in a Model UN program, tutor young children at nearby PS 87, and contribute to charity. Environmental studies students participate in a program run by NASA and a partnership with the nearby American Museum of Natural History. While academic work often reflects the house theme, the curriculum is consistent between the houses. Teachers say having a set curriculum in English has allowed them to give more attention to helping their students, and other departments are creating curricula of their own. A student government tackles issues that affect students school-wide.

Ortiz has an ambitious agenda for continuing to improve the school. She wants to set up students advisories, which are small discussion groups led by a teacher, offer more art electives and establish partnerships with outside organizations that will bring more creative learning programs into the classroom. Also on the agenda is to make Regents-level courses available to all students. Currently, only the top class of students takes Regents science in 8th grade.

Unlike many other District 3 middle schools, including the Computer School, which shares the building, MS 44 doesn't have the luxury of being selective. Still, Ortiz said she tries to seek out kids whose families want to be involved. "What I look at mostly is support of the family," she said. "If there's a willingness to work with us, we'll work with families."

For high school, students shoot for the High School for Environmental Studies, Jackie Kennedy Onassis, and the small schools in the Martin Luther King building. In fact, some top MS 44 students take high school classes in the MLK complex.

After school: The school has a business club and the Children's Arts and Sciences Workshop, a non-profit organization, runs an after school program. The student government plans parties and special events and there are sports teams that compete in the middle school athletic league.

Special education: One-third of students receive special education services. The school offers SETSS (special education teacher support services), self-contained classes for student with special needs only and collaborative team taught (CTT) classes, where two teachers work with a group of special- and general education students.

Admissions: District 3 middle school choice process. (Philissa Cramer, October 2007)

M.S. 44 has been removed from the state's list of <i>Persistently Dangerous Schools</i>.  Find more information on the 2009/2010 list here.

The New York Times reports that MS 44, which has been on the city's list of dangerous schools and received a D this year, will be phased out over two years.  According to the Times, this will allow current students to graduate while new 6th-graders will enter a new middle school, under different leadership, in the same building.  The Daily News reports opposing student reactions to the news of the school closing.

State Education Commisioner Richard Mills announced in August that MS 44 will remain on the state's list of  "persistently dangerous" schools for the 2008-2009 school year.

MS 44 has been added to the state's list of "persistently dangerous" schools, meaning that for two years the school has reported a high ratio of violent incidents to students. (August 2007)