PS 171 has consistently good test scores and a traditional approach to learning. Pupils wear uniforms and quietly march through the hallways in double lines. Huge charts detailing the school's standards and expectations are hung on the walls of the century-old building, along with bulletin boards filled with children's work. Children's artwork from Studio in the School, a nonprofit organization that sends artists into schools to teach, and digital pictures of students involved in the Chess in the Schools program line most of the hallways. The school also has an affiliation with the Museum of the City of New York, which is right next door, and the 92nd Street Y, to which students take frequent trips.

A parent writes that for the last four years, Principal Pantelides has "worked tirelessly to continue the upward growth in achievement for all students." She continues, "The school maintains a... read more