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Hudson River Middle School (I.S. 289)

Grades: 6-8
Staff Pick
201 Warren Street
Manhattan NY 10282
Phone: 212-571-9268

Our Insights

What’s Special

Lovely building and curriculum based on projects, not tests

The Downside

Emphasis on project-based work may not be for everyone

At IS 289 Hudson River Middle School students work together on ambitious, creative projects that often incorporate a social justice theme. They call teachers by their first names and learn to design their own homework assignments. Students learn to work independently, manage time effectively and share what they have learned with confidence, according to the city’s evaluation of the school called the Quality Review.

IS 289, which shares a building with PS 89, was built by the Battery Park City Authority in 1998. The elementary school serves the neighborhood children, but the middle school is open to students from all of District 2. One of the most attractive physical plants in the city, the spacious hallways have nooks and steps. Students can spread out into the Battery Park ballfields for recess, afterschool and interscholastic sporting events, according to the school’s website.

Textbooks are used sparingly, and classrooms have libraries “rich with trade books, both fiction and non-fiction, maps, illustrations,” the school’s Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) said. “Students also conduct research through well-informed internet searches and trips to museums and other sites of interest in the city.”

Sixth graders get extra help in learning how to collaborate, plan and prepare. Every child has a color-coded planner and an “academic coach” who meets with them twice a month.

Students are encouraged to complete complex interdisciplinary projects—and their grades are based on these, rather than traditional tests, according to the CEP. For example, 8th graders carried out a year-long research project on “how to take action and support health of our planet,” according to the school’s What’s Happening blog. Students may study the ecology of the Hudson River or learn about discrimination faced by different races and ethnic groups who moved to New York City over the years in social studies.

The Quality Review said the projects reflect the school’s high expectations and academic rigor. But a few parents and students posting comments on the InsideSchools website grumble that projects can overburden some while allowing others to skate by without contributing or learning as much.

Principal Zeynep Ozkan, who holds a degree in biology from Boston College and a master's degree in education from Harvard University, gets high marks on school surveys from teachers, who praise the school’s supportive and collaborative environment. Hudson, the school’s comfort dog, helps bring smiles to students and staff throughout the day, according to the school’s website.

Special education: The school offers team-teaching, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and counseling.

Admissions: The administration is committed to having a range of academic abilities, a mix of children from different ethnic groups and income levels and a geographic distribution of children within District 2. The school does not consider test scores in admission, but does look at a child’s attendance and 4th grade report card.  (Nicole Mader, web reports, March 2019)

Read more

School Stats

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

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
86%
78% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
43%
58% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
88%
84% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
4% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
84%
79% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
9.1

How do students perform academically?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
82%
46% Citywide Average
How many middle school students scored 3-4 on the state reading exam?
74%
51% Citywide Average

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
23%
39% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
239
Asian
39%
Black
6%
Hispanic
14%
White
31%
Other
10%
Free or reduced priced lunch
44%
Students with disabilities
21%
English language learners
2%

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
94%
90% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
17%
38% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

Uniforms required?
No

How does this school serve special populations?

From the New York State 2022-2023 Assessment Database

How many English language learners scored 3-4 on the state math exam?
0%
15% Citywide Average


For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Contact & Location

Location

Financial District (District 2)
Trains: R Line to City Hall; E Line to World Trade Center; 4 Line, 5 Line, J Line, Z Line to Fulton St-Broadway-Nassau; 1 Line, 2 Line, 3 Line, A Line, C Line to Chambers St
Buses: BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BxM18, M103, M20, M22, M5, M9, QM11, QM25, QM7, QM8, X1, X10, X10B, X11, X12, X15, X17, X17A, X19, X27, X28, X3, X4, X7, X8, X9

Contact

Principal
Zeynep Ozkan
Parent Coordinator
Anne Albright

Other Details

Shared campus?
Yes
This school shares a building with PS 89
Uniforms required?
No
Metal detectors?
No

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