Finding the right school is hard for every New York City parent, but it’s especially hard for parents of children with significant disabilities. Now, InsideSchools has made it a little easier for parents to evaluate more than 50 special schools that cater to children with autism, emotional...
Now is the time for rising 8th-graders to start focusing on their high school search. The Department of Education is kicking off high school admissions season with a series of information sessions this month in all boroughs. DOE officials will talk families through the application process and...
Prepare for a stroller brigade at some public schools next fall. 3-K-for-all, the mayor's new initiative to enroll three-year-olds in school is launching this summer in Districts 7 (South Bronx) and 23 (Brownsville, East New York, Ocean Hill). The city is starting the program in districts which...
Earlier this month, the New York City Department of Education (DOE) released a long-awaited plan designed to increase diversity in the city’s public schools. Noteworthy in the plan are two numeric goals the DOE proposes to use as “yardsticks” to measure their progress. Outside observers have...
The wait is over for students who applied for a gifted and talented (G&T) seat in kindergarten – 3rd grade for 2017. More than half of those who applied—54 percent—got an offer, the city’s Department of Education reported. That’s similar to last year, when 53 percent got offers. Sixty-five...
We’re happy to announce the launch of the all new InsideSchools website, chock-full of new features for parents of children in pre-kindergarten through high school. The site, designed and built by the Brooklyn creative agency Radish Lab, packs an astonishing amount of information into an...
Q: I have been going back and forth on this for weeks and making everyone around me crazy because of my indecision. Decision Day is coming up soon and I have a big choice. I am a strong student and was accepted by four colleges. Three schools rejected me, but they are Ivies, so I'm not that...
Nearly 30 percent of the 35,000 children who took "gifted and talented" assessments in January scored high enough to qualify for one of the city's G&T programs. But, once again, the highest percentage of eligible students come from middle class districts in Queens, brownstone Brooklyn and...
Stand on the corner of 116th Street and Lenox Avenue in Harlem early on a school day morning, and you'll see a steady stream of children leaving the neighborhood by bus and subway. Some parents call this daily exodus the "Harlem diaspora." They may live in the neighborhood, but they don't...
If you're one of the 4,800 8th-graders who didn't get a high school placement last week (or if you didn't like the placement you got) you may want to consider a charter school. Most charter schools start in the elementary or middle schools grades—and don't accept students in 9th grade—but a few...
For the second year in a row, Francis Lewis High School in Queens, a huge, successful neighborhood high school that offers a plethora of programs for all students, got more applications from 8th-graders than any other school in the city, according to data released by the Department of Education...
If your child didn't get the kindergarten spot you asked for, try to stay calm. Waitlists at sought-after schools move over the spring and summer. We have seen it happen year after year. Children get offers on a rolling basis as families make final choices. Hang in there. The city sent out...
If you’re an 8th-grader who wasn’t matched with a high school, you’re not alone. This year roughly 4,800 (out of nearly 77,000) students did not receive a match and will need to apply to high schools with open seats during Round 2 of admissions. Applications are due March 28. The Round 2 high...
*UPDATE 3/10/17: High school decisions are out! We're impressed by all the supportive words and advice our readers are sharing with each other. Join the discussion in the comments section below and also check out and comment on our annual post of Round 2 picks. The wait is almost over. High...
By Leila Morsy and Richard Rothstein As many as one in 10 African American students has an incarcerated parent. One in four has a parent who is or has been incarcerated. The discriminatory incarceration of African American parents is an important cause of their children’s lowered performance,...
Learn about your public school options from Clara Hemphill, InsideSchools founder. She is offering two free workshops in Manhattan next week and presenting her new book, NYC's Best Public Pre-K and Elementary Schools. Come to the Upper West Side on Monday, Feb. 6, at 6 pm for the workshop at...
Winter is the perfect time to think about summer activities for children. In fact, deadlines are coming quickly for many of the city's free programs. Summer is a great time for children to explore a new challenge or continue to sharpen their areas of strength. Not sure how to find the right...
Got a 4-year-old? Now's the time to apply to pre-kindergarten. We've compiled a list of best bets, based on our visits and intel on schools most likely to have space. Before reading on, see more details about the process on our post, Pre-k picks: Manhattan & the Bronx BROOKLYN Fort Greene,...
It's gone from famine to feast in recent years: Parents once faced with too few pre-k options may now wade through a world of choices. Let us help you narrow the list with some promising new programs and schools we can recommend in every borough. Note: If a great program is hopelessly...
*Q: I am a high school junior, and recently failed 4 out of 7 classes I am taking. Last year, as a sophomore, I also failed English. But I got a 1270 on the PSAT, so I'm in the 90th percentile there. I wonder, conceivably, if I turn my act around, will I have a chance to get into a state school...
Stay focused, parents of kids born in 2013—the pre-kindergarten application season is in full swing. You may apply between now and February 24. All applications are considered equally no matter when they are submitted, so there's no benefit in rushing it. For in-person help, join us at our free...
Q: I have gotten accepted into two universities that I like: one is a prestigious private university, the other a prestigious state university. Both are highly ranked but the private university has the advantage in rankings. On the flip side, it is much more expensive and I can't gauge which one...
Pre-Kindergarten applications for children turning 4-years-old this year are due on Friday, Feb. 24. Let us help you get informed and ready. Sign up for our free workshop at Rutgers Community Programs at 236 W. 73rd Street on Feb. 6 at 6 pm. Join Clara Hemphill and the staff of InsideSchools as...
If you have a child who will turn five in 2017, now is the time to apply to kindergarten for the school year starting in September. Your child is guaranteed a seat regardless of when you enroll, but you'll have the best chance of getting into a school of your choice if you apply by Jan. 13. If...
Here’s why you should support InsideSchools with an online gift today: We visit schools in the snow and rain. We’re independent. We’re parents (we get it). We don’t sugarcoat. We know test scores don’t tell the whole story. We avoid jargon. We call 'em like we see 'em. We do our best to...
For nearly two decades, parents have looked to Clara Hemphill to help them find a good public school for their child. This Fourth Edition of "New York City's Best Public Pre-K and Elementary Schools A Parents' Guide" features all-new reviews of more than 150 of the city's best public elementary...
The City can do much more to foster economic integration of elementary schools than the small scale efforts it has made to date. That's the conclusion of our new report, Five Steps to Integrated Schools, based on our visits to 150 schools across the city over the past two years. Mayor Bill de...
Middle school and high school applications are due on Dec. 1! Have we helped you in your search? It's a tough task – and a rewarding one. You trust us; you turn to us for help. This #GivingTuesday we're turning to you! InsideSchools is a tiny non-profit group. We can't provide the free...
Q: This is a pretty sticky situation. I dropped out of high school to homeschool myself without credit some time ago, using online high school and college-level courses and books, and I've had nobody to help me with college applications or getting into programs. I'm very interested in physics and...
The Center for New York City Affairs and InsideSchools present a Nov. 30 panel discussion based on an upcoming report: "How to Make Our Schools More Integrated." We will present our findings and recommendations for better socio-economic integration of the city's public elementary schools, with a...
Q: I didn’t apply to any school by the November 1, early action deadline. Guess I’ve blown it, right? A: No. True, many students apply to college under Early Action or Early Decision. But MOST students apply to MOST schools later. On the one hand, you have missed the advantages of Early...
Have you finalized your your list for the high school application yet? The Dec. 1 deadline is almost here. If you still are undecided about where to apply, or how to rank your 12 choices, we've got last minute tips for you. First, read our latest high school admissions guide, which includes...
After two years of contentious public meetings, the Community Education Council, an elected panel of parents, has come up with a courageous and long overdue plan to ease overcrowding and foster racial and economic integration of three elementary schools in District 3 on Manhattan’s Upper West...
Applying to elementary school in NYC has been compared to having a second job, but things may just have gotten a bit easier for families. For the first time, the Department of Education is staging “It’s Elementary!” admissions events in all 32 city school districts beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 1....
New York City is one of the most segregated school systems in the country, but some schools buck the trend and enroll a mix of children of different races and income levels. How do they do it? And how can their success be replicated? The staff of InsideSchools, a project of the Center for New...
We all hear about the highly selective schools that only take ace testers and "A" students. But what happens to solid students who don’t make the cut? The InsideSchools staff compiled a list of our picks for the “B” student. These schools offer solid instruction as well as accelerated, college...
Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration recently announced that a number of charter and district schools will become partners this school year in exchanging ideas and best practices. The subject of school discipline offers fertile territory—what we do when things go wrong. While suspension numbers...
New York City has been called one of the most segregated school systems in the country, but some schools buck the trend and enroll a mix of children of different races and income levels. InsideSchools visited more than 80 racially and economically integrated elementary schools in the past year....
Q: This is my senior year. I moved to the US from Vietnam in the second semester of my sophomore year. I attend a large, pretty crowded public high school and my parents knew nothing about schooling in the U.S. So my classes are not the strongest in the school and I haven't done ANY activities...
One thing I noticed during my ten-month long career as a 5th-grader is that parents often get confused with the definition of a “good school.” Parents, there is no such thing as a “good school.” There may be a good school for your child, but there is no all-around exemplary school. Even the most...
One day last school year, a girl in Fanny Roman's kindergarten class at PS 244 in Flushing, Queens arrived bubbling with excitement about her new shoes. With Roman's encouragement, she began tracing classmates' feet on paper and constructing "shoes," using pipe cleaners for laces. Her enthusiasm...
Our 6th-grade blogger Nathaniel Cain checks in with a report after his first full week of middle school in Brooklyn. On Thursday, the first day of school, I was VERY, VERY nervous. I didn't know anyone—except one friend, who was in a different class. It turned out great—all my teachers are...
Got an 8th-grader at home? You must be in the throes of high school admissions, sorting out your selections and visiting schools. Our advice: Take a deep breath, check out our tips for making the most of your high school search and register for our final fall high school workshop, "Best bets for...
Got an 8th-grader at home? Then you must be gearing up for high school admissions. Our advice: Check out our tips and handy action plan for making the most of your high school search and register for our fall high school admissions workshops! Insider tips on specialized high schools: September...
Q: In high school, I was sure I wanted to enter the police force, so I attended a police academy for two years. But then I realized this was not the right career for me, and I left the academy. Now I want to apply to a regular college, but am really worried about this. Will my chances of...
The call to our home came a few months into my older son's freshman year at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, the performing arts public high now under fire for prioritizing academics over talent. "This is Dr. Barbara Rowes, and I have something to tell...
Applying to middle school—a process that begins in the fall of 5th grade—can be stressful if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s very important that you stay on task. My name is Nathaniel Cain and I am a soon-to-be 6th-grader at MS 51, the William Alexander School in Brooklyn’s District 15. I...
By Katie Radvany and Kaia Tien If you’re a rising freshman, you’re probably already freaking out about your first day of high school. But everyone is just as terrified as you are. You might think everyone is going to be in a competition to rise to the top of the social strata, but being at the...
The first few months of 8th grade can be a hectic time for kids and parents. It’s easy to lose track of all you have to do for high school admissions. Our advice to rising 8th-graders and families: Don’t wait until September to start your high school search. Summer is a great time to start...
by Karra Puccia During 10 months of the year, hundreds of thousands of New York City kids eat free school breakfasts and lunches. These meals constitute a vital lifeline for families with already-stretched food budgets. So for many such families, the June 28th last day of public school classes...
Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Monica Disare on June 27, 2016 When people think of Coney Island, they often picture a beachline with brightly colored roller coasters and hot dog stands, but high school teacher Lane Rosen sees it a laboratory for the next generation of marine...
by Nicole Mader, Bruce Cory, and Celeste Royo The most recent Urban Matters ("Tough Test Ahead: Bringing Diversity to New York's Specialized High Schools") reported on patterns of racial and ethnic admission to some of the city's most prestigious secondary schools and how admissions might more...
By Bruce Cory, editorial advisor and Nicole Mader, data analyst at the Center for New York City Affairs. There’s a longstanding debate about why so few Black and Hispanic students are admitted to New York City’s specialized high schools, including Stuyvesant, Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech....
The last time you read about PS 191 in the news it probably wasn't a happy story. Over the past year, the school has been at the center of a neighborhood in turmoil over rezoning and all the community angst that comes with it. But last Friday, as Principal Lauren Keville and a PS 191...
by Barbara Glassman, Executive Director, INCLUDEnyc The just-released 2017 New York City High School directory has a whole new look. It features more pleasing graphics, and information that is clearer and easier to understand. While we at INCLUDEnyc support the DOE's efforts to bring more...
It's time for 7th-graders to be thinking about applying to high school. The Department of Education announced key dates for rising 8th-graders including its annual series of July high school admissions information sessions. The 2017 high school directory is online, and paper copies are available...
Fewer students received offers to gifted and talented programs this year than any year in recent memory—and that's a good thing according to the Department of Education. Fifty-three percent of students who qualified for G&T in grades k–3 and applied received offer letters last week, down from...
Q: I hope you can answer this before school closes for the summer. It would help settle a family dispute! Our son is finishing his junior year of high school. He's a good student, B/B+ average—not at the top of his class, but probably in the top quarter. He has to apply to college next fall, and...
Pre-kindergarten offer letters went out earlier this month to nearly 68,000 city children born in 2012, and 85 percent got an offer to one of their top three choices; 71 percent to their first choice. Those who didn't get a seat at one of the schools they listed on their application were assigned...
Q: Do you recommend that we send colleges our child's first round of ACT scores? Of course, we don't know how he did, but he seemed to feel confident about it. In addition, his practice test scores had him scoring at the 98th percentile. A: You do not say if your child is a high school junior—I...
All 31 city school districts will offer gifted and talented (G&T) elementary school programs next fall—although in districts 7, 12, 16 and 23, G&T will begin in 3rd grade, not kindergarten. In response to the clamor around the city for more programs in poor and primarily Black and Latino...
Q: I was waitlisted at my top school (Cornell), as well as two other schools (UPenn and Dartmouth). Realistically, what are my chances of getting into Cornell from their waitlist? My major is biomedical engineering (with a minor in animal science) and I am female. I got into my "targets" and...
Eight years ago, as a brand-new bilingual special education teacher, Ruby had some clear ideas about the kind of school that would match her skills—and her passion for her students. "I wanted a small English-and-Spanish dual language school with a positive culture," she said. Using...
There's been a lot of talk on the Upper West Side about "controlled choice" as a way to ease racial and economic segregation in the elementary schools. The idea, proposed by a group called District 3 Task Force for Education Equity, is to get rid of school attendance zones and assign children to...
Q: I am in 10th grade and starting to think about preparing for college admission. This year, some of my friends took the new SAT. But at this point I don’t know if I should prepare for the SAT or take the ACT. Which would look better for college? A: To colleges, the SAT and the ACT “look” the...
Got a 7th-grader at home? Relax. High school admissions season doesn't kick in until the fall, so you can spend the next few months preparing for, rather than stressing over, the process. Our advice: Make sure your 7th grader keeps up with her work and gets to school on time every day. Many high...
It seems like every day I read another account of persistent segregation in public schools. They point to one conclusion: No political system or bureaucrat is going to integrate our schools for us. In the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the Bed-Stuy Parents Committee did not...
The Bed-Stuy Parents Committee is a group of about 250 neighborhood parents who are choosing to work together to help improve the district's schools where they hope to enroll their children. Shaila Dewan, one of the parent organizers, shared advice for those looking to do the same in other parts...
Kindergarten letters went out today to the more than 69,000 families of 5-year-olds who applied by January 20 for admission to kindergarten in September, 2016. Seventy-one percent of the applicants got an offer from their first choice, similar tolast year's 72 percent, according to the Department...
Huge neighborhood schools in Queens topped the list of the 20 most sought-after high schools in 2016, according to data released by the Department of Education today. That's not surprising in a borough where most popular high schools are over-crowded and operating with staggered start...
If you're a rising 9th- or 10-grader who wasn’t matched with a high school this week, here's what to do: You need to apply to schools with open seats during Round 2 of admissions. Applications are due March 18. Get to the Round 2 fairs scheduled for next weekend, March 12 and 13, 11 am–2 pm at...
High school acceptance letters arrived Friday for the more than 75,000 8th-graders who submitted applications in December. Ninety-three percent of them went home knowing they were accepted by a high school; the remaining 7 percent came up empty-handed and must apply again, choosing from a list of...
Applications for pre-kindergarten for all children born in 2012 are due March 9. The city says it will guarantee a seat for all 4-year-olds but it doesn't guarantee where! Many of the most popular zoned schools in Brooklyn have room only for children who live in the zone. We've compiled a...
Deep breath, the wait is almost over. High school decision letters will be distributed in middle schools starting this Friday, March 4 according to the Department of Education. “I cannot sleep, eat, or think,” wrote one anxious student who is hoping to get into Bard High School...
Applications for pre-kindergarten for all children born in 2012 are due next Wednesday, March 9 (The Department of Education extended the deadline to apply from March 4.) For those still looking, we can recommend some pre-k programs. [Brooklyn picks are in a separate post.] While some of the most...
Fifth-graders unhappy with their middle school choices now have a few more options. The Department of Education announced several new middle school programs slated to open in September 2016. Most of the options are not new schools, but rather new dual language programs opening in established...
If you want to see some schools that work—maybe to get some ideas for your own child's school—you might want to take a look at some of the showcase schools that the Department of Education is promoting. The idea of the showcase schools is for teachers to share best practices, but it's also a...
Did you know all children may attend a free, full-day pre-kindergarten the year they turn 4? The window of time to apply in 2016 is from Jan. 25 to March 4. That's six weeks! Plenty of time to scroll our site and then tour your favorite pre-kindergarten classrooms in person. Programs are...
Q: I'm thinking about transferring from a private to a public school in the middle of my senior year. If I do end up transferring, will this affect the college applications I've already sent? And if so, will this have a heavy impact? A: The answer is yes! Transferring from one school to another...
Applying to pre-kindergarten for fall 2016? If your child turns 4 this year, he or she is eligible for free pre-kindergarten, either in a public school or at a site run by a community organization. But what is the quality of these programs and how can you choose the one that works best for your...
Got a child born in 2011? Get your kindergarten application in by Wednesday, Jan. 20. The original due date of Jan. 15 was extended to give more parents a chance to get their applications in. Full-day kindergarten is guaranteed—and required—in New York City for all children who turn 5 during...
Q: I failed my geometry class for one grading period, but I am a straight A student for everything else. Is there any way for me to get accepted by a pretty good college? A: Short answer: Yes. Longer answer: Sounds like you had a tough time with your math class, but you are a hard-working...
by Clara Hemphill and Nicole Mader In multi-ethnic New York City, why are so many elementary schools segregated by race and class? For years, school officials and researchers have assumed that school segregation merely reflects segregated housing patterns—because most children attend their zoned...
Q: I just read your comments about the the National Student Leadership Conference (NSLC) programs. My daughter and son have received so many different "opportunities" and it is indeed difficult to discern the value of these programs. So what is your opinion about Model United Nations (MUN)...
by Rachel Howard, Lori Podvesker, Albert Martinez and Todd Dorman of INCLUDEnyc All 8th-graders have a rough time applying to high schools in New York City, but for the 15,000 8th-graders with disabilities—out of 270,000 total students with disabilities—the application process is even harder....
Hugo was diagnosed with autism at a very young age. By the end of 8th grade, he was ready to leave a small program for students on the autism spectrum, but he knew he'd still need counseling and other services in high school. Insideschools helped him narrow his search. "When you click on the...
If your child was born in 2011, it's time to be thinking about kindergarten for 2016. You may apply online, on the phone or in person at a Department of Education Family Welcome Center between Dec. 7-Jan. 15. If you're wondering where to start, Insideschools can help. We're offering a...
A multiracial group of parents in Harlem is working to reinvent their neighborhood school — with none of the rancor that has pitted newcomers and longtime residents against one another in other parts of the city. If you want to see the school for yourself, go to an open house Wednesday, Nov. 25,...
Kindergarten application season will soon be in full swing—just around the time you’ve digested the last of your leftover stuffing. All families with a child born in 2011 should apply between Dec. 7-Jan. 15, 2016. For most families, this means scheduling tours, pouring through Insideschools...
High school applications are due on Tuesday, Dec. 1. Have you made your list yet? If you are still undecided where to apply, or how to rank your 12 choices, we've got last minute tips for you. Read our school profiles for every high school in the city, including the InsideStats section that...
If you have an 8th-grader, you're in the final throes of applying to high school. You've attended the fairs, visited schools, watched our videos, read our school profiles and marked key pages of the big school directory. What comes next? You've got to make final decisions and fill out an...
Applying to high school in New York City is a confusing process and there is a lot of misinformation out there. In a wide-ranging discussion last year at the New School, our panel of experts took a look at some of the most common myths—and busted them. We decided to rerun them for this year's...
In this week's column, I would like to ask readers who are considering which colleges to apply to, to also consider another issue in the world of higher education: the persistent abuse of academic labor. As I write this, in New York City, members of CUNY (City University of New York) faculty and...
On a typical weekday morning, Cynthia Caban wakes up at 5:15 am to begin her daily commute. Her family lives in the Parkchester section of the Bronx, but her 5th-grader goes to school at TAG (Talented and Gifted) Young Scholars in Manhattan, one of five citywide gifted and talented programs....
(This article first appeared on the Urban Matters blog at the [Center for NYC Affairs at the New School](administrator/index.php?option=comk2&view=item&cid=1001036))._ Everyone knows gentrification causes friction. And as recent clashes over proposed changes to attendance zones in...
The Department of Education is certainly keeping parents—and schools—on their toes this year: Families of children born in 2011 will apply to kindergarten between Dec. 7 and Jan. 15, with notifications set to come out in mid-March, a month earlier than last year. The takeaway for parents is...
With high school admissions season nearing the halfway mark, now’s a great time for 8th and 9th grade families to take stock of what still needs to get done. Hopefully by now you have gotten organized and signed up for school tours and open houses. Make sure to get to the borough high school...
A few days before the start of school in September, Ilise Alba was surprised to learn via email that her rising 4th-grader had not qualified for gifted and talented admission (G&T). “His teacher’s feeling was that he should be eligible and going to one of these programs,” Alba said. Still,...
If you’re thinking of applying to a gifted and talented program in New York City for your child currently in pre-k to 2nd grade, the time is now: The G&T application season is open and the sooner you sign up, the better your chances are of getting your preferred test date. The first step is...