Filling out the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step for most students seeking financial support for college. But the form can be complicated and intimidating, particularly for students. Many fill out the form themselves and have...
Tom Liam Lynch, a leading scholar and practitioner working at what he calls “the intersection of education, technology, and policy,” will become the new director of education policy and editor-in-chief of InsideSchools at the Center for New York City Affairs (CNYCA) at The New School. He is...
A previous version of this story ran in October 2018. It has been updated with new information for October 2019. Here are some good middle school options that accept students from all over Queens and, in a few cases, Brooklyn. Also consider schools that are open to children citywide. This list...
A previous version of this story ran in October 2018. It has been updated with new information for October 2019. Here are some good middle school options that accept students from all over Brooklyn and, in a few cases, Queens. Also consider schools that are open to children citywide. This list...
A previous version of this story ran in October 2018. It has been updated with new information for October 2019. Beginning in 2019, all Bronx middle schools are open to students borough-wide. Here's our list of best bets for middle schools in the Bronx. Also consider schools that accept children...
A previous version of this story ran in October 2018. It has been updated with new information for October 2019. Here are some good middle school options that accept students from all over Manhattan. Also consider schools that are open to children citywide. This list does not include charter...
If your child has special needs, applying to high school can be an especially daunting task. The information you need to make good choices may not be readily available on school websites or in the high school directory. While all schools are expected to offer special education services, the...
New York City is in the midst of an intense debate about opportunity and racial and socioeconomic fairness in determining which students get to attend which public schools. Last month, the School Diversity Advisory Group appointed by Mayor Bill de Blasio recommended phasing out elementary school...
Parents of children in grades 3 to 8 who took standardized state reading and math exams this year can find their childrens' test scores at www.mystudent.nyc, the Department of Education's online portal for parents. If you haven't created an online account yet, you'll need to know your child's...
This is the first of two-part interview with InsideSchools founder, Clara Hemphill by Urban Matters, a publication from our colleagues at The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. Urban Matters: Let’s start with InsideSchools. It’s immensely popular; it's web site that gets more...
Applying to middle school in New York City can be overwhelming. Parents must wade through dozens of choices and make sense of complex admissions policies. Now, InsideSchools has a new tool to help parents find programs that may be right for their children. Building on the success of our high...
Dear readers: We’re looking for a new director of education policy and InsideSchools to help our staff carry on the research and writing that have made our website and policy reports indispensable for 1.5 million readers a year. We’re looking for someone with a deep understanding of the issues...
If your child didn't get the kindergarten spot you asked for, try to stay calm. Waitlists at 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 offers for...
If you are unhappy with your high school match, you may reapply to schools with open seats during Round 2. Keep in mind that if your are an 8th-grader and are matched with a school in Round 2, you forfeit your Round 1 match. Current 9th-graders who are offered a 10th-grade seat during Round 1 or...
There is greater demand than ever for the large, popular high schools. For the fourth year in a row, Francis Lewis in Queens took the number one spot for the most applicants of any high school in New York City—a whopping 17,440 students applied to this huge neighborhood school, compared to 10,403...
It's a nail-biting annual ritual: Roughly 78,000 8th-graders received their high school decision letters this week. This year for the first time all students received a match. Those who didn’t apply in Round 1 of high school admissions, or weren’t matched with a school they ranked on their...
A version of this story ran in February 2018. It has been updated with new information for 2019. If you want to explore your options beyond your neighborhood school, you may want to enter a lottery for a charter school. The deadline to enter the lottery for most charter schools is by April 1, so...
Recently I spoke to educator Chip Wood, a co-founder of Responsive Classroom, an approach to teaching based on the belief that students do their best learning in a classroom where they also practice cooperation, empathy, responsibility and self-control. Responsive Classroom is used in many New...
The Mayor’s School Diversity Advisory Group this week released a report making a compelling case for why racial and income integration in the public schools matters. Now the challenge is coming up with realistic plans to make it happen – and at the Center for New York City Affairs we have some...
Can your dyslexic child read grade-level books at 200 words per minute? Can your dysgraphic child write her reading response with enough supportive details? Can your disorganized child turn in homework on time without reminders? With assistive technology, students with disabilities are now able...
Starting in September more three-year-olds will be enrolled in free, full-day public school. The Department of Education will offer roughly 20,000 3-K seats across 14 community school districts by 2020. Unlike the rapid rollout of universal pre-k, the city has adopted a more measured pace for...
There are busy days ahead for us at InsideSchools. We’ll be introducing some new features while continuing our work providing parents with authoritative independent information on New York City’s public schools. In 2019 we will: Expand our reach by recruiting “parent ambassadors” to gather and...
Applying to high school in New York City has long been a daunting process, especially for students who don’t have top grades or test scores. Now, InsideSchools has a new tool for 8th-graders (and the grown-ups who help them) to find which of the city’s 700 high school programs may be right for...
Mayor Bill de Blasio faces an uphill battle in Albany in his quest to get rid of the admissions test for elite high schools including Stuyvesant and Bronx High School of Science, but there’s a lot he can do now to advance his Administration’s stated goal of increasing opportunities for talented...
It’s tricky to use data to evaluate a school, and we all wrestle with confusing and sometimes conflicting information. It’s hard to know: Will my children be safe? Are the teachers effective? Does the school prepare students for college? Now, we’ve redesigned our website to try to answer these...
Originally published in the New York Daily News. In the mostly pessimistic debate over school segregation here's a reason for optimism: For the first time in decades, we have the possibility — if not yet the reality — of integrated public schools in many neighborhoods in New York...
Q: Help! I don't think I am going to get into my dream school. I applied early action and was waitlisted. I have sent them updates, and also filed for other schools, but I am so worried about the volume of applications. What if I don't get in anywhere? A: Not getting in anywhere is every...
Applying to Pre-K? Some popular schools have hundreds of applicants for just a few seats, but we've compiled a list of promising programs that aren't hopelessly oversubscribed. Applications are due March 30. See our Pre-K guide to learn how to apply and to search by address for all Pre-K...
Got a 4-year-old? Applications for free pre-kindergarten are due March 30! This week, we're bringing you the best bets in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, based on our visits and intel on schools most likely to have space. See our Pre-K guide to learn how to apply and to search by address for...
If you're one of the 3,837 8th-graders who didn't get a high school placement this 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...
New York City offers lots of free and low-cost summer enrichment programs for children from kindergarten through high school. Kids can learn to paint at the Brooklyn Museum, canoe on the Bronx River, or build solar-powered cars in a three-week camp called Summer Engineering Experience for Kids...
We’ve long known that children of color tend to fare poorly in segregated, high-poverty schools. Now, a new study by my colleague Nicole Mader shows that even some of the richest schools in the city don’t bring black and Latino kids up to the level of performance of their white and Asian...
We asked you, our readers, what you like and what you would like us to improve. Here are our responses to the feedback you provided in our end of year survey. 1) Show the maps for school attendance zones. We’re working on a way to make the zone maps more prominent—but for now you can find...
Advocates for school integration--including parents, students and City Council members—are pressing the Department of Education to take a more aggressive approach to make schools welcoming to children of different races and ethnicities. At a Dec. 7 City Council hearing, a raft of speakers said...
New York City has 18 of the 50 richest PTAs in the nation, according to a report by the Center for American Progress. “These (50) schools serve about one-tenth of a percent of the nationwide student population while raising around 10 percent of the estimated total $425 million raised by all PTAs...
In 2013, New York City launched an array of programs designed to keep teenagers out of the foster care system. Many teens are identified for the program after they have been truant from high school. Known collectively as “teen-specialized preventive services,” the programs represent a pivotal...
This fall InsideSchools has been busy visiting lots of middle and secondary schools. Here are links to some of our latest profiles. The Bronx: Mott Hall V is a noteworthy 6-12 school with a structured environment in a modern building. Science and Technology Academy is a Mott Hall middle...
Everybody talks about the highly selective "it" high schools that only take ace testers and "A" students. But what happens to solid students who don’t make the cut? What are their options? The InsideSchools staff just published our 2017 annual list of our picks for the “B” student. These schools...
Have you finalized your your list of schools for your high school application yet? The Dec. 1 deadline is coming up. If you still are undecided about where to apply, or how to rank your 12 choices, we've got tips for you. First, read our InsideTool, Tips for filling out your application. Look...
We’ve been visiting middle schools in Upper Manhattan. Here are some of our favorites. In addition to this list, be sure to see our lists of schools that accept children from anywhere in the city. Applications are due Dec. 1. Central Park East II (grades pre-K-8), East Harlem Why we picked...
A previous version of this story ran in November 2017. It has been updated with new information for October 2018text in italic There are some strong middle school options that admit students from a wider area than their zone or district. Here are some of our favorites. Also take a look at...
We’ve been visiting middle schools in southeast Queens. Here are some of our favorites. Be sure to see our lists of schools that accept children from throughout the borough of Queens and those open to to children from anywhere in the city. Applications are due Dec. 1. District 27 (Far...
So far this week, I’ve found myself frenetically arguing about middle school admissions with the ref at a 12-and-under soccer game; on the subway with a mom I haven’t seen since my 10-year-old was in preschool (and didn’t much like at the time); and on the sidelines of a 5th birthday party, where...
Applying to middle school? Here is a month by month timeline of what to expect and what to do when. November November is the key month for 5th graders applying to middle school because you must get your application in by December 1. Review the application you get from your school's guidance...
Q:The college office at my son’s school seems overwhelmed and under-staffed. What can we do? A: This is a common problem for high school students and an issue that was widely discussed at the huge National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) conference I attended this fall in...
I’m as obsessive as any parent faced with the ridiculously complex process of applying for public kindergarten in New York City. I visited more than 100 schools before my son turned five. But I drew the line when it came to having him take a test to see if he would qualify for a “gifted and...
Originally posted on Chalkbeat by Christina Veiga on October 17, 2017 Is getting your child into a gifted-and-talented program a mark of good parenting? How you answer may depend largely on your race or ethnicity, according to new research. Allison Roda, an assistant professor of education...
Finding and applying to high school as a student with a physical disability in New York City is not easy. There are very few fully accessible high schools in the city—only about 12 percent of high schools across all five boroughs meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act. While...
Most kids in Queens go to their zoned school for grades six through eight. But if your child has a special interest or talent or you’re not happy with the school around the corner, there are other options. Here are some of our recommendations of schools that accept kids from throughout the...
Your child may not be a real live royal like bonny Prince George, but if he shares the same birth year (2013)—and lives in New York City—it’s time to start looking for a kindergarten. Applications are due January 12, 2018. Do now! Here's an action you can take today: type your address into the...
The fall of 5th grade is a busy time for families. For many of you, especially those who attend a zoned elementary school, middle school admissions may be your first encounter with school choice. For everyone, researching and applying to schools will take up a lot of your time, but if you’re...
Some elementary schools in District 1 on the Lower East Side serve mostly low-income families while others, just a few blocks away, serve many more middle class families. Parent leaders in District 1 have long lobbied for an admissions plan to even those numbers out, so that all schools serve a...
The first few months of 8th grade can be a hectic time for kids and parents, but if you’re organized, you don’t need to stress out. Here’s how InsideSchools can help you successfully navigate high school admissions. 1: Read our high school guides to find out how to apply. Review the nuts and...
If you haven’t found a middle school seat for your child at this late date or are unhappy with the one you have, don't despair. Sometimes space opens up the first week of September—as families move or change their plans. Here are some tips for landing a seat: 1: Call the schools directly. ...
Want to find a good pre-k or kindergarten program for your child? On October 5, 2017, Clara Hemphill, founder of InsideSchools and author of New York City’s Best Public Pre-K and Elementary Schools will lead a discussion about some of New York City's best public pre-kindergarten programs and...
Many middle school students spend tremendous amounts of time on test prep for the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT), with “drill and kill,” pencil and paper exercises, lectures and practice tests. A new test prep course run out of Brooklyn Tech High School takes a different...
Q: Our son is about to start his senior year in high school, and of course all the kids can talk about is college. He goes to a large public school, and is a good student – not at the top of his class, but solidly good. We think he can get into a number of fine colleges, but the cost makes us...
If your child took the English (ELA) and math state exams in 2017, you may now find the scores online on your personal school account at my.student.nyc. If you haven’t set up an account yet, or have forgotten how to log on, ask the parent coordinator at your school for help. Citywide, scores on...
Parents seeking subsidized child care for babies often hope for a spot at a licensed early education center. But almost inevitably, their babies instead wind up in subsidized home-based programs, known as family child care, where women get paid meager wages to look after neighborhood kids in...
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 your child didn't get the kindergarten spot you asked for, tune in to our InsideSchools Facebook Live on Wednesday, March 29 at 12:30 pm. InsideSchools' experts Pamela Wheaton and Lydie Raschka will talk about waitlists, how they work and how to keep in touch with preferred schools. We'll...
March 8 2018 UPDATE: High school letters go out this week. Read and comment about the 2018 high school admissions results here and our best picks for Round 2 2018 here. March 2017: 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...
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...
*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...
*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...
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...
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...
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...