Applying to kindergarten in New York City can be daunting. What’s the difference between a district and a zone? A program and a school? It may surprise many to learn you can apply to up to 12 different kindergarten programs. Now, InsideSchools has a new tool to help parents find an elementary...
As our spaces feel smaller and distance learning begins to lose any sheen of novelty it may have had, it is uplifting to see buds give way to blossoms and blooms in the city. It also occurred to me, as I walked at a proper social distance, in the park, that I knew the name of every flower and...
I was coaching a middle school team of teachers last year when I observed a 7th grade math class. The teacher, whose name for the life of me I can’t locate in my notes, was remarkable. Her approach was relatively simple. She wrote a problem on the board. Students had five minutes to solve it....
On a recent episode of the podcast, Extra Help with InsideSchools I shared some suggestions for managing students’ ELA (English language arts) instruction online and at home. One of my key suggestions is to think about helping your child with reading in four phases: denotation, connotation,...
The Department of Education recently released the results from the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). Each year, we hear how few Black students get into Stuyvesant (only 10 this year), but little is heard about the other seven schools or whether this has changed over time. To...
Every morning in my public elementary school classroom (many years ago now), I greeted each child by name as they entered the room. And at the end of the day, each student had a job to do, such as feeding the fish, sharpening pencils, dusting the shelves or watering the plants. These rituals...
These days everyone is juggling a lot of new routines and stresses. Over the past couple of weeks parents have had to become online tech experts, master schedulers and entertainment coordinators, while grappling with social isolation and for many, economic hardship. It’s important to manage...
For those of you at home with younger kids, here’s a recommendation for a lovely interlude of drawing, Monday - Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Wendy MacNaughton, who drew the illustrations for the cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, has launched #drawtogether on Instagram Live. Wendy dances onto the...
Earlier this week, we launched Extra Help with InsideSchools, a podcast series devoted to helping families and teachers in New York City navigate the move to citywide online learning and homeschooling. We created it to respond to the tons of questions from readers about the city’s response to...
Everywhere you look right now, you see stories of parents trying to figure out how to manage their child’s online learning. I’m one of those parents, too, and can share a glimpse into the reality in our home. My 10-year-old has been getting messages from teachers who are trying to learn how to...
The wait is over for 78,463 8th-graders. High school placements were sent out this week. Students will be able to see them immediately via their MySchools account. Students will also receive their letters in the mail. The percent of students receiving their first choice increased slightly this...
We’re all feeling in a state of flux as schools are closed and the New York City Department of Education (DOE) takes on the herculean task of providing online instruction to roughly one million students. To help you manage all the information and adjust to new routines, we’re keeping track of...
One of the first things we look for when we visit classrooms around the city is the daily schedule. It’s often posted on the wall near the door. In an elementary school classroom, it outlines how much time is given to math, reading, science, play and other subjects. In a middle or high school...
Allow me to take off the InsideSchools editorial hat for a second. I’m just Tom, the father of a 10-year-old who is just as overwhelmed by all the resources and links and free tools as many other parents. Not to mention my son’s frustration with the whole darn situation. Now, carefully putting...
Even amidst COVID-19, today is still St. Patrick’s Day. I taught English for six years. And it didn’t matter what I had originally planned, every year that March 17th fell on a weekday I suspended traditional instruction. On what grounds, you ask? My family is Irish. Like, Irish Irish. All my...
With schools closed until at least April 20, you are surely wondering how your students or children will possibly stay engaged and keep learning for weeks, if not months at home. Anyone who’s had to join video meetings for work knows the pitfalls of such technology...now imagine a Zoom meeting...
As anxious 8th-graders wait to find out where they’ll be going to high school next year, City Limits reports on the reality that many of them will face in September—long commutes. When I advise parents and students on the high school admissions process, I always encourage them to “block out the...
For 18 years, InsideSchools has provided an invaluable public service: free independent reviews of the city’s schools, resources for families navigating the school system, and a trustworthy perspective on the city education scene. As a project of the Center for New York City Affairs, the work of...
The pre-K landscape in NYC is constantly shifting: since last year’s application season, more than 166 programs have closed, merged, or shifted out of the DOE Universal Pre-K system, and 540 new programs have opened or expanded their grade offerings to include pre-K and/or 3-K! We’ve recently...
As I write this from my standing desk at work, it occurs to me that in hundreds of school visits over my nine years at InsideSchools, I’ve seen only two standing desks in classrooms. One was on my recent visit to PS 51, where, in a single classroom, I spotted not only a standing desk, but also...
This interview with InsideSchools Editor in Chief, Tom Liam Lynch was originally published in Urban Matters, a publication by our colleagues at The Center for New York City Affairs at The New School. Urban Matters: The Center’s education work has basically come in two flavors: Looking at...
It seems like a no-brainer: Research says children who feel safe and supported by adults have an easier time learning. Environment and tone matters, and at the core of a school's positive culture are the relationships that develop. We have seen schools foster connections through advisory...
A couple years ago, a poetry question appeared on the ELA test in Texas. The poet’s name was Sara Holbrook. If her name sounds familiar, it is probably not because of her poetry so much as her very public confession: she had no idea how to answer the test questions about her own poems! I often...
In her book, The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn From Each Other, Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot shares her wisdom on what parents and teachers can do to prepare for the (sometimes fraught) parent-teacher conference. Here are four of my favorite insights: "Parents should...
The tech industry in New York City is booming, but is the NYC school system preparing its students to take advantage of the tens of thousands of new jobs coming to the city over the next decade? A new report by the Center for an Urban Future finds that tech companies want to hire locally, but the...
Take a look—it’s LeVar Burton talking about literacy. I’ll disclaim right now: I wanted to be one of those kids on Reading Rainbow doing the book reviews. Like, desperately. It never happened, but that didn’t dampen my adoration for the show or its host. In this interview at SXSW EDU, Burton...
A version of this story ran in February 2019. It has been updated with new information for 2020. If you want to explore options beyond your neighborhood elementary or middle school you may want to enter a lottery for a charter school. There are also some charter high schools open to students...
Learning Black history is a year-round endeavor, but since this is Black History month we’d like to kick it off with a few resources for the whole family. Black History in Two Minutes: Watch these short videos narrated by Henry Louis Gates Jr. on topics ranging from the Harlem Renaissance and...
Originally posted February 20, 2019. 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....
Dear Friends, I’ve worn a lot of hats in the New York City education scene. As a parent, I felt the highs and lows of finding a public school for my child. As a teacher, I did my best to reach each student even with class sizes approaching three dozen. As an official in the city’s education...
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...
MARCH 20, 2020 UPDATE: New York State has cancelled the standardized math and ELA exams for grades 3-8 for the 2019-20 school year. 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...
This is the second of a 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: Last week, we talked about the school-by-school reporting you oversee at...
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...
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...
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...
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...