Blog: Archives

How "restorative justice" can impact school culture

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...

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Schools that buck the trend: Integration success stories

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....

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College Counselor: Explaining "special circumstances"

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...

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Applying to Middle School: "Good school" vs "good school for me"

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...

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Can "learning as play" make a kindergarten comeback?

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...

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Biggest adjustment in middle school? Lockers!

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...

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InsideSchools HS workshop: Best bets for "B" students

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...

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HS admissions: Register now for our fall workshops

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...

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College counselor: Starting over after two years

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...

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High School Hustle: Let LaGuardia be LaGuardia

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...

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Applying to middle school? Tips from a 6th-grader

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...

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How to rule your school: Advice for rising 9th-graders

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...

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A long, hungry summer? Filling the nutrition gap for kids

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...

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Diversity in New York’s specialized schools: A deeper data dive

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...

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Tough test ahead: Bringing racial diversity to specialized high schools

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....

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Hard work at PS 191 pays off: Parents open pop-up library

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...

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Applying to HS with IEP? What you see may not be what you get!

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...

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HS admissions: Improved directory, July workshops & key dates

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...

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53% of G&T applicants get offers; must register by June 10

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...

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College Counselor: Busboy & baseball ok for rising HS senior?

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...

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Pre-k letters out: Register by May 27 (new date)

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...

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College Counselor: No need to submit scores early

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...

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G&T results: Four new programs start in 3rd grade in Bronx, Brooklyn

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...

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College Counselor: I'm waitlisted! What are my chances?

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...

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Insideschools helped Ruby become the teacher she wanted to be

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...

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Can “controlled choice” help integrate NYC schools?

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...

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College Counselor: Should I take the new SAT or ACT?

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...

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HS admissions: An action plan workshop for 7th grade families

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...

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Bed-Stuy parents looking to transform district schools

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...

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Getting started: How to improve neighborhood schools

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...

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Kindergarten offers go out to 69,000 5-year-olds

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...

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Top 20: Queens high schools get most applications

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...

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Best bets for second round of high school admissions

March 8 2018 UPDATE: High school letters go out this week. Read and comment about 2018 high school admissions results here and our best picks for Round 2 2018 here. March 2016: 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...

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8th-graders get high school admissions results

March 14 2019 UPDATE: High school letters go out this week. Read and comment about the 2019 high school admissions results here. MARCH 2016: High school acceptance letters arrived Friday for the more than 75,000 8th-graders who submitted applications in December. Ninety-three percent of them...

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Last-minute Brooklyn pre-k picks for 4-year-olds

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...

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Almost there: high school letters arrive March 4

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...

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Our picks for pre-k; applications due March 9!

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...

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Apply now for new middle school programs

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...

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Showcase schools that work

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...

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Parents of 3s and 4s, it’s pre-k time!

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...

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College counselor: Should I transfer in senior year?

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...

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Insideschools event: Get the lowdown on pre-k admissions

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...

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Apply to kindergarten by January 20 (new deadline!)

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...

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College counselor: How will a failing grade affect admissions?

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...

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Report: Schools are more segregated than neighborhoods

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...

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College counselor: Will Model UN add value to your application?

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)...

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A flawed process: Applying to HS for students with disabilities

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....

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How Insideschools helped Hugo

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...

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Insideschools workshop: Kindergarten admissions from A-Z

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...

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At PS 125, parents of different races work together

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,...

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