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...
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...
At Insideschools, we’re used to hearing from worried parents. This fall, we’ve been flooded with emails from parents concerned that their high-achieving children have been placed in ICT, or integrated co-teaching, a classroom that mixes general education and special needs students with two...
Q: I am a high school senior. The only thing I know about college is that I want to double-major and eventually get a degree for secondary education. However, I have many interests so I'm unsure what to major in. I love English, biology, and chemistry, but mostly psychology. I am hoping to travel...
On paper, the rezoning plan makes a lot of sense: PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights (which is 60 percent white) is very overcrowded and nearby PS 307 (which is 90 percent black and Latino) has room to spare. So why not shrink the PS 8 zone—one of the largest in the city—and enlarge the PS 307 zone—now a...
Middle school admissions season kicks into high gear this month for parents of 5th-graders. You can meet school representatives at evening district fairs beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30. Middle school directories for 2015-2016 are onlineand hard copies are available at elementary schools. Now is...
The first few months of 8th grade are very hectic, and it’s easy to lose track of all you have to do. If you're not already in the throes of a high school search now’s the time to get focused—and organized. Here’s our advice for managing your high school search. Research and compile a list of...
Q: I am an international student and wish to study economics in the United States. I have taken the O-Level examinations and scored mostly As with some Bs. Currently I am taking A-Levels in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and economics. Is there a top-ranked university I could easily get into,...
This weekend, Sept. 26 and 27, is the Department of Education's gigantic citywide high school fair from 10 am to 3 pm at Brooklyn Technical High School. Prepare for a hectic, information-packed day. You can attend information sessions about high school admissions, and applying to specialized...
Parents and community leaders said Wednesday more time is needed to consider the city's proposed rezoning of P.S. 8 and P.S. 307 — a plan that does not adequately address issues of race and class that exist within the communities. The Department of Education is seeking approval to redraw the two...
Mayor Bill de Blasio made a splash with his promise to offer all children classes in computer science over the next decade. But tucked into his education speech on Wednesday was something that may have an immediate, concrete impact: a pledge to hire reading specialists for all the city's...
School's open! For parents who still have questions—or who don't have a school assignment—here's where you can get help and find answers. Your school district Got a question about enrollment? Missing special ed or English language services? Contact your newly appointed family support...
Q: Over the summer, we took our daughter to visit a number of colleges. We saw a lot of impressive things: beautiful buildings, nice dorms, modern labs, and so forth. But the cost! We have heard our friends telling us how much college is costing them, but we never actually realized it until now....
Students who are new to New York City public schools, or who are re-entering city schools after a time away, can enroll in school at temporary registration centers set up across the city beginning Sept. 1. The centers are open Monday–Friday, 8 am–3 pm through Sept. 18, with the exception of...
For years, central Harlem's public schools have been among the worst in the city—and parents have felt powerless to do anything about it. Now, activist parents in District 5 are organizing to demand change. Community Education Council meetings in District 5—once sleepy, sparsely attended...
New York City students performed slightly better on state standardized tests in 2015 than they did in 2014, but about two-thirds of test-takers in grades 3–8 still failed to meet state standards on either the ELA (English language arts) or math tests, according to figures released by the state...
As September looms and school waitlists clear (or don't), many Brooklyn families with rising pre-kindergartners approach a time of reckoning. Maybe you’ve been holding out for a popular neighborhood program but the waitlist hasn’t budged, maybe you just moved to a new area, or maybe something...
There are still pre-kindergarten seats available for the fall—not just in public schools but also in religious schools, child care centers and community organizations. Some of the most popular programs are seriously oversubscribed, and there is a shortage of seats in some neighborhoods (such as...
The writer F. Scott Fitzgerald made his way to our dinner table earlier this summer, during a casual chat about the most essential books to read before entering college. We had plenty of recent New York City public high school graduates ticking off their suggestions. Among them: Bronte's Jane...
Q: After I graduated from high school in 2006, I went to community college. But I wasn't prepared mentally or physically; I quit going to classes, gave up, and failed out. Now I am 24 and feel ready to take getting a degree seriously. I live in a town where there aren't any counselors who will...
Algebra is a gateway course—the foundation for higher-level math and a critical hurdle that New York students must clear in order to graduate. Eighth- and 9th-graders who do well in it are steered to more advanced courses that prepare them for college and good jobs. Yet in New York City, nearly...
Applying to high school in New York City can be a full-time job for 8th-graders and their families. Students who don't have an adult to help them have an even harder time navigating the system—and making the most of their options. Now, in two city neighborhoods, an innovative Department of...
The New York City Department of Education (DOE) just wrapped up their summer-time series of high school admissions workshops, including several that focused on the city's nine specialized high schools. Bronx Science, Brooklyn Latin, Brooklyn Tech, High School for American Studies, High School for...
When Insideschools staff visits a high school we like to hear about students' hopes for the future. Some say they like animals and want to become veterinarians. Others may like to design and build things and want to become architects or electricians. But these and many other occupations are...
When I describe my personality as a parent, I like to say I'm half hippie, half Type-A. The way I approach summer is a prime example. I want my kids at one with nature, bare feet in the dirt and a Hudson River breeze in their hair, while organic popsicles melt on their faces. But, school is never...
Can you be a strong college applicant with just three years of high school? Two students in very different circumstances want to know. Q: I live in Honduras, a country where only a few schools offer four years of high school. I attend a school that has only 10th and 11th grades. As an...
Still looking for a pre-k spot as the July 10 Round 2 deadline looms? Try our new mobile pre-kindergarten search on your phone or mobile device! Many public schools, pre-k centers and early education centers still have room for this year's crop of 4-year-olds. Visit Insideschools.org on your...
If you've just finished 7th grade, it's time to be thinking about high school! In addition to a summer reading list for 8th grade, you've got another hefty tome to read over the summer: the 2016 high school directory. At 650 pages, this year's directory, is bigger than ever. It's also online. ...
Q: I am a sophomore in high school. When it's time for me to apply to colleges, would it be important to list if I had a website? Is that something that could help my application? Also I enjoy writing short stories in my free time. What can I do to show the colleges my writing, if I do not have a...
At one particularly awful moment during my older son's awkward second year in middle school, the principal turned to me as I sat in her office: "No one goes through middle school unscathed," she said, with empathy. I tried to laugh, appreciating her sensitivity, but it didn't seem at all...
Everyone deserves a second chance. If you're not happy with your child's Round 1 pre-k placement, take heart: Round 2 of pre-k admissions is officially open, now through July 10, offering families dozens of new programs to choose from. Even if you already received a pre-k offer, you can take...
Q: After we spent a lot of money on test prep and our daughter spent a lot of time studying for the SAT, the College Board messed up the June 6 SAT! So all of our effort is for nothing. What is going to happen? What do you suggest we do? A: By now, everyone is aware of the problem with the...
It's a particular fact of life in New York City that parents in possession of children must be in search of a school. Talk of where to send your kids often dominates parental conversation—even pre-conception. And it tends to go on all the way to high school—except for the elite minority who...
by Clara Hemphill and Halley Potter This op ed was originally published in the New York Times on June 12, 2015. The mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, campaigned on a promise to provide free universal pre-k classes to more than 70,000 4-year-olds. The city is now poised to meet this...
