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Our Insights

What’s Special

Business/Virtual enterprise program

The Downside

Tiny size means fewer clubs

The High School for Language and Diplomacy offers a good selection of classes, including four years of math and science and a variety of Advanced Placement courses. Students have opportunities to learn about the business world through classes and internships and may participate in the operation of a mock business their senior year. 

Academics & Instruction: The school is very small and is working to grow under a new leader, Lisa Wang, who arrived in 2022. Class sizes are kept small. Incoming 9th-graders are split into even smaller math classes—geometry, algebra I, or algebra II—based on their readiness. This benefits students with better teacher access, though the school overall might feel too small for some. 

Students study Spanish or Mandarin for a minimum of three years.

Culture & Environment: Students are encouraged to make decisions and be leaders. The student government and the senior council, for example, plan heritage days each month, starting with Hispanic Heritage in the fall. Teens organize monthly celebrations that incorporate music, poetry and artwork. 

In a tutoring program, a strong student is paired with one who needs additional support. Tutors are paid for their work. Students perform community service in and outside of school. Activities include fundraising walks such as for breast cancer research or for Leukemia and lymphoma.  

Staff advisors check in with students weekly. They encourage teens to keep up with their schoolwork and to join clubs, such as gaming or the literary journal.  A teacher presents lessons on “executive functioning” skills, such as how to plan ahead, set goals, and stay organized. 

Principal Wang said since her arrival she has put “structures and systems in place where there were none.” While most students say they feel safe in school, the suspension rate is well above the citywide average. 

Themes & Programs: The school offers two separate programs: the regular college-prep track, and the business/virtual enterprise track. In the business program, students study marketing, real estate and financial literacy. They run a mock business senior year in a classroom equipped with desktop computers, laptops, printers, and a SMART board for teleconferencing. Students also learn about business by  shadowing mentors in various businesses , career days, and internships.  

Special Education & English as a New Language: The school offers extra support for students learning English such as help with phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension in reading. It offers team-taught classes that mix students with disabilities with their general education peers. 

Building & Facilities: The school is on the sixth floor of the cavernous Washington Irving High School building. The building houses four small high schools and one K-4 charter school. High school sports are campus-wide. 

College & Career: There is a full-time college counselor. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interview, August 2023)



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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Academics

School
Citywide
How many students graduate in 4 years?
 
85%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
77%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
100%
Average daily attendance
 
78%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
63%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

151
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
75%
Students with disabilities
 
21%
Multilingual learners
 
8%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
5%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
87%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
41%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
15%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
85%
137
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
89%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 Guidance Counselor Report, and this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Advanced Courses

Which students have access to advanced courses at this school? Learn more

Calculus

Not offered in 2019-20

Computer Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Physics

Not offered in 2019-20

Advanced Foreign Language

 
49%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
54%

AP/IB Math or Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Music

 
2%
From unpublished, anonymized data from the 2021-22 school year provided by the New York State Education Department, brought to you by

College Readiness

School
Citywide
How many students graduate with test scores high enough to enroll at CUNY without remedial help?
 
54%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
68%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
65%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
66%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
For more information about our data sources, see About Our Data · More DOE statistics for this school

Programs & Admissions

From the 2024 High School Directory

High School for Language and Diplomacy (A11A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Through a challenging academic program that provides opportunities for public service and global awareness, our students learn the craft of international diplomacy while developing their technological and communication skills. Students also have the opportunity to achieve proficiency in Mandarin through an intensive, engaging program designed for students of all levels, including those who have never studied the language before.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Mandarin, Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Psychology, AP United States History, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Comp Sci/Math Tech (Advanced Placement), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Handball, Soccer, Volleyball

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Softball, Volleyball

Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

40 Irving Place
Manhattan NY 10003

Trains: 4 Line, 5 Line, 6 Line, L Line, N Line, Q Line, R Line to 14th St-Union Square

Buses: BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BxM10, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, M1, M101, M102, M103, M14A-SBS, M14D-SBS, M15, M15-SBS, M2, M23-SBS, M3, M34-SBS, M34A-SBS, M55, M8, M9, QM21, SIM10, SIM11, SIM1C, SIM3, SIM31, SIM33, SIM33C, SIM3C, SIM4C, SIM6, SIM7, SIM9, X27, X28, X37, X38, X63, X64, X68


Contact

Principal: Lisa Wang

Parent Coordinator: Sasha Constanzo

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Washington Irving Educational Campus with five other schools

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? Yes

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