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
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Not offered in 2021-21Computer Science
Not offered in 2021-21Physics
Not offered in 2021-21Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Not offered in 2021-21Music
College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryHigh School for Language and Diplomacy (A11A)
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 DirectoryLanguage 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
Contact & Location
Location
40 Irving Place
Manhattan
NY
10003
Trains: , , , , , , 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
Other Details
This school shares the Washington Irving Educational Campus with five other schools
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