International High School at Union Square

The International High School at Union Square opened in 2010 and offers a prime location for new immigrant students who come from 30 different countries.

Classes are small, with the largest one having only 22 students. Students of different language groups are placed in the same class and learn English from one another with lots of class discussions and group projects.

Many different languages and nationalities are represented. About 40 percent speak Spanish, 25 percent speak Chinese, 10 percent are from French-speaking countries in West Africa, 10 percent speak Bengali and 5 percent speak Arabic. There are also a few students from Italy, Nepal and Korea, said Assistant Principal Brian Knudsen. The school has a good attendance rate; students say they feel safe and the teachers inspire them to learn, according to the Learning Environment Survey.

The school is one of a handful of small schools housed in the Washington Irving High School building, a large neighborhood school which is closing after years of poor performance. Students must pass through metal detectors to enter the building, but administrators greet them at the door to make them feel safe and welcome. Students may take part in building-wide sports teams.

International students take lots of trips around the city to introduce them to their new country and to encourage them to learn by doing. Daniel Walsh became principal in 2014 after founding principal Gaylea Prichard-Silvers left.

Admissions: The school is open to city residents who have lived in the U.S. for less than four years, whose native language is not English, and who score in the intermediate, beginner, or below-level rank on a standardized language test, the NYSESLAT. (Clara Hemphill, 2012; updated Pamela Wheaton, phone interview December 2014)