Manhattan International High School

Manhattan International offers a stable, safe environment for students who have lived in the country for less than four years. Students learn to speak, write and read in English in regular high school classes. They work in small groups on projects and make presentations of their work each year. They do not receive letter grades. Students come from more than 50 countries and speak over 40 languages, including Spanish, Mandarin, Wolof and Nepali.

The school has an excellent track record and earns high marks on the city’s Quality Review in all areas. Art and technology programs allow children to practice English in interesting ways; they study photography, video, animation and drama in partnerships with Magic Box Productions, Reel Works and MCC Theater. All 9th through 11th graders take computer science classes. The school is equipped with iPads and other technology according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP).

Academic classes are 70 minutes long. Faster and slower learners are mixed together so children can learn from each other. Only math classes are divided by skill and range from pre-Algebra to advanced placement Calculus.

Older students teach younger ones practical skills, such as how to use the city's transportation, and they check in on a child’s adjustment with questions like: "Do you feel comfortable here?" "Do you want to go back to your country?"

In a 9th grade theater class, students work on non-verbal and verbal communication to build confidence. This helps prepare them for presentations at the end of each year. Prior to graduation, students must give a 30-minute presentation and produce a portfolio of their work. They must also pass the English Regent's exam. (Other schools require students to pass five Regents exams; Manhattan International students are not required to take most Regents.)

A disadvantage of the school's small size is there are not many after-school offerings or clubs. Teens may join Julia Richman complex sports teams. The building is shared by three other small high schools: Urban Academy, Vanguard, Talented Unlimited as well as a K-8 school, Ella Baker, and a District 75 program for children with special need, P226M, for teens ages 12-15 who have autism. 

Each senior at Manhattan international is assigned a staff mentor to help with graduation portfolios and college readiness. Graduates attend a range of colleges from CUNY and SUNY schools to others such as Wesleyan, Fordham, Columbia, Colby and Middlebury.

Admissions: The school only admits students who have been in the country for less than four years who are not proficient in English. (Lydie Raschka, DOE data, September 2018)