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Our Insights

What’s Special

Project-based school for new immigrants learning English

The Downside

Limited clubs and activities

The International Community High School (ICHS) serves new immigrants, including many who cannot read or write in their native language. Founded in 2006, it opened in partnership with Internationals Network for Public Schools,  an organization with long experience preparing new immigrants for college, including those who have had little schooling in their home country. Students come from more than 30 different countries and speak about 14 different home languages.

Academics & Instruction: Like the other schools in the Internationals Network, ICHS classes are taught mostly in English. Teachers help students in their native languages, including Spanish, French, Bengali and Arabic, but expect tests and projects to be done in English. Classes combine students of different levels, so those who are stronger in English can help new arrivals. 

The school is a member of the New York Performance Standards Consortium. Most high schools require students to take five Regents exams to graduate, but Consortium schools only require the NY State Regents ELA (English language arts) exam. In order to graduate students must present a portfolio of projects in every subject area. All 11th-graders participate in internships at some 30 locations throughout New York City. 

Students can graduate with more than 12 college credits by taking classes such as chemistry or English composition through SUNY Potsdam, math courses through Monroe College, and College Now courses through Hostos Community College. The French Embassy offers Advanced Placement French at the school. 

Culture & Environment: Each new student and family attend an orientation session during the last week of August. The students face significant challenges. Some live in temporary housing; some have children of their own or are expected to earn income to help their family, according to the Comprehensive Education Plan. Nonetheless, most students graduate within four years. 

The school offers small group and one-to-one counseling and instruction to those who need it. Each grade has its own guidance counselor.  Staff provide extra support for students in temporary housing including clothing, food and Metro cards for families to visit the school. The school uses the Restorative Practice model to train students to prevent and work through conflict. 

Themes & Programs: While all the schools in the Internationals Network cater to newcomers, ICHS has a special challenge with students who may never have attended school before they arrived in the United States. These students have unusual skills as well as unusual challenges. For example, they might speak five languages but not be able to read or write in any of them. 

To serve these students, the staff has developed an intensive one-year program called Bridges to Academic Success where 10 students are taken out of regular high school classes to work on basic skills with their teachers for one year. In one class depicted in a video produced for the New York State Education Department, students read a picture book called Nasreen’s Secret School, about an Afghan girl’s struggle to have an education. The text was simple, but the themes of social justice were complex enough to engage older teenagers. 

When students finish the Bridges program, they enter the 9th grade.

Building & Facilities: ICHS shares a building with two middle schools, PS/IS 224 and the Academy of Applied Mathematics and Technology. The school is small and enrollment has declined over many years. This limits clubs and after school activities.

College & Career: A  separate college and career counselor  for each grade works with a small part-time college enrollment team for 9-12th grades. Seniors take a college and career support class. (Lydie Raschka, Web reports and interview, October 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?
 
82%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
100%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
81%
Average daily attendance
 
86%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
47%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
100%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
100%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

361
Number of students
Citywide Average is 615

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
100%
Students with disabilities
 
8%
Multilingual learners
 
86%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
0%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
88%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
30%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
30%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
89%
From the 2022-23 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%
16.7
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
89
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 191
How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
89%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey, 2022-23 School Quality Guide, 2021-22 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2023 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 2021-21

Computer Science

Not offered in 2021-21

Physics

Not offered in 2021-21

Advanced Foreign Language

 
1%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

Not offered in 2021-21

AP/IB Math or Science

Not offered in 2021-21

Music

Not offered in 2021-21
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?
 
31%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
67%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
20%
From the 2020-21 and 2022-23 School Quality Guide
Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
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

International Community High School (Y23A)

Admissions Method: Screened: Language

Program Description:

Each new student and family attends a comprehensive orientation session during the last week of August.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Chemistry (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited])

Boys PSAL teams

Basketball, Soccer

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Table Tennis

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

345 Brook Avenue
Bronx NY 10454

Trains: 2 Line, 5 Line to 149th St-3rd Av; 6 Line to Brook Av

Buses: Bx1, Bx15, Bx17, Bx19, Bx2, Bx21, Bx32, Bx33, Bx4, Bx41, Bx41-SBS, M125


Contact

Principal: Berena Cabarcas

Parent Coordinator: Abdoulaye Balde

Phone: 718-665-4128

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the building with PS/IS 224 and the Academy of Applied Mathematics and Technology

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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