Abraham Lincoln High School

Long known for its veterinary science and photography programs, Abraham Lincoln High School has taken steps to improve its academics overall by helping teachers learn from one another. 

New teachers meet in several long workshops each semester, to get tips from veteran teachers and to watch colleagues in action, Chalkbeat reported. Veteran teachers create workshops for one another on various topics of expertise, such as test-taking tips or theater games.

The city gave the school improved ratings on its 2017 Quality Report, compared to the year before. The number of graduates ready to do college work has inched up in recent years, according to school snapshots.

The school is large and ethnically diverse. Many students are immigrants from Russia, Uzbekistan, China and Latin America. Hundreds are still learning English and missing the language skills they need for their classes, including science and math. Teachers exchange ideas for how to help these students in Friday workshops.

Lincoln offers six specialized programs in addition to its zoned program. Computer Science and the Honors Institute for American Studies & Law are the most academically demanding. The photography program is run by Carlos Molina, who graduated from the program himself in 1995. In Veterinary Sciences, students study and care for the school’s many animals. Teens create an imaginary business, such as a chocolate company, in Virtual Enterprise. Digital Media focuses on video production.

More students are taking Advanced Placement classes each year, according to the School Quality Snapshot. Most English, math, science and social studies classes mix students from different programs. A few electives are reserved for students in particular programs—only animal science students may take a veterinary class, for example.

Just blocks from Coney Island beach, Lincoln counts three Nobel laureates in science and medicine as alumni, as well as music legend Neil Diamond. It boasts three gymnasiums, a swimming pool and a wide range of sports teams, such as basketball, football, bowling, soccer and track.

A large school can be intimidating for some students. To make it easier to build smaller communities, students stay together for all of their classes in 9th and 10th grade in academies.

Despite progress, the school has a ways to go in preparing students for college, especially those with special needs and those learning English, who are less likely to graduate within four years.

There are four people in the college office to assist students through the college admissions process, according to the school's website. About 60 percent of graduates enter college within 18 months of graduation, mostly going to two- and four-year CUNY and SUNY schools.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: A District 75 program, PS K053, shares space in the school, and some of its students take classes with Lincoln students. The school also offers its own team teaching and self-contained classes as well as counseling, speech and other services.

ADMISSIONS: Zoned school. The six special programs must be applied to separately. The history and computer science programs look at middle school grades, attendance records and test scores. Those applying to photography must submit a portfolio of drawings, paintings and/or photography, but do not need to have photography experience. The veterinary sciences and Virtual Enterprise programs use the educational option formula, designed to admit students with a range of abilities. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, April 2018)