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Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College

Grades: 9-12
Noteworthy

Our Insights

What’s Special

Free college classes; American Sign Language program

The Downside

Clubs and sports limited due to school’s small size

Middle College High School opened in 1974 as an alternative to the traditional high school model. In a partnership with LaGuardia Community College, it combines the last two years of high school with the first two years of college. Students may stay a fifth year to complete an associate’s degree, or graduate with a high school diploma in four years and at least 12 college credits.

The school is exempt from most Regents exams. Projects, presentations, reading, writing and debate are emphasized in all grades and subjects. Middle College students take the same range of courses as those offered at most city schools, but teachers ask them to delve more deeply into topics. 

Instead of tests, students prepare oral and written presentations on topics of their own choosing in English, math, social studies and science. English is the only Regents exam required. 

The high school is small and safe. School surveys show teachers overwhelmingly respect the principal and would recommend the school to other families.Student support includes counseling, smaller class size and guidance on college and careers, according to the school website. The number of students who take a college level course is well above the citywide average.

Clubs, electives and sports are limited due to the school’s small size however. Depending on the year these may include chess, yearbook, a forensics elective, as well as community service projects. 

Located in Long Island City, Middle College shares a gym and cafeteria with the International High School at LaGuardia Community College. The two schools also participate in shared sports teams along with Robert F. Wagner Jr. Secondary School. Students are required to complete an internship each year. 

Special education: Middle College has a program for hearing-impaired students, which offers classes taught in American Sign Language. Sign language interpreters are present in many classrooms. Many students in the program go on to attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York.  (Lydie Raschka and Melanie Quiroz, DOE data and reports, November 2018)

 

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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?
 
87%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
84%
Average daily attendance
 
87%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
41%
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?
 
95%
From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide and 2020-21 NYC School Survey

Students

490
Number of students
Citywide Average is 599

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
71%
Students with disabilities
 
19%
Multilingual learners
 
2%
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?
 
92%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
18%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
15%
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
70%
4.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
101
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 157

Teachers’ Race/Ethnicity


How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
96%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey, 2021-22 School Quality Guide, 2019-20 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2021 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 2019-20

Computer Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Physics

Not offered in 2019-20

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2019-20

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

Not offered in 2019-20

AP/IB Math or Science

Not offered in 2019-20

Music

 
10%
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?
 
83%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
90%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
90%
From the 2020-21 and 2021-22 School Quality Guide
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
77%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought you by
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

Middle College High School at LaGuardia Community College (Q30J)

Admissions Method: Screened

Program Description:

Portfolio-based assessment, five year early college program and out-of-school internships.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

American Sign Language, Italian, Korean, Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), Algebra II (College Course [Credited]), Arts (College Course [Credited]), Biology (College Course [Credited]), Calculus (College Course [Credited]), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Chemistry (College Course [Credited]), Econ/Gov (College Course [Credited]), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Global History (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Other (College Course [Credited]), Physics (College Course [Credited]), Science (College Course [Credited]), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), US History (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (College Course [Credited])

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Golf

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

45-35 Van Dam Street
Queens NY 11101

Trains: 7 Line to Rawson St-33rd St; E Line, M Line, R Line to Queens Plaza

Buses: B24, B62, Q100, Q101, Q102, Q32, Q39, Q60, Q67


Contact

Principal: Socrates Ortiz Jr

Parent Coordinator: Zoraida Cardona

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the Middle College Campus with one other school

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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