East-West School of International Studies

The East-West School of International Studies, in Flushing, Queens, is a combined middle and high school that offers up to four years of Chinese, Japanese and Korean, as well as Asian-inspired arts and sports such as anime, Korean drumming, Chinese calligraphy and judo.

Students are introduced to Chinese, Japanese and Korean in middle school and then commit to studying one beginning in 9th grade. The goal is for students to graduate ready to tackle advanced language courses in college.

A limited number of students go on trips to China and Japan, which include a homestay with local families to maximize exposure to the language and culture. Students fundraise throughout the year to cover the cost.

Overall, the school is very high performing. Middle school test scores are well above average; the high school’s college-readiness rate (percentage of graduates who don’t need to take remedial courses at CUNY) far exceeds the citywide average, as does the percentage of students taking college-level coursework.

Middle school students are scheduled for seven periods of English and eight periods of math instruction each week. The extra classes give them more time to delve into the curriculum. All 8th-graders take high school–level courses in algebra and living environment.

The high school offers electives and college-level classes, such as several Advanced Placement courses, architecture, robotics and Asian literature. Students may also take free college courses via CUNY’s College Now program both at East-West (taught by LaGuardia Community College professors) and at Queens College.

For grades 9 to 12, teachers run small group advisory sessions that meet twice a week and help staff keep tabs on students and head off social and academic problems before they escalate.

Rising 9th-graders new to East-West participate in a summer program to help them acclimate to the school and make new friends; ongoing 8th-graders from East-West are welcome to attend too.

After-school options include academic support as well as an eclectic mix of clubs and activities such as table tennis, debate team, Model UN, ultimate Frisbee, Yiddish song club, student newspaper and Junior NAACP. One downside: There are limited sports offerings, which include a PSAL boys basketball team and intramural options such as volleyball and soccer.

The school partners with College Bound Initiative, which funds a full-time college counselor who oversees trips to colleges and provides individual support for students and parents with college and financial aid applications. Graduates attend a range of schools including CUNY, SUNY and private colleges.

East-West is located on the third and fourth floors of a large building it shares with JHS 237, The Rachel L. Carson School.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: There are ICT (Integrated Collaborative Teaching) classes and SETSS. The school has an ASD NEST program that serves a small group of children with an autism spectrum disorder who are fully integrated into all East-West classes. ASD NEST students also take a special class that focuses on social- and skills-development training.

ADMISSIONS: The middle school admits District 25 students and residents via lottery. The high school is open to students citywide with priority to ongoing 8th-graders. More than half of East-West middle school students stay on for high school. Typically there are many more applicants than seats available for both middle and high school. (Laura Zingmond, interview and web reports, February 2018)