Our Insights
What’s Special
Lots of extracurricular activities, warm and welcoming community
The Downside
The building is on the smaller side, limited on-site sports facilities
Queens Academy is a small high school in Flushing, Queens, serving grades 10 through 12. As a transfer alternative school, it admits older students who have fallen behind in credits, dropped out, or need a fresh start. These schools are designed to help students get back on track toward graduation.
Academics & Instruction: School staff and teachers are flexible at meeting transfer students’ unique needs and schedules, meaning classes may run at unconventional hours of the day. On Saturdays, students can participate in activities such as yoga, Regents prep and more. The school welcomes new students throughout the school year.
Queens Academy has increased its graduation rate over the past several years. Attendance is also improving, although it remains an ongoing challenge, especially for older students with family and work obligations.
Partnerships with community-based organizations connect students to career development programs, such as building trades (i.e.building furniture) and tree planting. Staff members from Commonpoint Queens are on-site to assist students. The school also offers many extracurricular activities including clubs for weightlifting, ping pong, chess, gender and sexuality alliance, and offsite cooking in a professional kitchen.
Culture & Environment: Teachers proactively reach out to students, providing attendance and wake up calls as needed, and juniors and seniors offer support to younger students. Teachers foster positive relationships by assigning different roles and jobs in the classroom, and placing new English speakers alongside experienced ones. They aim to ensure consistency in routines across classrooms. Staff regularly invite families to meetings, holiday events, and activities such as apron-making. Almost all students say they feel safe in hallways, bathrooms and lockers, according to recent New York City school surveys.
Special Education & English as a New Language: Nearly half of all students are multilingual learners. The school has introduced a bilingual program for Spanish speakers, in which students travel together as a cohort throughout the day. Teachers receive training in how to instruct students that speak little to no English, and encourage peer-to-peer communication between students from different countries. The school newsletter is written in English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
Building & Facilities: While the building is small, the school makes use of every inch of available space. Students have planted cherry trees and vegetables outdoors, and tend plants in two greenhouses in the building. Once they've hatched in the classroom, chicks live in an outdoor chicken coop. Goats and rabbits are also present at times. Gym is held in a small renovated computer lab, with a volleyball net and ping pong tables. There are coed softball and soccer teams.
College & Career: There are three guidance counselors, one dedicated entirely to preparing students for college. A handful of students graduate with advanced regents diplomas each year. (Dashiell Allen, May 2024)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Not offered in 2021-21Computer Science
Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
Not offered in 2021-21AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
Not offered in 2021-21College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryQueens Academy High School (Q86A)
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
Spanish
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP Psychology, AP United States Government and Politics, Chemistry (Advanced Science)
Coed PSAL teams
Softball
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
138-11 35 Avenue
Queens
NY
11354
Trains: to Flushing-Main St
Buses: Q12, Q13, Q15, Q15A, Q16, Q17, Q19, Q20A, Q20B, Q25, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q34, Q44-SBS, Q48, Q50, Q65, Q66, QM2, QM20, QM3, QM32
Contact
Other Details
This school is in its own building.
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