Our Insights
What’s Special
Students care for exotic animals in veterinary science program.
The Downside
Low-performing school being phased out and will be closed by 2007.
Springfield Gardens Educational Campus is home to three high schools: Excelsior Preparatory High School, George Washington Carver High School for the Sciences and Queens Preparatory Academy. The building also houses a combined middle and high school, the Preparatory Academy for Writers. Springfield Gardens High School was closed for poor performance in 2007 and the building was renamed.
Excelsior Prep and George Washington Carver emphasize science. Both schools have a partnership with the Gateway Institute for Pre-College Education, which helps students prepare for careers in science. Through the Gateway Institute, students work with professors at Queens College and are placed in science-related internships during the school year and summer. Excelsior Prep also has a partnership with the School of Cooperative Technical Education where older students can also pursue training in vocational and technical trade careers. George Washington Carver has a popular veterinary program that offers students hands-on experience caring for small animals and conducting lab-work such as analyzing blood samples and x-rays.
Queens Prep and the Preparatory Academy for Writers focus more on the humanities. At Queens Prep, students enjoy opportunities in the performing arts. They also learn about financial literacy through participation in the school's chapter of Junior Achievement. At the Preparatory Academy for Writers, students study journalism, keep journals in every subject and spend a lot of time working in small groups on class assignments.
Excelsior Prep, Queens Prep and George Washington Carver were among 40 city high schools selected to participate in the Expanded Success Initiative, a program to improve college and career-readiness rates for black and Latino boys.
Each campus school occupies its own dedicated space in the building where most of its classes are held. All schools share use of the media center, gymnasium, cafeteria and outdoor fields.
High school students attending any of the schools in the building may take part in campus-wide PSAL sports teams.
Students and visitors must pass through metal detectors when entering the building. Despite the extra security measures, safety concerns persist. At least 30 percent of students from each of the schools say they don't feel safe on school property outside the building, and nearly as many say they don't feel safe in locker rooms, bathrooms and hallways inside the building, according to the Learning Environment Survey.
Admissions: Queens students have priority admissions to the Excelsior Prep, George Washington Carver and Queens Prep high schools. District 29 students have priority admissions to the middle grades at Preparatory Academy for Writers. All four schools have unscreened admissions, meaning they do not consider applicants' test scores or grades, though individual schools may give preference to students who attend an open house or tour. (Laura Zingmond, statistics, February 2013)
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Contact & Location
Location
143-10 Springfield Boulevard
Springfield Gardens
NY
11413
Buses: Q77, Q85
Contact
Principal: Elizabeth Mccullough
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