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Our Insights

What’s Special

Extra support for students learning English

The Downside

Safety and trust can be better

ATLAS High School in Long Island City welcomes all students, including those new to English and those who already speak it. Spanish is the home language for most families; others include Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Nepali, Portuguese, Tibetan, Urdu, Tagalog, and Albanian. Teachers help students with English reading and writing skills while also teaching science, history, and math. Atlas offers theater, dance, visual arts, and computer science.

The school is proud to have among the highest number of New York City high school graduates earning the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, recognizing skill in speaking, reading, and writing in two languages. This Seal can be helpful for college and career opportunities. 

ATLAS also helps newcomers adjust by teaching practical skills, like navigating the subway and using key phrases for daily life. During the year, students attend events that are relevant to their lives, such as an undocumented professionals’ career day, and cultural celebrations. 

Most classes have two teachers. In math, teachers use hands-on activities to guide lessons. In English, they help students explain ideas in more detail, like showing how a character's actions show bravery, or giving another side of an argument to make it stronger. Tutoring is available before, during, and after school, as well as on Saturdays. The school also offers Advanced Placement (AP) courses.

Family members may take English classes at the school, prepare for their GED, and attend monthly workshops on topics like housing and legal issues. They may also go on trips with students. 

The school has grown quickly in recent years, and with this growth, suspensions have increased. The NYC School Survey shows some students feel unsafe in hallways and bathrooms. To address this, the school has focused on building stronger teacher-student relationships. Each teacher is assigned 15–20 students to track progress, communicate with families, and monitor attendance throughout the year.

Atlas opened in 1995 as Newcomers High School at a time with the surrounding area was largely industrial. Since then the area has experienced a housing boom with many families with children of all ages moving in. The school was renamed ATLAS (Arts, Technology, Language, Advocacy, and Social Justice) in 2024 in response to the students’ preference to move away from the "Newcomers" label and to expand its mission to be an option for all Queens students. 

Student enrollment nearly doubled from 2019 to 2024.  To support its growing student body, ATLAS has introduced a dual language program in Spanish and English, along with transitional bilingual and English as a New Language (ENL) programs. The percentage of students who speak English as their first language is very small, according to school staff.

ATLAS is open only to students from Queens. It is within walking distance of the Queens Plaza and Queens Boro Plaza subway stations. Facilities include a boxing gym and weight room. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, December 2024)

 

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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?
 
73%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
73%
Average daily attendance
 
81%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
53%
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?
 
100%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

1428
Number of students
Citywide Average is 617

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
81%
Students with disabilities
 
2%
Multilingual learners
 
88%
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?
 
81%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
36%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
26%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
71%
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey and 2019-20 NY State Report Card

Faculty & Staff

School
Citywide
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
 
59%
2.1
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
164
Number of students for each guidance counselor or social worker
Citywide Average is 191
How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
 
64%
Are teachers effective?
From the 2022-23 NYC School Survey, 2022-23 School Quality Guide, 2021-22 Report on School-Based Staff Demographics, 2023 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

 
4%

Computer Science

 
8%

Physics

 
4%

Advanced Foreign Language

 
78%

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
23%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
15%

Music

Not offered in 2021-21
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?
 
43%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
50%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
27%
From the 2020-21 and 2022-23 School Quality Guide

How many graduates who are eligible received Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funding to attend a NYS college?
 
39%
This shows how well this school supports low-income students to get funding for college.
How many of those TAP recipients made it through college? Learn more
From unpublished, anonymized student-level data for the class of 2016-17 provided by the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) in coordination with the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC), brought to you by
How many students filled out a FAFSA form by the end of their senior year?
 
37%
From the 2022-23 FAFSA data released by Federal Student Aid, brought to you by Visit Understanding FAFSA for help with the FAFSA and financial aid.
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

Newcomers High School (Q98A)

Admissions Method: Screened: Language

Program Description:

Intensive integrated English Language Arts and English as a New Language. Core subjects: science, social studies, and mathematics integrate English language development and English common core standards.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Mandarin, Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, AP United States History, Biology (College Course [Credited]), Chemistry (Advanced Science), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

Boys PSAL teams

Basketball, Handball, Soccer, Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball

Girls PSAL teams

Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Cricket

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

28-01 41 Avenue
Queens NY 11101

Trains: 7 Line, N Line, Q Line to Queensboro Plaza; E Line, M Line, R Line to Queens Plaza; F Line to 21st St

Buses: B62, Q100, Q101, Q102, Q103, Q32, Q39, Q60, Q66, Q67, Q69, X63, X64, X68


Contact

Principal: Elizabeth Messmann

Parent Coordinator: Elise Victoria Pena

Phone: 718-937-6005

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? Yes

This school shares the building with Gotham Tech High School

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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