Our Insights
What’s Special
International focus; partnership with College of Staten Island
The Downside
Difficult to reach by public transportation
A small high school with a humanities focus, the College of Staten Island High School for International Studies graduates almost all of its students on time and sends the vast majority on to college, ready for the more advanced work. The school accomplishes this without screening students for admission, though there is some grouping by academic achievement within certain classes.
International Studies scores above average on almost every indicator of school quality – from its curriculum and teaching to school safety and attendance. Classes are orderly with attentive students, according to students and teachers responding to a school survey, and bullying seems relatively rare.
The school focuses on international studies, its website says, because, through this lens, student may explore a variety of perspectives and understand the “significance of the past with respect to current events.” Students must take four years of a foreign language and may chose from Japanese, Mandarin and Spanish. All freshmen and sophomores take World Art. International Studies has a partnership with the Asia Society and offers opportunities for international travel to locations like Spain, Italy, South Africa and other destinations.
Many of the classes are interdisciplinary, revolve around projects and encourage student participation. They are longer than usual – 55 minutes, instead of 42 -- to allow that. An educator who visited the school for DOE found many examples of interesting work, such as a history class analyzing U.S. participation in World War II on the basis of various types of evidence, an algebra class using quadratic functions to explore architectural design, and a Socratic seminar that required students to form an opinion on the rule of Genghis Khan.
Students must perform 120 hours of community and 120 hours of internships. The partnership with the College of Staten Island enables students to take classes at the college and use some college facilities. International Studies offers a number of elective, AP and College Now classes.
International Studies shares the Jerome Parker campus in the middle of Staten island with a middle school, Marsh Avenue School for Expeditionary Learning, another high school, Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School, and a District 75 program, the Richard H. Hungerford School.
Special education: More than 90 percent of students with disabilities graduate in four years, well above the city average. The school offers team-teaching classes with a mix of general and special education students.
Admissions: International studies does not screen applicants but gives priority to Districts 20, 21, and 31 students or residents. Although it can accept students from other parts of the city, there have been no openings for them in recent years, as the school has more applicants than it does seats. There are a few slots for incoming 10th graders. (Gail Robinson, school website and DOE materials, October 2018)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Computer Science
Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryCSI High School for International Studies (R01R)
Program Description:
CSI is rated a Well Developed school (NYCDOE Quality Review) featured on the prestigious 2016 Newsweek America's Top High Schools listings, NY Post's 2017 TOP 25 Best High Schools, and 2017/18 Blue Ribbon Nominated School. Accountability to quality of work, class participation, and sharp communication skills is heavily emphasized across the curriculum. Students have access to honors, AP class offerings, and college classes as they progress. All student work is carefully graded and assessed.
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
Mandarin, Spanish
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Comparative Government and Politics, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP Psychology, AP Spanish Language and Culture, AP Statistics, AP Studio Art - 2D, AP Studio Art - Drawing, AP United States History, Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)
Boys PSAL teams
Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Tennis, Wrestling
Girls PSAL teams
Basketball, Cross Country, Fencing, Flag Football, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Volleyball
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
100 Essex Drive
Staten Island
NY
10314
Buses: S44, S55, S56, S59, S61, S79-SBS, S89, S91, S94, SIM31, SIM4, SIM4C, SIM4X, SIM8, SIM8X
Contact
Other Details
This school shares the Jerome Parker Educational Campus with two other schools
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