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Our Insights

What’s Special

Array of career programs and business partnerships

The Downside

Many students struggle academically

The only Career and Technical Education (CTE) school on Staten Island, Ralph R. McKee High School, located on a hill overlooking the harbor, is intended for students who do not intend to go to college as well as those who do.

The website urges students to consider McKee “whether your dream is to someday design the most iconic building on Staten Island, to start your own business, to join Local 20, or to become the very first member of your family to graduate from college.” Longtime principal Sharon Henry has said described the school as being for “the great middle.”

Every student at the school enrolls in one of seven career oriented programs: architectural drafting, automotive technology, carpentry and construction, electrical engineering, graphic design, software engineering and a business program called Virtual Enterprise. To graduate, students must take a full academic program as well as 12 semesters of CTE classes. A number of Staten Island businesses offer paid internships to students.

In the school’s Quality Review students reported that math, English and social students classes were the strongest subjects at the school. McKee offers few Advanced Placement classes and students may also take College Now classes for College credit.

AVID, a growing national college preparatory program, plays a key role in the effort to boost academics at McKee. AVID students take classes together and receive extra support in problem-solving, note-taking and other academic skills.

An educator who visited the school highlighted McKee’ positive learning environment, praising the school for providing students with a variety of paths for forming relationships within the building. The review was less enthusiastic about the quality of some classes, pointing up instances where students didn’t have materials, became confused or lost interest. In a survey, students highlighted similar problems, giving their classmates lower than average marks for classroom behavior and attentiveness.

McKee offers a large number of interscholastic sports teams including cricket, double Dutch, fencing, gulf and rugby as well as the more common athletics.

After experiencing a drop in enrollment in the early teens, the student population at McKee has rebounded.  It has far more boys than girls.

The school traces its beginning to the start of what was then called vocational education on Staten Island’s North Shore around 1920. McKee moved into its current building and acquired its current name in 1935.

Special Education: As many as a third of McKee students have special needs. About half of those students spend much of their school day in team teaching classes with a mix of general education and special education students. McKee also has some self-contained special education classes. Special education students may enroll in all of McKee’s career programs and are eligible for internships, according to the Comprehensive Educational Plan

Admissions: When applying to McKee, students must select the program that interests them and may apply to one or more. Most of the programs choose students using the educational option method that admits students with a range of academic backgrounds, however a couple screen students based on their middle school records. Programs generally have some unfilled seats and accept a small number of incoming 10th graders. Set aside seats for students with disabilities do fill up in some programs. The school is open to any New York City student. (Gail Robinson, from DOE material, September 2018)    

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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?
 
84%
How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
 
71%
How many English language learners graduate in 4 years?
 
78%
Average daily attendance
 
83%
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
 
55%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school offers enough activities and services for their children's needs?
 
90%
How many parents of students with disabilities say this school works to achieve the goals of their students' IEPs?
 
92%
From the 2022-23 School Quality Guide and 2022-23 NYC School Survey

Students

737
Number of students
Citywide Average is 615

Race/Ethnicity


School
Citywide
Low-income students
 
77%
Students with disabilities
 
38%
Multilingual learners
 
8%
From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Safety & Vibe

School
Citywide
How many students were suspended?
 
1%
How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
 
87%
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
 
43%
How many students say that some are bullied at their school because of their gender or sexual orientation?
 
34%
How many teachers say they would recommend this school to other families?
 
85%
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?
 
81%
3.2
Years of principal experience at this school
Citywide Average is 7
192
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?
 
75%
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

 
8%

Computer Science

 
6%

Physics

 
28%

Advanced Foreign Language

Not offered in 2021-21

AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science

 
12%

AP/IB Math or Science

 
7%

Music

 
40%
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?
 
64%
How many students take a college-level course or earn a professional certificate?
 
77%
How many students who have graduated from this high school stay in college for at least 3 semesters?
 
31%
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?
 
27%
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?
 
49%
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

Ralph R. Mckee Career and Technical Education High School (R60A)

Admissions Method: Ed. Opt.

Program Description:

Students accepted into Ralph R. McKee High School will be enrolled in one of our dynamic Career and Technical Education programs beginning their sophomore year. Informed by an in-depth year-long exploration of all of our CTE programs over the course of their freshmen year, students will indicate their preference of coursework in one of the following programs: Digital Media & Design, Game Design & Coding, Electrical Installation, Architectural Drafting, Carpentry & Building Trades, Audio Engineering, Graphic Design, and Automotive. Each CTE program requires students to complete 12 credits over the course of their sophomore, junior and senior year. Additionally, students will be eligible for area-specific certifications through industry assessments (recognized by all major companies) and 54 hours of Work Based Learning experiences making them top candidates for employment upon graduation. Our focus of offering students multiple pathways upon graduation includes not only preparing students to enter the work force, but simultaneously preparing them for post-secondary opportunities, such as college or university, through Advanced Placement and college level courses.

Mckee Scholars Academy (R60B)

Admissions Method: Screened

Program Description:

The McKee Scholars Academy (MSA) is an elite screened academic program designed to provide students with an accelerated path focused on college readiness through advanced placement and college level courses throughout multiple disciplines. In addition to rigorous academic coursework, students within the McKee Scholars Academy will complete a full sequence in the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program of their choosing, be eligible for paid internships as early as their sophomore year and engage in an individualized four year mentorship program.

Ralph McKee CTE High School ASD Nest Program (R60H)

Admissions Method: ASD/ACES Program

Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High D75 Inclusion Program (R60U)

Admissions Method: D75 Special Education Inclusive Services

Ralph R. Mckee Career and Technical Education High School ACES 15:1 Program (R60Y)

Admissions Method: ASD/ACES Program

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Calculus AB, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP United States History, Chemistry (Advanced Science), ELA (College Course [Uncredited]), Physics (Advanced Science)

Boys PSAL teams

Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Fencing, Football, Handball, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling

Girls PSAL teams

Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Fencing, Golf, Handball, Indoor Track, Outdoor Track, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball

Coed PSAL teams

Golf, Stunt

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

290 St Marks Place
Staten Island NY 10301

Buses: S40, S42, S44, S46, S48, S51, S52, S61, S62, S66, S74, S76, S78, S81, S84, S86, S90, S91, S92, S94, S96, S98


Contact

Principal: Gregory Bowen

Parent Coordinator: Marlene Picarello

Phone: 718-420-2600

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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