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Young Women's Leadership School (TYWLS)

Grades: 6-12
Staff Pick Staff Pick for Special Ed

Our Insights

What’s Special

Near-perfect graduation and college attendance rates

The Downside

Only access is via elevator; small gymnasium

The Young Women's Leadership School (TYWLS) in East Harlem is a safe and cheery school, where students get a lot of support from teachers and top-notch college counseling. Opened in 1996, TYWLS is the flagship program of the Young Women's Leadership Network, a system of all-girls public schools that aims to give students from poor neighborhoods a high quality education. The school boasts near-perfect graduation and college attendance rates.

The former Masonic Temple in which the school is housed is located on a wide, quiet street. Girls arrive on foot from the subway or emerge from cars after goodbye hugs from parents. They take an elevator to the 9th floor and then climb up and down five floors throughout the day as they attend classes.

Teachers are happy to be at TYWLS and work harmoniously with Principal Andrew Higginbotham. Many have been at the school for a decade or more, including the principal, who taught English and history there for 18 years. The rapport between students and teachers is respectful and warm; some teachers go by their first names, like the principal, Drew, and others prefer surnames, but lots of kids use affectionate shortcuts like Ms. C or Mr. B instead.

Most students start in 6th grade and stay on for high school. TYWLS admits a range of students, but serves mostly those with weak-to-average skills and does a good job helping them catch up. By the 8th grade, half the students are taking algebra, typically a 9th-grade course. By the time they graduate, roughly half the students have taken at least one Advanced Placement class. English language arts performance has improved in recent years but math has been up and down due to the loss of a couple of teachers, said co-director Colleen McGeehan.

Teachers strive to make lessons interesting and interactive. In a 6th grade English class students roamed the room responding in writing to quotes from a science fiction novel. In a 12th grade economics class, girls created games to demonstrate concepts such as inflation and structural unemployment. They learn a lot more when they are talking to each other than when Im talking to them, said a 6th grade teacher.

One surprising feature of the school is the menagerie of more than 30 animals living in the science labs, including six guinea pigs (five born at school), six red-eared sliders, a variety of fish and a rat. The animals help the girls learn tolerance of other species, the teacher said.

All students study art and music, but Spanish is the only foreign language taught. Students may take Advanced Placement courses in Statistics, Biology, U.S. government, U.S. history, Spanish Language and English literature. Preparation for the SATs is built into the 11th grade English curriculum.

All high school students take a technology class as well as a traditional four-year sequence of science: earth science, living environment, chemistry, and physics. One girl said if she could change anything about TYWLS she would add more technology offerings. After school options include a program that meets twice a week called ScriptEd, in which pros from the industry teach classes. Columbia University works with students in a summer science field research program.

An afterschool film class is offered at NEP Metropolis Studios, located in the same building. TYWLS girls take part in flag football, track, volleyball, basketball and more in the East Harlem Pride sports league.

Most graduates attend four-year colleges, including CUNY and SUNY schools, as well as private schools like Columbia, Brown and Williams College. A full-time college counselor organizes college trips and helps students and parents complete financial aid applications.

SPECIAL EDUCATION: Team-teaching classes on every grade. English language learners receive individual and small group support in their regular classes and on a pull-out basis.

ADMISSIONS: Open to female-identifying students. The middle school accepts Manhattan students and residents only. The high school is open to students citywide with priority to continuing 8th-graders and then to District 4 students. Admission to both the middle and high schools is based on a review of students' grades, test scores and record of behavior as well as a writing assignment and group interview.  (Lydie Raschka, April 2017, admissions information update October 2018)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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School Stats

Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average
Citywide Average Key
This school is Better Near Worse than the citywide average

Is this school safe and well-run?

From the 2020-21 NYC School Survey

How many students say they feel safe in the hallways, bathrooms and locker rooms?
76%
81% Citywide Average
How many students think bullying happens most or all of the time at this school?
64%
52% Citywide Average
How many teachers say the principal is an effective manager?
79%
78% Citywide Average

From the 2019-20 NY State Report Card

How many students were suspended?
0%
2% Citywide Average

From this school's most recent Quality Review Report

Are teachers effective?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many teachers have 3 or more years of experience teaching?
79%
80% Citywide Average
Years of principal experience at this school
4.1

How do students perform academically?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many 8th-graders earn high school credit?
63%
60% Citywide Average
How many students graduate in 4 years?
99%
91% Citywide Average

Who does this school serve?

From the 2022-23 Demographic Snapshot

Enrollment
444
Asian
6%
Black
29%
Hispanic
54%
White
5%
Other
7%
Free or reduced priced lunch
78%
Students with disabilities
22%
English language learners
4%

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

Average daily attendance
86%
86% Citywide Average
How many students miss 18 or more days of school?
55%
45% Citywide Average

From the 2020 School Directories

Uniforms required?
No

How does this school serve special populations?

From the 2021-22 School Quality Guide

How many students with disabilities graduate in 4 years?
100%
85% Citywide Average
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

Young Women's Leadership School (M96A)

Admissions Method: Screened

Program Description:

TYWLS offers an academically rigorous college-prep program to all our students including opportunities to take higher level math and science classes and a range of AP courses. All students participate in a robust college advising program, The College Bound Initiative, beginning in the 9th grade.

Offerings

From the 2024 High School Directory

Language Courses

Spanish

Advanced Courses

Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Spanish Literature and Culture, AP United States Government and Politics, AP United States History, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), Physics (Advanced Science), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)

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

NYC Department of Education: MySchools

Contact & Location

Location

105 East 106Th Street
Manhattan NY 10029

Trains: 2 Line, 3 Line to 110th St-Central Park North; 6 Line to 103rd St

Buses: BxM11, BxM2, BxM3, BxM4, M1, M101, M102, M103, M106, M116, M15, M15-SBS, M2, M3, M4, M98


Contact

Principal: Colleen Mcgeehan

Parent Coordinator: Vivian Hercules

Website

Other Details

Shared campus? No

This school is in its own building.

Uniforms required? No
Metal detectors? No

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