Alec Appelbaum writes about urban design and policy for the New York Times and others, focusing on ways cities can become healthier. He is a parent at PS 126 in Manhattan and enjoys exercising on...

Some 2000 people -- including many parents with young children in tow -- filed into the Brooklyn Tech auditorium Tuesday night for a six hour meeting, the first of two Panel for Educational Policy...

On Friday, the kindergarten teacher sent home my 5-year-old daughter’s first report card, and I ripped open the sealed envelope with a tingly mix of anxiety and sorrow. The first report card marks...

I keep getting caught up and confused by high school exam schedules. Of course, I knew about final exams that took place in most New York City public high schools last week. And I vaguely recall...

One thing I noticed during my ten-month long career as a 5th-grader is that parents often get confused with the definition of a “good school.” Parents, there is no such thing as a “good school.”...

by Nicole Mader, Bruce Cory, and Celeste Royo The most recent Urban Matters ("Tough Test Ahead: Bringing Diversity to New York's Specialized High Schools") reported on patterns of racial and...

By Bruce Cory, editorial advisor and Nicole Mader, data analyst at the Center for New York City Affairs. There’s a longstanding debate about why so few Black and Hispanic students are admitted to...

Fifth-graders unhappy with their middle school choices now have a few more options. The Department of Education announced several new middle school programs slated to open in September 2016. Most...

If you want to see some schools that work—maybe to get some ideas for your own child's school—you might want to take a look at some of the showcase schools that the Department of Education is...

by Clara Hemphill and Nicole Mader In multi-ethnic New York City, why are so many elementary schools segregated by race and class? For years, school officials and researchers have assumed that...

by Rachel Howard, Lori Podvesker, Albert Martinez and Todd Dorman of INCLUDEnyc All 8th-graders have a rough time applying to high schools in New York City, but for the 15,000 8th-graders with...

The Department of Education is certainly keeping parents—and schools—on their toes this year: Families of children born in 2011 will apply to kindergarten between Dec. 7 and Jan. 15, with...

The first few months of 8th grade are very hectic, and it’s easy to lose track of all you have to do. If you're not already in the throes of a high school search now’s the time to get focused—and...

by Sarah Darville, Chalkbeat New York Few black and Hispanic students won admission to eight of the city's specialized high schools this year, leaving the schools' diversity figures unlikely to...

Zoning, space-sharing, charters—think you have no say? Since 2004, Community Education Councils (CECs) have offered New York City parents a voice in shaping school policies in their districts and...

The New York City Council took up the issue of racial segregation in the city's public schools today, but concern about the lack of diversity at eight schools—the academically elite specialized...

Busy is the family that has a 5th- and 8th-grader: middle school and high school applications are both due on the same day, Dec. 2! If you are a parent of a 5th-grader, this may be your first...

On Monday the Department of Education released new School Quality Reports for every city school, fulfilling its promiseto abandon the labeling of each school with a single letter grade. For parents...

If you haven't gotten your ticket for this weekend's specialized high school exam, don't panic. You'll be able to sit for the test without it, according to the Department of Education. The...

(Note: Post updated on Sept. 17, 2014) Mayor Bill de Blasio has hinted that his administration will change the admissions procedures sometime in the future—not this year—at the five specialized...

Lunch is free for all students in 6th-8th grade middle schools this year, as part of a pilot program funded by the City Council.  The City This initiative not only gives us an opportunity to review...

Bill de Blasio had been mayor for less than four months when the city's elementary and middle school students took standardized tests this past April. And, according to numbers released on...

by Carrie Berg, a special education teacher at New Design Middle Schoolin Harlem. Unable to suggest alternative schools, teachers left with special ed reform dilemma (via Chalkbeat New York) In...

Sixty percent of students who applied to either a district or citywide Gifted and Talented (G&T) program in 2014 received offers. That’s an improvement over 2013 when 54 percent of applicants...

It appears that many New York City public school principals have a great deal to say about this spring's standardized English tests for grades 3–8. Only they can't, because they are under a gag...