Schools Visited: Staten Island Technical High School and New Dorp High School

Staten Island Technical High School:

Total Student Population: 1,309

According to insideschools.org, Staten Island Technical High School is a specialized high school that focuses around technology and engineering while also having a strong Russian language program. The school has the highest graduation rate when compared to all other schools in the city, with 100% of its students graduating. In order to be accepted into the school, the student must take the Specialized High School Admissions Test, or the SHSAT, and score at least a 482 according to theschoolboards.com.

The graph below displays the student population of Staten Island Technical High School by ethnicity using percentages obtained from the statistics listed on schools.nyc.gov. As shown by the graph, the largest percentage of students are white and Asian, with low amounts of the other ethnicities. 

SCHOOL REVIEWS: 

Based on the school reviews of Staten Island Technical High School from insideschools.org and niche.com the school has all positive reviews overall in the aspects below, with each being better than the citywide average for all schools.

Security:

•  99% of both students and teachers feel safe at this school and feel that safety is maintained throughout. The citywide average for this is 84% for students and 76% for teachers.
• A+ when it comes to safety. 98% of the students say that they feel safe and secure in the school.

Peer Relations:

•   2% of students feel that bullying is a problem and seen often in the school and 93% agree that each student treats one another with respect. The citywide average for this is 18% in regards to bullying and 56% in regards to student respect.
• 90% of the students that attend both like all aspects of the school and feel glad to be there.

Diversity of Courses and Activities Available:

• 92% of students say that the diversity of courses offered not only keep them interested in school but also encourage them to develop skills outside of academics. The citywide average for this is 71% in terms of interest and 70% in terms of developing skills.
• A+ when it comes to diversity of activities available. 96% of students and parents agree that there are enough clubs and activities for every student to find something that interests them.

College Preparation:

•  100% of the students graduate with test scores that would be accepted to enroll at a CUNY without any extra help and take at least one college level course during their time at Staten Island Technical High School. The citywide average for this is 32% in terms of high enough test scores and 41% in terms of taking a college level course.
•   A+ when it comes to students being ready for college at graduation. The school is rated #3 out of 1,165 schools in the city in terms of college readiness.

New Dorp High School:

Total Student Population: 2,928

According to insideschools.org, New Dorp High School is a high school that’s separated into eight different small learning communities, or SLCs. Each SLC focuses on a different subject, including law, math and science, teaching, and even culinary arts and forensics. Important skills, such as reading and writing, are incorporated within each SLC. Each SLC has different requirements in regards to accepting student, with the math and science SLC having the hardest. In order to get in to the math and science SLC, good attendance, 3s or 4s on the standardized tests, and at least an 85 gpa are required. Students who are zoned for the school are given priority in acceptance.

The graph below displays the student population of New Dorp High School by ethnicity using percentages obtained from the statistics listed on schools.nyc.gov. As shown by the graph, the largest percentage of students are white, with a high amount of Hispanic students, moderate amounts of Asian and black students, and low amounts of the other ethnicities.

SCHOOL REVIEWS: 
Based on the school reviews of New Dorp High School from insideschools.org and niche.com the school has some positive reviews in regards to the aspects below. However, in many cases it falls either near or below the citywide average for these aspects.

Security:

•  76% of the students say that they feel safe around the school, while 90% of the teachers feel that the school is kept safe and secure for all. The citywide average for this is 84% for students and 76% for teachers.
• A+ when it comes to safety. 80% of the students say that they feel safe and secure in the school.

Peer Relations:

• 24% of students feel that bullying is a problem and seen often in the school and only 42% think that each student treats one another with respect. The citywide average for this is 18% in regards to bullying and 56% in regards to student respect.
• 76% of the students that attend both like all aspects of the school and feel glad to be there.

Diversity of Courses and Activities Available:

• 81% of students say that the diversity of courses offered keep them interested in school but 73% feel that they also encourage them to develop skills outside of academics. The citywide average for this is 71% in terms of interest and 70% in terms of developing skills.
• A- when it comes to diversity of activities available. 85% of students and parents agree that there are enough clubs and activities for every student to find something that interests them.

College Preparation:

•  39% of the students graduate with test scores that would be accepted to enroll at a CUNY without any extra help and 55% take at least one college level course during their time at New Dorp High School. The citywide average for this is 32% in terms of high enough test scores and 41% in terms of taking a college level course.
• B when it comes to students being ready for college at graduation. The school is rated #479 out of 904 schools in the city’s metro area in terms of college readiness.

Click here to learn more about residential segregation in Staten Island

Sources

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