Staten Island Technical High School
Basic Information
Location: 485 Clawson St, Staten Island, NY 10306
Contact Information: 718-667-3222
Website: http://www.siths.org
Grades: 9 10 11 12
School Population Size: 1,104
Staten Island Tech is a specialized high school with 1,104 students from ninth through twelfth grade. The school is located in the mid-island region of Staten Island in the neighborhood of New Dorp. The school population comprises of 1.1% Black, 5.3% Hispanic, 61.3% White, 31.8% Asian, and 0.5% other students. The student body includes 0.1% English language learners and 0.5% special education students. Boys account for 57% of the students enrolled and girls account for 43%. The average attendance rate for the school year 2011-2012 was 95.8%. 1
17.0% of the students at Staten Island Tech qualified for free or reduced lunch in the 2011-2012 school year (the latest year for which data was provided). 2
Specialized High School Controversy
In recent years, there has been a debate about the fairness of the specialized high schools admissions process. Many people are upset that the number of Black and Latino students admitted to schools like Staten Island Tech has been declining each year. However, others point out that although ethnic diversity in the specialized high schools is decreasing, economic diversity is actually increasing. Many low-income Asian students have been gaining seats in schools like Tech in recent years. The Asian population is overly represented in New York City specialized high schools. This is mostly due to Asian culture which champions academic prowess. To conclude, Staten Island Technical High School will remain a highly sought after institution for students of all races and economic backgrounds for many years to come. The main question is which students will get access to this school in future years.
References
1 http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2012-13/Quality_Review_2013_R045.pdf
2 http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/data/default.htm “School Demographic Snapshot”
