Students must be at least 17 years old, have earned at least 17 credits other high schools, and have passed one Regents exam with a score of 65 or higher. Students with limited English proficiency must take exams to show they have basic math skills and can read and write in their native language. The school accepts students from all five boroughs. (Skip Card and Anna Schneider, May 2012)
Students resemble earnest college students, both in age and attitude. During our visit to the day school, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., classes were dominated by ESL students who appeared hungry to learn English and to earn teachers approval. Classrooms were often crowded, but students seemed focused on their work and proud of their accomplishments. Students learning English see this school as a positive place where they can move forward with their lives, Toise said. For example, Binjie Mai, a 20-year-old senior, came to the United States from China in 2010. After taking Advanced Placement English, he was on track to graduate in the summer 2012 and was admitted to Pace University for the ll semester.
Some 26% of 2011 graduates went on two-year schools and 33% to four-year schools, mostly CUNY and SUNY. Recent graduates have won POSSE and Gates Foundation scholarshipsfull rides to college.
The graduation rate is lower than the citywide average, but on a par with other transfer schools. Toise says some students arrive too late to earn all 44 credits needed to graduate before they turn 22, the age when New York no longer offers free high school education. Many work full-time jobs or have a troubled home life. Toise said is often struck by the incredibly complicated lives that these kids lead.
Night classes run from 4:07 p.m. to 10 p.m. to accommodate students who have jobs or mily responsibilities during the day.
If youre 19 or 20, this is the place you want to be, said Principal Michael Toise (pronounced toys), Insurance News a Queens native who came to the school in 1997 as teacher of English as a Second Language before becoming assistant principal and then principal. At other high schools, older students forced to retake freshman-level courses often are the only 18-year-old in a room full of 14-year-olds, a socially awkward situation that causesManhattan Comprehensive Night and Day High School? night school nyc many to give up and drop out. But at Manhattan Comprehensive, no one in the building is under 17, Toise said. The average age is 19½.
The school has very limited services. A few students receive counseling and special education teachers support services (SETSS).
Native New Yorkers make up about two-thirds of the evening students. Toise said city-born students often arrive at the school with weak academic skills and a history of limited academic success. At first, they dont see teachers as allies. Changing their attitude is probably the biggest challenge we ce, Online Education he said. Attendance is more challenging at night.
The curriculum is geared toward providing essential math, English, science and humanities courses, as well as the test preparation needed to help students pass their required Regents exams. Electives are limited, but the school has a Green Track program designed to teach environmentally sustainable practices and offer training in solar power and other green fields. It also offers Advanced Placement courses.
An important feature of the school is the Student Life Center, which offers tutoring, help in finding paid internships, assistance with immigration problems and a variety of other services. Run by Comprehensive Development Inc., the schools nonprofit partner, the Student Life Center, in the basement, also welcomes students who may need help after they graduate, particularly if they encounter problems in their first year of college.
Manhattan Comprehensive Night and Day School offers round-the-clock classes designed for older students who ce a variety of obstacles in their pursuit of a high school diploma. About half the students are recent immigrants (mostly Asian) who speak limited English.
The building was opened in 1904 as the Hebrew Technical School for Girls, a philanthropic endeavor designed to teach poor European immigrant girls a variety of trades. The public school system bought the building in 1938, but evidence of its origins can be seen in the lobby (where marble plaques honor early donors) and the auditorium (adorned with the mural Womanhood, depicting female endeavors). The high-ceilinged classrooms and narrow halls retain a historic look, but the sixth floor (a later addition) contains modern science labs. The school features a cafeteria (serving both lunch and dinner), gym and library.
