Specialized high schools in New York City

The specialized high schools of New York City are selective public high schools, established and run by the New York City Department of Education to serve the needs of academically and artistically gifted students. The Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) examination is required for admission to all the schools except LaGuardia, which requires an audition or portfolio for admission.

The schools

The nine specialized high schools, with their emphases, are:

* High School of American Studies at Lehman College (2002) (American history)
* Bronx High School of Science (1938) (mathematics and science)
* Brooklyn Latin School (2006) (humanities and the classics)
* Brooklyn Technical High School (1922) (engineering, mathematics, and science)
* Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the arts)
* High School for Math, Science and Engineering at City College (2002) (math, science, and engineering)
* Queens High School for the Sciences at York College (2002) (mathematics and science)
* Staten Island Technical High School (1988) (science and engineering)
* Stuyvesant High School (1904) (mathematics and science)

Background

Each of the specialized high schools has its own unique features but most emphasize mathematics and science. They offer many intriguing electives and advanced placement courses, including enrichment courses in the humanities.

Originally there three high schools Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and Stuyvesant. The other schools were later created to absorb some of the students who did not get into the top 3 specialized high schools. [ [http://www.nystringer.com/html/examsch.htm newexam ] ]

History

For many years, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science and Stuyvesant operated as specialized science and math high schools for New York City students, with a rigorous, uniform entrance examination. Their status as specialized schools was frequently threatened by factions within the New York City school system and government. As a way to preserve their special status, in 1972, the Hecht-Calandra Act was passed by the New York State Legislature, designating these schools as specialized science and math high schools for New York City. The Hecht-Calandra act called for a uniform exam in math and science to be administered for admission to these schools, in keeping with the uniform examination that had already been required by the New York City Board of Education for admission to these schools. The School of Performing Arts and The High School of Music & Art (consolidated in 1984 into LaGuardia High School) were also designated by the legislature as specialized high schools, and admission was by audition and portfolio rather than examination, in keeping with their artistic mission. [cite news|url=http://www.city-journal.org/html/9_2_how_gothams_elite.html|title=How Gotham’s Elite High Schools Escaped the Leveller’s Ax|first=Heather|last=Mac Donald|date=Spring 1999|publisher=City Journal|accessdate=2006-05-28]

Staten Island Tech began in 1982 as an annex of Ralph R. McKee Vocational-Technical High School and was made an independent high school in May 1988. HSAS, HSMSE, and QHSSYC were opened in 2002. Brooklyn Latin was established in 2006. All of these schools are required by state law to admit students based on the uniform Specialized High Schools Admissions Test, and positions are assigned on a ranked system, depending on numbers of seats available and how many applicants requested a given school.

References

ee also

*Empowerment School
*List of high schools in New York City

External links

* [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/HSDirectory/SpecializedHighSchoolsStudentHandbook.htm The Specialized High Schools Student Handbook (2006-2007)]