Chapter 6: Other Co-Ed Schools

C h a p t e r 6 OTHER CO-ED SCHOOLS

This section features co-ed schools that are not screened public schools. Some are Catholic parochial schools; some are independent schools, some are charter schools and some are unscreened public schools.

Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School

91-30 Metropolitan Ave. | Forest Hills, NY 11375

MELS, “A School for a Sustainable City”, is located in Forest Hills, Queens, and serves approximate 840 students in grades 6 – 12. It offers students a rigorous college preparatory program, with particular emphasis on sustainability. MELS has been recognized as a Showcase School by the New York City Department of Education and selected as one of only ten Expeditionary Learning Mentor Schools across the country. The school has been recognized in the New York Post as one of the “hidden gems” in the New York City public school system.

Through authentic, project-based learning expeditions in all disciplines, as well as experiences in science and technology, students become critical thinkers who gather information, carefully weigh their options, and make informed, thoughtful choices that effect change. Much of the schoolwork is organized into interdisciplinary “expeditions” that get kids out of the classroom to learn and explore. Students take a four‑day wilderness/back-packing adventure with their “crew” — groups of 16 students who meet with a teacher throughout the year for support and guidance. By using New York City as an extension of the classroom, students learn that sustainability means meeting current needs without compromising future generations. The student body is diverse and approximately 20% Asian, 40% Latino, 17% African-American and 17% White.

Special Features

Team sports include: Volleyball, Swimming, Soccer, Cross Country, Basketball, Wrestling, Indoor Track, Softball, Baseball, Outdoor Track and Co-Ed Stunt. Campus teams have won borough and city championships. The school’s library is not only a beautiful space, but an amazing resource for students providing opportunities in and out of the classroom. Staffed by award-winning librarian, Jillian Ehlers, MELS boasts a library space that is among the best in the city. Active PTA with parent involvement encouraged by the school.

Admission: MELS is an unscreened school- students are not screened based on test scores or grades. Students complete an application with the DOE to apply, being that we are a public school.

Archbishop Molloy High School (Catholic)

8353 Manton St, Briarwood, NY 11435

https://www.molloyhs.org

Archbishop Molloy High School is a highly rated, private, Catholic school located on a six acre campus in Briarwood, NY. It has 1,490 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 19 to 1. After graduation, 100% of students from this school go on to attend a 4-year college. Molloy offers over 30 Honors classes, 7 Scholars classes, and 45 junior and senior electives across subject areas. 97% of our students enroll in Advanced Placement and/or other college credit courses prior to their high school graduation. Molloy AP courses include: Computer Science Principles, Computer Science A, United States History, World History, European History, U.S. Government and Politics, Psychology, English Literature, English Language/Composition, Biology, Chemistry, Physics 1, Calculus AB, and Calculus BC. Among Catholic schools, Molloy has the highest percentage of its graduates earning Regents diplomas of any Catholic school in the city.

Special Features

Molloy is known for its successful sports program, particularly in basketball, baseball, soccer, and track and field.

Molloy offers a challenging Science Research Program, aligned with SUNY Albany, for qualifying students. Its Science Olympiad and Math League teams remain highly and successfully competitive among top academic schools in New York City and State. In cooperation with LIU Post, Molloy also runs a Robotics course for college credit. Arts classes include Advanced Computer Graphics, Painting and 3 Dimensional Design, Introduction to Film, Band with instruction for specialty ensembles, Chorus, Dance, Drama, and Creative Writing.

Admission: Over 2,000 students apply for Molloy's 400 available freshman seats each year. Admission into Molloy is based primarily on academic achievement, standardized test scores, and state test scores in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades, as well as the results of the TACHS or CHSEE exam. Refer to the school’s Admissions page for more information.

Friends Seminary (Independent School)

222 East 16th Street New York, NY 10003

https://www.friendsseminary.org/

Since 1783, Friends Seminary has offered New Yorkers an education based on the Quaker values of reflection, compassion and inclusion. Friends requires critical thinking skills and reaches beyond the classroom walls to help students move toward realizing “a world that ought to be.” When students participate in contests and tests, they are taught consider their competitors as those who can inspire them to perform at a new level. In this way both competitive and collaborative learning lead to individual achievement and community enrichment. Learning at Friends is active, whether it be through wilderness programs; opportunities to study abroad; community service projects; social justice initiatives; artistic, academic, and athletic performances; student publications; Peace Week; Day of Concern; or school-focused committee and governance work. A wide range of languages are taught including Arabic, Mandarin, French, Spanish, Latin all through Advanced level.

Special Features:

Eleventh and twelfth grade students, recommended by the School and deemed qualified by NYU administrators, may enroll free of charge in courses at NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences. Students enrolled in NYU courses will not receive college credit for the course at the conclusion of the class.

Independent Study: 11th and 12th Grade students an opportunity to participate in creating a course of study in a particular area of interest.

The Chapman Academic Center provides faculty “coaches,” who assist students with assignments, and peer tutors, who work with students under the supervision of the staff.

Admission: Candidates must take the SSAT or ISEE exam. In addition to these test scores, student grades, attendance, teacher recommendations, student essay, extra curricular activities, and interview are all considered. Please see the school’s website for additional information about admissions requirements.

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The Dalton School (Independent)

222 East 16th Street New York, NY 10003

https://www.friendsseminary.org/

Dalton is a nationally-recognized K-12 private school, known for its leadership in progressive education. A Dalton education is organized around three features: House, Assignment and Lab. The House is the basic social unit in the school and is heterogeneously grouped with students from grades nine through twelve. House Advisors are the primary communication link between the school and the home, and between the student and the school. As the student's advocate and confidant, the Advisor plays a vital role in monitoring the advisee's academic, social, and emotional well-being.

The Assignment introduces the student to a new topic or topics to be covered within a given course's curriculum. It lists the numerous learning avenues which a student may follow to arrive at a better understanding of the topic and the learning tasks for which they will be held responsible. While the Assignment helps students individualize their learning opportunities, it also enables them to learn how to organize time over a period of weeks and gives them a useful perspective on the cognitive and skill areas to be pursued.

The Laboratory provides students the opportunity for individual consultation with teachers or for small group interaction with peers as they pursue and extend the study prescribed in the Assignment. Lab enables students to personalize their learning experience. Students make regular appointments to plan individualized work, review projects in process, exams taken, or seek clarification.

Special Features:

Dalton Global Initiatives engage students in three integral forms of global experiences including academic collaborations, language and cultural immersion opportunities and service learning programs. Dalton's Senior Project gives High School seniors the possibility of creating a special course of study that will allow them to unify their program in ways the curriculum may not ordinarily be able to achieve. Senior Project represents an