School of the Future (New York City)
Encyclopedia
The School of the Future is a public secondary school located at 127 East 22nd Street on the corner of Lexington Avenue
, in the Gramercy Park
neighborhood of Manhattan
, New York City
. It serves grades 6 through 12 and is a part of the New York City Department of Education
. It draws students from all over the city.
School of the Future is a small school founded in 1990 with funding by Apple Inc. with an admissions process dependent on student application and interview. It is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
, a league of schools dedicated to small class sizes and student-centered learning. In 2005, School of the Future was chosen as a national mentor school of CES as part of a Gates Foundation funded effort to improve schools nationwide.
and high school about 625 students attend SOF. The student population is greatly diverse (ethnically, economically, academically, and geographically), with students attending from all five boroughs
of the City. SOF has been recognized by Clara Hemphill as a top public school in New York City, partially due to the consistent accomplishment of nearly 100% of the school's graduating class being accepted to a college
or university.
and two JV
teams. Teams include Baseball (Boys), Basketball (Boys & girls teams), Soccer (Boys & Girls teams), Softball (Girls), and Volleyball (Boys & girls teams). All of the SOF sports teams are part of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) and are in their respective "B" conferences, except Girls Varsity Basketball and Soccer. Though recognized as a small Manhattan school, the sports teams have made the playoffs in various years, however, no team has won the city championship. Some upsets include wins against Washington Irving
and Stuyvesant High School
, both with more than 2,500 students. The school has produced quality athletes considering its size, albeit none have gone on to significant sports careers.
Lexington Avenue (Manhattan)
Lexington Avenue, often colloquially abbreviated by New Yorkers as "Lex," is an avenue on the East Side of the borough of Manhattan in New York City that carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street to Gramercy Park at East 21st Street...
, in the Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is a small, fenced-in private park in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park is at the core of both the neighborhood referred to as either Gramercy or Gramercy Park and the Gramercy Park Historic District...
neighborhood of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It serves grades 6 through 12 and is a part of the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
. It draws students from all over the city.
School of the Future is a small school founded in 1990 with funding by Apple Inc. with an admissions process dependent on student application and interview. It is a member of the Coalition of Essential Schools
Coalition of Essential Schools
The Coalition of Essential Schools is an organization created to further a type of whole-school reform originally envisioned by founder Ted Sizer in his book, Horace's Compromise. CES began in 1984 with twelve schools; it currently has 600 formal members.-Horace's Compromise:Horace's Compromise...
, a league of schools dedicated to small class sizes and student-centered learning. In 2005, School of the Future was chosen as a national mentor school of CES as part of a Gates Foundation funded effort to improve schools nationwide.
Philosophy and curriculum
School of the Future's curriculum encourages students to be independent through internships with local companies, non-profits, and civic institutions. Classes are sometimes taught through a two-year curriculum; students may have some of their teachers for two academic years. The high school follows a block schedule and students have a full day of classes for their entire stay at the school. Graduation requires four years of Humanities (English and Social Studies primarily, with occasionally courses from other disciplines such as Philosophy and Visual Arts); four years of Math and Science; and two years of foreign language (Spanish). The juniors and seniors are considered the "Senior Institute" which provides more choice to students in their studies, allowing them to pick from an array of Humanities courses. The Math sequence consists of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II/Trigonometry, and Pre-calculus/Calculus in the 12th grade. The Science sequence includes Integrated Science, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. Students can choose to take elective classes in a variety of subjects: art, science, math,and spanish. Students must demonstrate technology proficiency in their regular classes. The school’s advisory program serves as a family group and guidance resource.Exhibitions and portfolio roundtables
As an alternative to taking New York State Regents tests, School of the Future allows its high school (grades 9-12) students to write extensive papers, similar to college theses. These are called Exhibitions. Middle school (grades 6-8) students have Portfolio Roundtables, or PRT's, which are portfolios which contain the student's best work. In addition to the PRT's middle school students write an eight page essay explaining why they are ready for high school.The student body
Between the middle schoolMiddle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
and high school about 625 students attend SOF. The student population is greatly diverse (ethnically, economically, academically, and geographically), with students attending from all five boroughs
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of the City. SOF has been recognized by Clara Hemphill as a top public school in New York City, partially due to the consistent accomplishment of nearly 100% of the school's graduating class being accepted to a college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
or university.
Sports
Although located in Manhattan and unable to have a "home field" for sporting events, the school has eight VarsityVarsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
and two JV
JV
JV can mean:*Bearskin Airlines IATA airline designator*Jack Valenti, the former head of the Motion Picture Association of America*Jaclyn Victor, the first Malaysian Idol winner*John Virgo, a snooker player and commentator...
teams. Teams include Baseball (Boys), Basketball (Boys & girls teams), Soccer (Boys & Girls teams), Softball (Girls), and Volleyball (Boys & girls teams). All of the SOF sports teams are part of the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) and are in their respective "B" conferences, except Girls Varsity Basketball and Soccer. Though recognized as a small Manhattan school, the sports teams have made the playoffs in various years, however, no team has won the city championship. Some upsets include wins against Washington Irving
Washington Irving High School (New York City)
Washington Irving High School is located at 40 Irving Place between East 16th and 17th Streets the lower part of the New York City borough of Manhattan...
and Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School
Stuyvesant High School , commonly referred to as Stuy , is a New York City public high school that specializes in mathematics and science. The school opened in 1904 on Manhattan's East Side and moved to a new building in Battery Park City in 1992. Stuyvesant is noted for its strong academic...
, both with more than 2,500 students. The school has produced quality athletes considering its size, albeit none have gone on to significant sports careers.