Our Insights
What’s Special
Mandarin Chinese and demanding academics
The Downside
Crowded building means some students take gym on Saturday
At the High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies, all students are expected to speak, read and write in English and Chinese by the time they graduate. It is an academically demanding school where teens are required to study Mandarin daily and take four years of math and science. Attendance is near perfect, as is the four-year graduation rate.
The school day is long, with some students beginning at 7:15 a.m. and ending at 4 p.m. Ninth and 10th grades are foundation years, designed to help students build proficiency in their second language to allow everyone to take classes together in 11th and 12th grades.
Native English speakers take a double period of Chinese every day all four years, and all other subjects are taught in English, at first, until children are more familiar with the new language. The reverse is true for native Chinese speakers, who take double periods of English. In their second year, children should are able to write one-page compositions in the new language, said a school administrator.
Although most of the students are of Chinese heritage, African Americans, whites and Latinos make up about 15 percent of the enrollment.
Ideally, dual language classes are a 50/50 split of native Chinese and native English speakers, but native English speakers make up roughly two-thirds of the school population. About one-third of the teachers are fluent in Mandarin.
The new Asian immigrant population at the school is declining a little. As a result, teachers are changing how they deliver lessons, from the more lecture-based style used in China to the more discussion-based style students are used to from their middle schools in New York. The shift has not been welcome by all teachers, and their discontent shows up on school surveys.
The school reached 100 percent on its four-year graduation rate for the first time in 2017. This is significant given it is mostly a low-income population. Almost all children are prepared for college-level work, as shown on tests developed by City University of New York.
One element of college readiness can be seen in the school culture outside the classroom. Students seek help from older students, who serve as peer mentors, and are encouraged to make appointments with teachers for tutoring. They also meet in student-led study groups during their free periods. Working in study groups and asking for help are skills that have been shown to be helpful in college, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal that cites several research studies.
While in high school, students may take college classes at New York University, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Baruch or Hunter. NYU undergraduates provide assistance with writing. The Chinese American Planning Council (CPC) offers work opportunities and an after-school program.
The school was founded in 2003 and moved into the old Seward Park High School building in 2004. It occupies the fifth floor and shares the building with four other schools: New Design High School, Essex Street Academy, Lower Manhattan Arts Academy and Urban Assembly Academy of Government and Law.
High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies uses one section of the cafeteria and the swimming pool. There are two gymnasiums, but some children must take gym on Saturday due to scheduling, according to an administrator. Students from all five schools may join PSAL sports teams.
Top graduates have gone on to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NYU, and have won scholarships for Georgetown and Cornell. Many go on to CUNY colleges. (Lydie Raschka, web reports and interviews, March 2018)
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School Stats
Academics
Students
Race/Ethnicity
Safety & Vibe
Faculty & Staff
Advanced Courses
Calculus
Computer Science
Not offered in 2021-21Physics
Advanced Foreign Language
AP/IB Arts, English, History or Social Science
AP/IB Math or Science
Music
Not offered in 2021-21College Readiness
Programs & Admissions
From the 2024 High School DirectoryHigh School for Dual Language and Asian Studies (M59A)
Offerings
From the 2024 High School DirectoryLanguage Courses
Mandarin
Advanced Courses
Algebra II (Advanced Math), AP Biology, AP Calculus AB, AP Chemistry, AP Chinese Language and Culture, AP English Language and Composition, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, AP United States History, AP World History: Modern, Calculus (Advanced Math), Chemistry (Advanced Science), ELA (College Course [Credited]), Math (College Course [Credited]), Physics (Advanced Science), Social Studies (College Course [Credited]), World Languages (Advanced World Languages)
Boys PSAL teams
Badminton, Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Handball, Volleyball, Wrestling
Girls PSAL teams
Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Softball, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Volleyball, Wrestling
Read about admissions, academics, and more at this school on NYCDOE’s MySchools
Contact & Location
Location
350 Grand Street
Manhattan
NY
10002
Trains: , to Grand St; , , , to Delancey St
Buses: B39, M1, M103, M14A-SBS, M14D-SBS, M15, M15-SBS, M21, M22, M9
Contact
Other Details
This school shares the Seward Park Educational Campus with four other schools
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