Is High School For Environmental Studies a good school?

High School For Environmental Studies ranks 726 th of 1242 New York high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend High School For Environmental Studies?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,053 students attended High School For Environmental Studies.

What is the racial makeup of High School For Environmental Studies?

Students at High School For Environmental Studies are 56% Hispanic, 15% White, 13% African American, 12% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

High School For Environmental Studies

Summary:

High School For Environmental Studies is a public high school in New York City's District 2, serving 1,083 students in grades 9-12. While the school has a unique focus on environmental studies, its overall academic performance has been consistently below average, with a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger over the past decade.

The school's key metrics reveal some areas of concern. Its 4-year graduation rate, ranging from 80.3% to 85.1%, is slightly below the state average, and its dropout rate has been higher than the state average, ranging from 2.9% to 10%. While the school performs well on English Language Arts Regents/Common Core exams, with over 85% proficiency, its math and science scores lag behind the state and district averages. Additionally, the school has struggled with high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 34.1% to 52.2%, which is significantly higher than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools in the same district, High School For Environmental Studies generally performs better than Independence High School and on par with or slightly better than the other schools in the area. However, it lags behind the higher-performing West End Secondary School, which is in a different district. The school's diverse student population and environmental focus could be unique selling points, but the school will need to address its key challenges, such as low overall academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and achievement gaps among different student subgroups, to better serve its community.

Detail:

Public 9-12

444 W 56th St
New York, NY 10019-3602

(212) 262-8113

District: New York City Geographic District # 2

SchoolDigger Rank:
726^th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,939

Student/teacher ratio: 13.8

Number of students: 1,053

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

56.0%

White:

15.1%

African American:

13.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 70.8%

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Compare High School For Environmental Studies to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details High School For Environmental Studies ranks worse than 58.5% of high schools in New York. It also ranks 25^th among 56 ranked high schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 42.94. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at High School For Environmental Studies who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at High School For Environmental Studies is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (56%), White (15.1%), African American (13.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 70.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at High School For Environmental Studies is 13.8. 57 high schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare High School For Environmental Studies employs 75.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at High School For Environmental Studies is $13,939. 61 high schools in the New York City Geographic District # 2 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

High School For Environmental Studies:

SchoolDigger ranks High School For Environmental Studies 726^th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See High School For Environmental Studies in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District # 2:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District # 2 335^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for High School For Environmental Studies

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Rank History for all students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	59.06	463^rd	986	53.0%
2007	65.95	300^th	1002	70.1%
2008	57.09	525^th	1027	48.9%
2009	60.04	451^st	1086	58.5%
2010	63.45	388^th	1117	65.3%
2011	56.50	577^th	1165	50.5%
2012	44.06	731^st	1198	39.0%
2013	39.08	778^th	1217	36.1%
2014	31.93	840^th	1237	32.1%
2015	33.15	853^rd	1255	32.0%
2016	33.59	858^th	1255	31.6%
2017	26.60	860^th	1221	29.6%
2018	25.67	890^th	1210	26.4%
2019	34.19	823^rd	1207	31.8%
2021	46.71	335^th	519	35.5%
2022	40.11	716^th	1190	39.8%
2023	42.54	708^th	1228	42.3%
2024	42.94	726^th	1242	41.5%

See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	39.87	144^th	212	32.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	43.92	290^th	546	46.9%
2019	32.07	398^th	565	29.6%
2022	40.96	271^st	481	43.7%
2023	36.18	394^th	583	32.4%
2024	33.39	460^th	637	27.8%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	22.88	896^th	1095	18.2%
2019	35.77	714^th	1132	36.9%
2022	46.27	489^th	1038	52.9%
2023	48.63	494^th	1130	56.3%
2024	52.46	453^rd	1144	60.4%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	27.23	869^th	1154	24.7%
2019	36.76	786^th	1179	33.3%
2022	39.61	683^rd	1101	38.0%
2023	39.25	704^th	1155	39.0%
2024	39.22	716^th	1170	38.8%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	54.48	192^nd	498	61.4%
2019	40.28	289^th	493	41.4%
2022	65.88	64^th	389	83.5%
2023	48.57	229^th	531	56.9%
2024	53.98	197^th	564	65.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	28.65	862^nd	1176	26.7%
2019	35.77	802^nd	1193	32.8%
2022	40.22	715^th	1155	38.1%
2023	43.77	690^th	1197	42.4%
2024	45.01	705^th	1219	42.2%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	22.78	908^th	1176	22.8%
2019	31.99	826^th	1190	30.6%
2022	38.53	707^th	1154	38.7%
2023	35.34	758^th	1191	36.4%
2024	40.83	726^th	1211	40.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	46.82	255^th	426	40.1%
2019	48.26	274^th	447	38.7%
2022	40.69	251^st	386	35.0%
2023	43.14	266^th	424	37.3%
2024	45.90	253^rd	426	40.6%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	31.27	477^th	679	29.7%
2019	44.08	370^th	686	46.1%
2022	44.61	297^th	593	49.9%
2023	53.22	258^th	671	61.5%
2024	55.42	262^nd	690	62.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	31.59	548^th	791	30.7%
2019	41.25	466^th	815	42.8%
2022	45.15	391^st	760	48.6%
2023	44.41	422^nd	851	50.4%
2024	42.45	456^th	865	47.3%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at High School For Environmental Studies

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	64.48	226^th	765	70.5%
2019	13.63	734^th	793	7.4%
2022	39.27	500^th	738	32.2%
2023	56.59	336^th	776	56.7%
2024	56.51	354^th	781	54.7%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 3)

50%

Reviews:

by a parent
Monday, July 7, 2014

The teachers are not only bad but they are also biased and they bring their biases into the classroom. The teachers at this school reuse past lessons that don't work for the majority of students and that is evident in the test scores, some teachers don't even come up with their only lessons but they use lessons they get online which is may or may not work for the majority of students but the teachers don't care whether the students pass or not since they bring in their personal biases to try and bring down the students they don't like. They do this by giving the student a lower score on things like essays, participation, classwork and yelling at students for doing something annoying like asking to go to the bathroom or talking, deny a student a letter of recommendation, or openly mocking students in class. This negatively affects students grades and consequently creates an antagonistic environment in which fights happen constantly. It's not just the students who are affected but the teachers are as well which is why all the good teachers who taught the subject well and get high regents scores have left for better opportunities like the french teacher who now teaches at stuyvesant. Close Quote

by a student
Friday, July 4, 2014

All of the teachers that were were keeping have left for better opportunities like the french teacher who teaches at Stuyvesant right now(check the French regents score for this score in 2011 and compare it to now). The teachers who stayed have essentially given up on their profession and reuse lessons that may or may not work for the majority of students, some teachers don't even come up with their own lessons, but they get their lessons online. If that wasn't bad enough, the teachers don't even try to hide their personal biases and they pass along these biases onto the students. This comes out in the form of racism, yelling, intentionally low grades on students work usually based on racial bias, denying a student a letter of recommendation (also based on race) and a myriad of other unethical actions. This creates an antagonistic environment between students and teachers where the teachers treat students with less respect than they deserve even as they're about to graduate, and makes students want to act out which is why fights are so common, you can't light a fire without a spark and the teachers are the spark. Close Quote

by a parent
Saturday, August 24, 2013

This is a good school that I feel is often overlooked by many. The teachers are great, they really care about their students, they help them whenever they can, most go beyond and the students for the most part are good kids,( problem students are dealt with swiftly and effectively by the administration, there are a few bad apples in every bunch!) my daughter made some really nice friends here. The guidance department is there for you if you ask for help with anything from class schedule, advice on classes, to planning for your child's future, they are very good and they care. I found the level of caring by all here to be better than most schools that I hear of. Of course your child and you must do your part to ensure they do well in school and their future. And let us all hope that the NYC School System gets their act together because they are the ones that are failing our children, our schools, our teachers and us. The school is good, send your child, be proactive and they will do well. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, June 18, 2010

good classes, great teachers. Close Quote

Enrollment information for High School For Environmental Studies

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2006	253	318	238	660	5	n/a	n/a	0	1474
2007	221	334	244	644	4	n/a	n/a	0	1447
2008	186	317	246	711	4	n/a	n/a	0	1464
2009	184	290	252	762	3	n/a	n/a	0	1491
2010	175	247	223	775	1	n/a	n/a	0	1421
2011	180	215	230	804	2	0	0	0	1431
2012	154	201	233	793	3	0	0	0	1384
2013	114	196	218	795	2	0	4	0	1329
2014	102	207	224	786	4	0	3	0	1326
2015	85	193	196	819	2	0	7	0	1302
2016	81	190	168	812	3	0	12	0	1266
2017	79	196	156	766	5	3	10	0	1215
2018	79	195	141	766	9	2	9	0	1201
2019	74	182	124	746	10	3	21	0	1160
2020	83	167	130	725	14	3	14	0	1136
2021	109	157	139	740	11	4	28	0	1188
2022	121	139	127	665	10	5	36	0	1103
2023	148	137	126	594	8	4	64	2	1083
2024	159	140	129	590	8	4	22	1	1053

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at High School For Environmental Studies

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	1474	73.0	20.2	49.8
2007	1447	72.0	20.1	56.2
2008	1464	72.2	20.3	48.8
2009	1491	72.4	20.6	58.1
2010	1421	72.8	19.5	n/a
2011	1431	59.5	24.0	61.7
2012	1384	68.0	20.3	67.8
2013	1329	66.0	20.1	73.3
2014	1326	63.9	20.7	75
2015	1302	60.0	21.7	73.6
2016	1266	64.0	19.7	74.4
2017	1215	68.9	17.6	78.6
2018	1201	69.0	17.4	81.1
2019	1160	71.0	16.3	82.2
2020	1136	76.6	14.8	79.2
2021	1188	78.1	15.1	78.4
2022	1103	74.9	14.7	76.9
2023	1083	77.7	13.9	73.7
2024	1053	75.9	13.8	70.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio High School For Environmental Studies

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2006	1474	73.0	20.2	49.8
2007	1447	72.0	20.1	56.2
2008	1464	72.2	20.3	48.8
2009	1491	72.4	20.6	58.1
2010	1421	72.8	19.5	n/a
2011	1431	59.5	24.0	61.7
2012	1384	68.0	20.3	67.8
2013	1329	66.0	20.1	73.3
2014	1326	63.9	20.7	75
2015	1302	60.0	21.7	73.6
2016	1266	64.0	19.7	74.4
2017	1215	68.9	17.6	78.6
2018	1201	69.0	17.4	81.1
2019	1160	71.0	16.3	82.2
2020	1136	76.6	14.8	79.2
2021	1188	78.1	15.1	78.4
2022	1103	74.9	14.7	76.9
2023	1083	77.7	13.9	73.7
2024	1053	75.9	13.8	70.8

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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