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Education

Improving public schools for every child in NYC

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For nearly 20 years we’ve been a trusted source of information and insight about New York City’s education system. Over a million users come to us annually for independent reviews of over 1,800 schools, and use our guided search tools for deciding which schools are right for their children.

Today our digital platforms and vibrant online community InsideSchools+ also create places where families, schools, community groups, and others share information and resources.

Our short, friendly guide is designed to help you navigate the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in your quest to get financial aid for college. We know everyone has questions. Start with the guide. Get more help from the website!

Education

All Publications

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Testimony
InsideSchools
New York City Council Education Committee Budget and Oversight Hearings on the Preliminary Budget for FY 2025

March 26, 2024
Urban Matters
FAFSA
It Was Supposed to Make Getting College Aid Simpler. It Hasn’t.

How a reform of the college aid application process that started with good intentions has, so far, fallen short.

January 31, 2024
Urban Matters
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Caught Between a PEG and a Cliff, How Much Will Education Programs Shrink?

Early childhood education and summer enrichment programs could be the biggest losers.

December 6, 2023
Urban Matters
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Do the Math: As the Budget Ax Falls, NYC Schools Face Major New Costs

Successive rounds of budget cuts will hit the schools, even as the clock counts down on a costly requirement to reduce classroom sizes.

November 21, 2023
Urban Matters
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Calm Before the Budget Storm: The Uncertain Outlook for City Schools

Lately, it’s been smooth sailing for New York City public schools – but the outlook is for some rough seas ahead.

October 18, 2023
Urban Matters
FAFSA
‘I Hate FAFSA. I’m Going to Start Crying.’

The process of applying for college financial aid regularly produces freakouts and meltdowns. But there may be help on the horizon.

October 2, 2022
Reports
Human Services & Childcare Workforce
What's next for early care and education in New York City?

New FY2023 commitments at the State and City levels seek to open up access for families and support providers

June 29, 2022
Reports
Poverty & Systemic Inequalities
Equity Means All, Not Some: Lessons from the Past 20 Years of Education Reform in New York City, and What Should Come Next

April 21, 2021
Urban Matters
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Elite Schools in a Plague Year: Will Getting in Be Fairer?

How will pandemic-forced changes alter admission to many of New York City’s most sought-after secondary schools?

January 27, 2021
Reports
Workforce Development
Learning Equitably, Digitally, and Well

A new report by the InsideSchools project of the Center for New York City Affairs at The New School, “Learning Equitably, Digitally, and Well,” examines how teachers, students, and parents have fared since schools switched exclusively to online learning in March. The report draws on in-depth interviews with some 37 students, teachers, parents, researchers, and others, and includes recommendations to City education policymakers for improving online or blended (combination classroom and remote) instruction in the coming school year.

June 22, 2020
Urban Matters
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Black and Latinx Students Still Mostly Shut Out of Specialized Schools

The recently released admission results for next fall’s classes at New York City’s elite specialized high schools fit a racially and ethnically imbalanced pattern that has been the status quo in recent memory.

April 14, 2020
Urban Matters
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Six Principles Should Guide Helping Kids Learn from Home in the Covid-19 Era

I’ve learned a lot about what it means to learn and teach with technology. Let me share some advice for parents and teachers. Forget the products. Focus on principles.

April 8, 2020
Reports
Poverty & Systemic Inequalities
Workforce Development
Scrapping the SHSAT: Breaking Down Who Would Be Affected, And How

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s proposal to end use of the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT) would make the city’s most elite public high schools more racially and ethnically diverse. The mayor’s plan would instead offer seats at the specialized high schools to the top performers in each of the city’s public middle schools. We tested this proposal and found that, if enacted, it would give some 2,000 academically qualified Black and Latinx students each year access to higher-performing schools and a more ethnically diverse cohort of fellow students than they typically have through the current school choice process.

October 1, 2019
Reports
Low-Paid Work, Independent Contractors & Labor Standards
Poverty & Systemic Inequalities
Screened Schools: How to Broaden Access and Diversity

Nearly 15% of New York City public high school students and about 18% of middle school students attend academically “screened” schools that rely on such factors as student grade point averages and standardized test scores for admission. Some educators and activists believe that screens reinforce racial and social privilege and should be abolished. “Screened Schools” addresses this subject and suggests a range of practicable strategies for increasing both diversity and educational quality in schools across the city.

February 3, 2019