SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS STUDENT HANDBOOK - Greg's Tutoring NYC

SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOLS

STUDENT HANDBOOK

2012 -2013

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The Bronx High School of Science The Brooklyn Latin School Brooklyn Technical High School H igh School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College High School of American Studies at Lehman College Queens High School for the Sciences at York College Staten Island Technical High School Stuyvesant High School Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts

TRANSLATED VERSIONS OF THIS HANDBOOK ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE

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It is the policy of the Department of Education of the City of New York not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, age, disability, marital status, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity/expression in its educational programs and activities, and to maintain an environment free of sexual harassment, as required by law. Inquiries regarding compliance with appropriate laws may be directed to: Director, Office of Equal Opportunity, 65 Court Street, Room 923, Brooklyn, New York 11201, Telephone 718-935-3320. Cover artwork by Alana Wong-DeJesus, student at High School of Art & Design. Sample test items are taken from materials copyright ? 1983-2012, NCS Pearson, Inc., 5601 Green Valley Drive, Bloomington, MN 55437.

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u u Contents

Message to Students and Parents/Guardians . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Section 1: The Specialized High Schools

The Bronx High School of Science . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Brooklyn Latin School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Brooklyn Technical High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 High School of American Studies at Lehman College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Queens High School for the Sciences at York College . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Staten Island Technical High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Stuyvesant High School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Section 2: Dates and Locations

Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) Dates and Locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Admissions Process . . . . . 10 Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Audition Information . . . . . 10 Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts Audition Dates . . . . . . . . . 11

Section 3: Specialized High Schools Application Process

Steps in the Application Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 SHSAT Testing Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Auditioning for Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts . . . . . . . . . . 13 Notification Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Admissions Process, Specialized High Schools Admissions Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Additional SHSAT Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Alternate Test Dates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Students with Disabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Section 4: Test Description & Materials

Test Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Filling in the Answer Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 SHSAT Scoring, Reporting, and Review Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Discovery Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Section 5: SHSAT Useful Tips for Testing

Before Test Day . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Day of the Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Specific Strategies: Verbal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Specific Strategies: Mathematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

SAMPLE SHSAT TESTS

General Directions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Sample Answer Sheet, Form A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Sample Test, Form A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Sample Test, Form A, Explanations of Correct Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Sample Answer Sheet, Form B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Sample Test, Form B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Sample Test, Form B, Explanations of Correct Answers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Sample Math Problems for Grade 9 Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

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u u u Message to Students and Parents/Guardians About Specialized High Schools Admissions

T he Specialized High Schools Student Handbook 2012-2013 describes the programs and admissions procedures for the Specialized High Schools in New York City, which are: Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, The Bronx High School of Science, The Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School, High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College, High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Staten Island Technical High School, and Stuyvesant High School. These schools were established under New York State Law 2590 ? Section G. Each school provides students with a unique opportunity to pursue special interests and to develop their talents. Entrance into these schools is by examination except for Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (LaGuardia High School) which is based on a competitive audition and review of academic records. Students must be residents of New York City and current eighth grade or first-time ninth grade students in order to apply, register, sit for, and receive results for the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT) and LaGuardia High School audition. You should meet with your guidance counselor to discuss registration for the SHSAT or audition requirements.

In this handbook, you will find useful information about the Specialized High Schools, including programs in the schools, admission procedures, sample tests with test-taking tips, and a calendar of important dates. This handbook can be used by students and parents/guardians. Included in this handbook are two complete sample tests of the SHSAT, along with answers and explanations to help you prepare for the actual test. It is important to familiarize yourself with the information contained in this handbook.

The Specialized High Schools Student Handbook is a project of the New York City Department of Education, the Office of Assessment and the Division of Portfolio Planning. For more information on other New York City Public High Schools, please see a copy of the Directory of the New York City Public High Schools or you may find it online at schools/ChoicesEnrollment/High.

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The Specialized High Schools

1 Section

There are nine Specialized High Schools in New York City. For eight of these schools, admission is based solely on the score attained on the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT). For Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (LaGuardia High School), acceptance is based on an audition and a review of a student's academic records. Approximately 30,000 students took the SHSAT and 15,532 students applied to LaGuardia High School for September 2012 admission. General descriptions of the Specialized High Schools can be found in the Directory of the New York City Public High Schools (online at schools/ChoicesEnrollment/High). More information about each Specialized High School can be found below:

The Bronx High School of Science

75 West 205th Street, Bronx, New York 10468 Telephone: (718) 817-7700 ? Website: bxscience.edu

The Bronx High School of Science is a world-renowned college preparatory school for students gifted in science and mathematics. The school provides an enriched and diverse program to prepare students to enter the country's top colleges and universities, and to become leaders in all academic fields including science, business, medicine, the law, and technology. The school offers a large variety of elective courses allowing students to explore areas of interest. All graduates attend college, and our goal from day one is to prepare students to attend the school of their dreams. The school boasts seven Nobel Laureates, more than any other high school and more than most countries. The school is the nation's all-time leader in the Westinghouse/Intel Science Talent Search, the leading science competition in the country.

The Bronx High School of Science offers every possible Advanced Placement course, except for German, and many post-AP courses (second-year college courses). The school offers nine foreign languages, numerous electives in biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, technology, and the humanities. Bronx Science has an orchestra, band, chorus, jazz ensembles, and computerized music for students interested in music. Please see our course guide on our website, bxscience.edu, for full descriptions.

Extracurricular activities include over 60 after-school clubs, 30 athletic teams, an internationally acclaimed Speech and Debate Team, Mock Trial, a world-class Robotics Team, two theatrical productions each year, SING, an award-winning yearbook, and scholarly journals. Check our website for more information about the school. As our alumni uniformly agree: "Bronx Science--The Effect is Transformational."

For September 2012 admission, 19,158 students listed Bronx Science as a choice on their application and 1,020 offers were made.

The Brooklyn Latin School

325 Bushwick Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11206 Telephone: (718) 366-0154 ? Website:

The Brooklyn Latin School (TBLS) offers a classical liberal arts curriculum with an emphasis on the classics and Latin language instruction. Instruction emphasizes a core knowledge of the liberal arts that students will use as the basis for further, more detailed exploration. All students are required to complete four years of Latin, history, mathematics, English, science, and at least two years of a world language. In humanities classes, students participate in Socratic Seminars and declamation (public speaking exercises). Non-humanities classes feature labs, math expositions, discussions, and problem sets. In all classes, students can expect a strong and continuing emphasis on structured writing and public speaking, as well as the overarching practice of analytical thinking that will ensure that all TBLS students are prepared for the challenges of college work.

The Brooklyn Latin School offers the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. Widely regarded around the world as the most rigorous and comprehensive course of study at the high school level, the IB Programme is a crucial aspect of the TBLS experience. Its emphasis on student-led inquiry, global perspectives and personal integrity conform perfectly with the ideals on which The Brooklyn Latin School was founded. In addition to rigorous class work, IB stresses independent thinking and community engagement. All students are expected to complete an extended essay, a lengthy independent essay on a subject of their choosing, the completion of which correlates closely to college-level research writing. In addition, students are required to engage in a total of 150 hours of creativity, action, and service (CAS), which may include volunteering or engaging meaningfully with the community outside TBLS. We believe that both of these requirements will help our students become well-rounded citizens of the world.

For September 2012 admission, 14,695 students listed The Brooklyn Latin School as a choice on their application and 480 offers were made.

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