School Without Walls

School Without Walls is one of the oldest nontraditional high schools in the nation and is known for its independent learning environment. It is a community of learners who hold one another to high standards of behavior, school culture, and academics. Students engage in inquiry based learning grounded in New York State standards and complete performance based assessments in most subjects. Students still take the English Language Arts Regents exam as part of the New York State graduation requirements.

Learning happens both in the classroom and throughout the community. Students learn to use community resources, complete meaningful community service each year, and take part in learning experiences across the city. Seniors complete a yearlong senior project, present public exhibitions of their work, and defend their learning to a review panel that includes community experts, teachers, and peers.

School Without Walls also offers dual credit college courses that allow students to earn high school and college credit at the same time. These opportunities help students experience college level expectations, strengthen their academic skills, and begin building a college transcript before graduation.

Students benefit from small class sizes, strong relationships with staff, and an approach to learning that supports a wide range of learning styles through discussion, research, hands on work, and real world application. The school is a member of the New York State Performance Standards Consortium, which supports project based learning, performance assessment, and student voice.

School Without Walls does not participate in the NCAA clearinghouse. Students anticipating a Division I or Division II athletic scholarship should take this into consideration before selecting School Without Walls.