Frequently Asked Questions
About our Organization
What is New Visions for Public Schools?
What is a charter high school? How is it different from a Public School?
Does New Visions have charter elementary and/or middle schools?
About our Schools
Where are your schools located?
How are the schools for Advanced Math and Science (AMS) different from the schools for the Humanities (HUM)?
How do New Visions Schools interact with other schools on campus?
What is the school schedule at New Visions Charter High Schools?
Are sports offered at the New Visions Charter High Schools?
Is there a summer program?
How are New Visions charter schools performing?
Applying to Our Schools
Who can apply to a New Visions Charter High School?How are students with special needs and English Language Learners supported?
How can I apply to a New Visions Charter High School?
Will submitting more than one application increase my chances of obtaining a seat at any of your schools?
What if I decide I want to apply to additional New Visions schools or need to make any changes after I’ve submitted my application?
Can I apply to a New Visions Charter High School if I am in the 11th or 12th grade?
Can I submit an application a few years early?
Lottery
How does the lottery work?
Is anyone given preference in the lottery?
Do I or my child need to be present at the lottery in order to receive a seat?
When will I know if I got in?
What is the next step if I receive a seat?
What if my child does not receive a seat?
Applying to the Waitlist
When can I apply to the waitlist?
What happens if I apply to the waitlist after the lottery has taken place?
How do I know what number I have been given on the waitlist?
What is the next step if I am offered a seat off of the waitlist?
About our Organization
What is New Visions for Public Schools?
We are a nonprofit organization, founded in 1989, For over three decades, New Visions for Public Schools has played a central role in improving the quality of New York City public schools and removing barriers to the success of low- income students and students of color.
New Visions focuses on providing educators with the tools, resources, and support to build and continuously improve strong and responsive systems. These include major investments in student planning tools, free and high-quality curriculum, and innovative career & college preparatory programs.
What is a charter high school? How is it different from a public school?
Charter schools are free public schools open to all students and managed by organizations that are authorized by a public agency. As a result, they have more freedom and flexibility to make decisions about curriculum, scheduling, and teacher selection to meet the needs of their students. Charter schools follow all state education laws and are reviewed and evaluated by the New York State Education Department.
Does New Visions have charter elementary and/or middle schools?
No. At the moment we only have Charter High Schools. Please visit the Department of Education and/or the New York City Charter School Center for a complete listing of all charter schools in New York.
About Our Schools
Where are your schools located?
We currently have eight New Visions Charter High Schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens. We also have two New Visions AIM Charter High Schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn that serve over-age, under-credited students
How are the schools for Advanced Math and Science (AMS) different from the schools for the Humanities (HUM)?
All New Visions Charter High Schools are committed to seeing students graduate ready to succeed in college and career. In the 9th and 10th grades, all schools focus on strengthening reading, writing, and speaking skills. In the 11th and 12th grades, students will have opportunities to take career preparation, Advanced Placement, and college-level classes. Our Math and Science schools may offer courses in AP Biology, Advanced Physics and Chemistry, and College-level Calculus, giving students a foundation for career paths in engineering, medicine, research, and forensics. Our Humanities schools offer courses in AP Government, Media Studies, and AP Psychology, giving students a foundation for career paths in education, the arts, public service, and media.
How do New Visions Schools interact with other schools on campus?
New Visions Charter High Schools are located within district schools on shared campuses across the city. Our school leaders communicate and collaborate with other schools to ensure students have access to space, resources, and are part of a larger school community.
What is the school schedule at New Visions Charter High Schools?
Our students attend school from 8:30 am--4:30 pm, except on Wednesdays, when they are dismissed early. After-school programs vary by school, but typically run from 4:30pm--6:00pm. Please visit each school's page for details.
Are sports offered at the New Visions Charter High Schools?
Yes, all of our schools offer sports through the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL). The league offers sports in the fall, winter, and spring. The sports offered vary by campus: bowling, cross-country, fencing, football, golf, soccer, swimming, volleyball, basketball, gymnastics, winter track, wrestling, baseball, cricket, double dutch, flag football, handball, lacrosse, rugby, softball, tennis, and outdoor track. Students must try out for each team and meet program requirements in order to participate. Please review the PSAL website for more information about the league.
Is there a summer program?
Yes, there is a mandatory summer program for incoming 9th and 10th grade students, which takes place in August. Students' successful participation in Summer Bridge will count towards their earning elective credits in their first trimester. The Summer Bridge program also allows students to be introduced to their schools and allows teachers to assess the type of support they will need to offer to each of the students throughout the year through diagnostic assessments that students will take during this time. Dates will vary; students and families will be informed of Summer Bridge information during registration.
How are New Visions charter schools performing?
Our charter schools opened in 2011 and have seen improved gains over time in students’ reading and vocabulary comprehension, average daily attendance rates, and accelerated credit accumulation. The New Visions charter network had an network-wide average graduation rate of 95.9 percent in the 2022/2023 school year. Our students have gone on to pursue two and four year college degrees at various institutions, such as SUNY Albany, Buffalo State College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Bronx Community College, Howard University, Hunter College, Spelman College, and Yale University.
Applying to Our Schools
Who can apply to a New Visions Charter High School?
We accept applications for incoming 9th and 10th grade students. Students who successfully meet the New York City 8th grade graduation requirements are eligible to apply for the 9th grade; students who successully completed 9th grade requirements are eligible to apply for 10th grade. Admission is by lottery. We do not require exams, essays or interviews. We welcome applications from English language learners and students with special needs.
How can I apply to a New Visions High School?
To submit an application to one or more of our schools, please visit our application page here.
How are students with special needs and English language learners supported?
We offer flexibly scheduled programs that include Integrated Co-Teaching, Special Education Teacher Support Services (SETSS) and Related Services (Counseling, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Speech Therapy). Additionally, we offer individualized classroom support for English language learners, as well as in-class support from English language learner specialists co-teaching in content area classes. All Special Services are provided by personnel who are licensed in their area of expertise.
Will submitting more than one application increase my chances of obtaining a seat at any of your schools?
No. You should only apply once to each school. If you wish to apply to more than one school, you can do so by selecting all schools in one application. Our system will automatically delete duplicates.
What if I decide I want to apply to additional New Visions schools or need to make any changes after I’ve submitted my application?
You can log into your SchoolMint account here to make any changes to your application. You can also contact our network office directly at 646-470-0375 and we will add the schools you want to be considered for to your application. You don’t need to fill out another application. However, you must make any changes prior to the application deadline.
Can I apply to a New Visions Charter High School if I am in the 11th or 12th grade?
No, we only accept lottery and waitlist applications for the 9th and 10th grades.
Can I submit an application a few years early?
No. we only accept applications for students that are entering or transferring to 9th or 10th grade. For more information, please contact us at charter@newvisions.org or call us at (646) 470-0375.
Lottery
How does the lottery work?
Number of seats available vary by school, however, if we receive more applications than seats available, students are admitted by lottery. A computer randomly selects applicants for seats. The remaining applications are placed on the waitlist in the randomized order previously determined by the computer. An independent, impartial community member will observe the lottery to ensure that student selection is fair. If you still have questions about our lottery, please refer to this slideshow.
Is anyone given preference in the lottery?
Each school admits students by a random lottery, which by law, is subject to an independent audit. A computer randomly selects applicants for each available seat. Preference is given to students in the following order:
- An applicant whose sibling is currently attending the school to which he/she is applying (Note: sibling currently attending our school must be listed on the sibling's application).
- Children of current New Visions Charter High School employee (Note: preference will be given if the applicant applies to the same school where parent/guardian is employed.)
- A new applicant who resides in the same community school district as the school (Note: proof of address must be verified once district preference is determined).
- A new applicant whose sibling(s) is selected in the lottery of the same school (Note: siblings must submit separate applications and indicate the names of all siblings who are also applying).
Do I or my child need to be present at the lottery in order to receive a seat?
No. Applicants are welcome to attend the public lottery, but attendance is not required for admission to a New Visions Charter High School. Accepted students will be informed of results, regardless of their attendance at the event. Families can also log into their SchoolMint account after a lottery has taken place to view results.
When will I know if I got in?
After the lottery, families will be contacted with the results and if you have been offered a seat to a school for which you applied or placed on the waitlist. Families can also log into their SchoolMint account after a lottery has taken place to view results.
What is the next step if I receive a seat?
If you have been offered a seat, you will be contacted with registration information, including a deadline for registering in-person at the school. If you do not register by the deadline, your seat will be offered to the next applicant on the waitlist.
What if my child does not receive a seat?
Any student who does not receive a seat in the lottery is automatically given a number on the waitlist, following the randomized order determined during our lottery. Many students from the waitlist do ultimately enroll, but it is impossible to know how many will receive a seat. Enrollment from the waitist is ongoing—students will be notified as seats become available. Waitlisted students who are offered a seat will be given a deadline by which to register in-person at the school.
Applying to the Waitlist
When can I apply to the waitlist?
Immediately after the deadline, you can apply to our waitlist up until early March of the following year. Once the school year has started in September, we continue to accept waitlist applications to be considered for a transfer dependent upon seat availability at each school.
What happens if I apply to the waitlist after the lottery has taken place?
If you submit an application after the deadline has passed, your application will be added to the waitlist in the order it was received.
How do I know what number I have been given on the waitlist?
You can log into your SchoolMint account to find out your waitlist number for each school.
What is the next step if I am offered a seat off of the waitlist?
If you have been offered a seat off of the waitlist, you will need to register your child by the deadline provided to accept the seat. If you do not register by the deadline, your seat will be offered to the next applicant on the waitlist.
