Original Research by School Decision on American Sign Language & English Secondary School
American Sign Language & English Secondary School is a public special education high school located on East 23rd Street in lower Manhattan. It serves students in grades 9 through 12 and has a small enrollment, typical for a specialized secondary program serving a particular population.
The overwhelming majority of students enrolled qualify for free or reduced price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the population the school serves. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with substantial representation of Black students and smaller numbers of Asian, white, and other students. The school's location in a dense, transit-accessible neighborhood of mixed-use buildings and active street life is characteristic of how New York City's public schools are embedded within walkable communities rather than isolated on separate campuses.
As a special education school designed specifically to serve deaf and hard of hearing students through an American Sign Language and English-based curriculum, the school sits outside the usual framework of state accountability testing and graduation rate metrics reported for general education high schools. The state does not report standard proficiency data or the four-year graduation rate for this entity, a gap that reflects the school's specialized purpose and population rather than a weakness. A parent seeking to understand academic outcomes and student progress would need to contact the school directly to learn about its own measures of student achievement, career preparation, and post-secondary outcomes.
State testing data was not available for this school. Because the school serves a specialized student population with distinct educational and communication needs, traditional standardized assessments may not reflect its actual academic program or student growth. Parents interested in understanding what academic pathways the school offers, how it prepares students for post-secondary life, or what support services are available should reach out to the school to discuss its specific offerings and approach.
The school operates within New York City's system, part of Geographic District 2. The city has been in a sustained phase of housing growth and economic evolution, with major employment sectors including finance, technology, and professional services. The neighborhood surrounding the school is walkable, with extensive public transit access via subway and bus. The area is mixed-use with ground-floor retail and restaurants alongside residential and office space.
For families with deaf or hard of hearing secondary students, or students who would benefit from an American Sign Language immersion environment alongside English instruction, this school represents a dedicated pathway. Parents may want to look into further detail about the school's academic curriculum, extracurricular offerings, transition supports for post-secondary work or education, and how the bilingual ASL-English model is structured across subjects. The school's small size and specialized mission create a different kind of peer environment than a large general education high school would offer.
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