What You Need to Know About Alternative Schools & High School Equivalency Degree Programs

The Department of Education (DOE) offers a variety of options for students who have not succeeded in traditional high school environments through Transfer Schools and District 79 Programs. Students who may benefit from these programs include those who:

• Are overage and under-credited
• Need intensive programming in order to catch up on credits
• Have dropped out of school and want to re-enroll
• Want to learn about vocational and career options
• Want to pursue a High School Equivalency Degree
• Need to attend an evening program because of work or other obligations

In order to access these programs, students should speak to the guidance counselor at their current school, review the Transfer School Directory here or go to one of the District 79 Referral Centers here.

Transfer High Schools are small, academically focused schools. They are designed to re-engage students who have dropped out or are overage and under-credited for their grade. The goal of a Transfer High School is to provide students with a high school diploma. Each Transfer High School has its own admission criteria, and most have an age and credit requirement. For a list of transfer schools and their admissions criteria head here.

Students should contact the school in which they are interested directly for information about the school’s admissions process.

Young Adult Borough Centers (YABCs) are evening academic programs. They are designed for students who have adult responsibilities that prevent them from attending school during the day. Students must be at least 17.5 years old and must have been on the roster of a high school for four or more years. Applicants must have at least 17 credits. For a list of Young Adult Borough Centers, head here.

The DOE’s Pathways to Graduation program currently provides free, full-time and part-time High School Equivalency (HSE) programs to help students prepare for the Test Assessing Secondary Completion (TASC) exam. HSE programs accept students who are 18-21 years old and still eligible to attend high school. Students who are 17 may enroll full-time if there are extenuating circumstances and with parent/guardian permission. Head here for more details.

Learning to Work is a program that offers career exploration and job training at some Young Adult Borough Centers, transfer high schools, and GED programs.

Co-Op Tech (School of Cooperative Technical Education) offers half-day career and technical training for students who are already taking courses at another NYC Department of Education school or program. Co-Op Tech offers 16 different courses encompassing the building trades, information technology, health careers and service industries. To be eligible, students must be between the ages of 16-21, have a high school diploma or be enrolled in a school or HSE program, and have a signed application by their high school counselor. For more information head here.

Re-Start provides educational services for students who are over-age and under-credited, in drug treatment programs, or in other involuntary and/or temporary settings. Some Re-Start sites serve middle school students, while others serve high school students. Some Re-Start programs are embedded in host facilities and the host facility determines individual eligibility. For more information, head here.

LYFE programs provide childcare and referral services for pregnant and parenting students who are enrolled in a NYC DOE school. Childcare is provided for children between the ages of 8 weeks and 3 years. Social Workers are assigned to each of the 36 LYFE centers to provide social and emotional support. Students do not need to attend a school housing LYFE center to be able to utilize the services available. Learn more about LYFE here.

Several of the Department of Education’s Re-Start programs serve overage 8th grade students.  There is also a school in the Bronx, New Directions Secondary School, that accepts overage middle school students.  In addition, there are two Charter Schools, AIM I (Brooklyn) and AIM II (Bronx) that will accept overage 8th grade students.  Learn more about programs for overage middle school students here.

• P2G
• Young Adult Borough Centers
• Other Ways to Graduate & Transfer High Schools

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.