J.H.S. 227 Edward B. Shallow

JHS 227 is a large, safe, well-run school in Bensonhurst that boasts excellent attendance—especially given its large size. With 1500 students, it is large enough to host a band, an orchestra and a chorus. It has a small gifted program that receives some 1,000 applications for just 30 seats. 

More than one-quarter of all students at JHS 227 are learning to speak English. The school partners with the Arts Integration Project, which gives English language learners a chance to get involved in theater—a fun way to practice a new language. 

The school offers an unusual elective in aerospace and flight simulation, as well as graphic arts and computer programming. It holds yearly science and social studies fairs. 

Only half the students say teachers ask difficult questions, and about half report they’d like more challenge, according to school surveys. The Quality Review says some teachers need to work on giving better feedback indicating how a student should improve.

Parents and caregivers would like a chance to be more involved in school, surveys show. Efforts to improve include creation of a website, a monthly newsletter, and offering English as a Second Language classes to parents, according to the CEP.

Admissions: Zoned neighborhood school. The gifted program, open to students and residents of District 20, looks at grades, state exam results and attendance. (Lydie Raschka, web reports, February 2019)