Brooklyn International High School

{{Short description|Public school in New York City}} {{Use American English|date=October 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}

{{Infobox school | image = Brooklyn International High School 2024 jeh.jpg | established = 1994 }}

'''Brooklyn International High School''' ('''BIHS''', school code: '''K439'''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.schools.nyc.gov/schools/K439|title=Brooklyn International High School|publisher=[[New York City Department of Education]]|accessdate=2023-06-05}}</ref>) is a public high school in [[Brooklyn]], [[New York City]]. It is a part of the [[New York City Department of Education]] (NYCDOE) and the [[Internationals Network for Public Schools]].<ref name="Zehr">{{cite news|last=Zehr|first=Mary Ann|url=https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/instructional-model-may-yield-gains-for-english-learners/2007/12|title=Instructional Model May Yield Gains for English-Learners|work=[[Education Week]]|date=2007-12-04|accessdate=2023-06-05}}</ref>

The school is located within the Water’s Edge Educational Campus, a former [[Bliss-Leavitt torpedo|torpedo factory]] in downtown Brooklyn. It shares its campus with the Science Skills Center and the Urban Assembly High School of Music and Art.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn International High School - District 13 - InsideSchools |url=https://insideschools.org/school/13K439 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=insideschools.org}}</ref><ref> https://www.myschools.nyc/en/schools/high-school/13K439/</ref><ref> http://www.mybihs.org/</ref>

==History== BIHS was established in 1994<ref name=Zehr/> and focuses on the academic needs of English Language Learners from a diverse student body, largely from immigrants from a broad array of countries.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Brooklyn International High School |url=http://www.mybihs.org/ |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=THE BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn International High School - District 13 - InsideSchools |url=https://insideschools.org/school/13K439 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=insideschools.org}}</ref>

BIHS is a small public high school, notable for its multilingual model which has helped its largely immigrant and working class students achieve 91% graduation and 81% college acceptance rates, above the New York City averages as of 2016. It is also one of relatively few American public high schools with a formal cricket team; a program initiated by Bangladeshi and other students originally from countries where the originally British sport is popular.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Powell |first=Michael |date=2016-10-14 |title=Uprooted to Brooklyn, and Nourished by Cricket |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/sports/uprooted-to-brooklyn-and-nourished-by-cricket.html |access-date=2023-11-21 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In 2004, students protested that they were denied leave from school for [[Ramadan]] even though New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) policy stated that students should have time off for religious activities. Students began a petition campaign to claim that right.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Jen|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/14/nyregion/denied-time-off-for-ramadan-brooklyn-students-start-petition.html|title=Denied Time Off for Ramadan, Brooklyn Students Start Petition|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=2004-10-14|accessdate=2023-06-05}}</ref> The NYCDOE clarified that students do have the right to take leave for Ramadan purposes but only with parental permission, reflecting then-city wide Department of Education guidelines.<ref>{{cite web|last=Herszenhorn|first=David M.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/15/education/time-off-is-given-for-ramadan-for-students-at-brooklyn-school.html|title=Time Off Is Given for Ramadan for Students at Brooklyn School|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=2004-10-15|accessdate=2023-06-05}}</ref> In 2015, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, the beginning and end of Ramadan respectively, were officially recognized as school holidays by the de [[Bill de Blasio|Blasio]] administration.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Tom |date=2015-03-04 |title=New York City adds two Muslim holidays to public school calendar |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/mar/04/new-york-city-muslim-holidays-public-schools |access-date=2023-11-21 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> By 2016, the issue appears to have been fully resolved, with Ramadan observance now highlighted as part of the school's success, even notably observed by its cricket team.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Powell |first=Michael |date=2016-10-14 |title=Uprooted to Brooklyn, and Nourished by Cricket |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/sports/uprooted-to-brooklyn-and-nourished-by-cricket.html |access-date=2023-11-21 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

As of 2023, attention on BIHS is largely driven by its academic achievements, non-standard testing programs, multicultural and multilingual model, emphases on participatory restorative justice programs, student-driven socially and technologically engaged projects, and college preparatory, tutoring, and placement initiatives.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn International High School - District 13 - InsideSchools |url=https://insideschools.org/school/13K439 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=insideschools.org}}</ref>

==Demographics== In 2016 the school had 370 students from 41 countries, with some living in Brooklyn and some living in [[Queens]]. Each of the students have been located in the United States for fewer than four years, and the school does not admit persons who had been in the United States for longer than four years.<ref name="Nourished">{{cite web |last=Powell |first=Michael |date=2016-10-16 |title=Uprooted to Brooklyn, and Nourished by Cricket |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/16/sports/uprooted-to-brooklyn-and-nourished-by-cricket.html |accessdate=2023-06-05 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> As of 2023, 67% of students came from low-income backgrounds and 90% were multilingual learners.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn International High School - District 13 - InsideSchools |url=https://insideschools.org/school/13K439 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=insideschools.org}}</ref>

==Instructional style== Each class has students of different demographics, including native language and prior background in formal education.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hatch|first=Thomas|title=The Education We Need for a Future We Can′t Predict|publisher=[[Corwin Press]]|date=2021-01-19|isbn=9781071838501|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=6vwVEAAAQBAJ&pg=PT108 PT108]}}</ref>

Students work in groups, across multiple grade levels, with teams of teachers, often translating each other's work both into English and into other students' native tongues as well.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brooklyn International High School - District 13 - InsideSchools |url=https://insideschools.org/school/13K439 |access-date=2023-11-21 |website=insideschools.org}}</ref>

==Athletics== Despite the school's [[cricket]] team, sports are relatively minor at BIHS compared with academic and community activities.<ref name=Nourished/>

==See also== *[https://data.nysed.gov/profile.php?instid=800000043556/Brooklyn International High School- Dataset]

==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.mybihs.org/ Brooklyn International High School]

[[Category:Public high schools in Brooklyn]] [[Category:1994 establishments in New York City]] [[Category:Educational institutions established in 1994]]