Salk School of Science

The Salk School of Science is a renowned junior high school in Gramercy, Manhattan, New York City and is a highly rigorous and competitive school. For the class of 2023, the admissions rate was just above 4%. It was founded in 1995 as a unique collaboration between the New York University School of Medicine and the New York City Department of Education. The goal of the school is to encourage an enthusiasm for, and the development of abilities in, the sciences, particularly the medical and biological sciences. Science and math are specialties at the school, including special classes for it and after-school programs. A particular aim is to encourage city children to aim for better high schools and colleges. It is located on the top two floors of the P.S. 40 building on East 20th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues in Manhattan.

The school was named for Jonas Salk, developer of the first polio vaccine. Dr. Salk approved the use of his name by NYU before his death in 1995.

Academics and Curriculum
The school's nontraditional discovery-based learning methodology has been cited as resulting in improved cognitive and reasoning skills in students.

Partnership with NYU
Members of the New York medical community work with the school to develop curriculum, and members of the Schools of Medicine and New York University School of Dentistry at New York University teach and mentor students in grades 6 through 8. The NYU Medical Center makes facilities available to the school, and members of the science faculty of the NYU School of Medicine review school students at certain points in their school career, notably at admission and graduation.

Academics
Salk boasts two laboratory-like science classrooms, which help students develop and perform experiments in subject fields ranging from Physics to Genetics. It also utilizes the Amplify Curriculum in 6th and 7th grade to further develop the learning of students.

Although the school is dubbed as a "Science School", the middle school spends an equal amount of time on Humanities (Reading, Writing, and Social Studies), as well as Math. Other notable classes include Spanish, Art, Physical Education, Health, and Drama. All students take 3 years of Humanities, Math, Science, Art, Physical Education, and Drama and 2 years of Spanish. Advisory is also offered but is not a class. The regularity of classes per subject varies from 1 period per week (Art or Drama) to 10 periods per week (Humanities).

Test Scores and School Performance
The Salk School of Science is perenially rated among the top middle schools in New York City and New York State. Helped by its very rigorous admissions process and stellar teaching practices, the school achieves some of the highest test scores in the state of New York. In 2022, 97% of students were proficient in mathematics and 92% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA). In 8th grade, many students also take the Algebra I Regents Examination and the Second Language Proficiency (SLP) Exam to accelerate by one year in high school. 100% of students pass these examinations. On school rankings, the Salk School of Science ranks 71st out of 1330 in the state of New York and 803rd out of 25154 in the United States.

Leadership and Faculty
The principal of the school is Rhonda Perry and the vice/assistant principal is Jennifer Goodwin. The dean of the school is Michael Deccico. In total, there are 25 teachers.

Student Life
The school allows students to bring money to school and at lunchtime, to go out and buy themselves lunch at a variety of delis and restaurants. The park adjacent to the school is exclusively open to students during this period. The school shares its building with another school, P.S. 40 which owns most of the building. There is a gymnasium and a cafeteria that is shared between the schools, and the top 2 floors are exclusive to the Salk School of Science. There are 3 entrances one to the left side of the building, one to the right, and one in the center. Students will normally exit through the center exit. A school bus service will bring students to and from school, but the vast majority of students take public transportation.

Afterschool Activities
After school hours, there are a plethora of afterschool programs and extracurriculars ranging from varsity sports like tennis, volleyball, and basketball to more academic-oriented programs such as Science Olympiad and Debate. As a result of having varsity teams, the school does participate in the PSAL. Many students participate in these activities which offer a great opportunity to make new friends and learn something new. All afterschool programs are provided free of charge and are operated and run by Manhattan Youth.

Admissions
Prior to 2019, the Salk School of Science required an admissions test, having multiple components, which tested collaboration, academic strength, and knowledge of all subject areas. This requirement was paused due to the COVID-19, and was later eliminated altogether. For all later admitted classes, a rubric was established. Whichever students scored highest among the criterion on the rubric gained admission to the school. For the classes of 2024, 2025, and 2026, a lottery system was used in addition to the rubric, due to the effects and aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. For further admissions information, refer to the New York City Department of Education website and/or the Salk School of Science website.

Students graduating from the school often go to the 9 Specialized High Schools of New York City, with about 60-70% of the student body being accepted every year. The remaining go to other highly-rated public schools like The Beacon School and Eleanor Roosevelt High School or private schools.