The schools are all unscreened NYC DOE schools and offer a combination of high school and college coursework to prepare students for STEM careers. All courses and materials including college textbooks are free for students.

The culture of Grades 9-14 schools is built on high expectations for students and staff. Students begin to take college classes as early as 10th grade and see themselves as college students as soon as they enter high school. They are also exposed to career awareness activities beginning in 9th grade, with opportunities to hear about different careers from industry leaders, visit worksites, and engage with prospective employers through different learning opportunities such as design challenges and internships. Teachers, industry partners, and families all work together to ensure that every student graduates well prepared for the world of work in the 21st century.

Why Grades 9–14?

Youths today are growing up in a time of rapid changes in our society. With technological advances and a global economy shifting how businesses operate, our young people must be just as agile and prepared to work in the jobs of tomorrow.

Our schools focus on addressing the skills shortages in STEM fields and its impact on job growth in our nation. We are also keen to develop young people who demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and can effectively interact and communicate with people from diverse backgrounds. The NYC Grades 9-14 schools offer a prime opportunity to ensure New York City’s youth are developing the skills and competencies to effectively navigate their future careers.

NYC Grades 9-14 schools aim to empower students to take charge of their lives and be ready for the world of tomorrow.

Through a six-year program that seamlessly integrates rigorous academics, college coursework, and career exploration, NYC P-TECH schools redefine traditional school experiences and provide a seamless pathway for students to graduate with a high school diploma, an Associate degree, and workplace qualifications. No matter the students’ background, our schools are dedicated to helping these young adults turn their dreams about college and future careers into reality.

History of P-TECH

The NYC Grades 9-14 school model was born out of a very clear need: the need to train more students to enter the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Employers are finding that many young adults are coming to work without the relevant skills needed for succeed in these sectors, particularly growing industries that are looking for employees with technical skills. This “skills gap” issue has long been a problem and continues to be a challenge in the United States in the 21st century.

Recognizing that developing a solution necessitated unprecedented cross-sector collaboration, in 2011, IBM teamed up with the New York City Department of Education (DOE) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to tackle this challenge. Building on DOE’s history of career and technical education and CUNY’s early college high schools in New York City, these partners devised a model linking classroom learning from high school and college with industry-based skills training that lead directly to jobs.

There are over 30 New York State P-TECH schools to date and ten such schools in New York City.

In September 2011, the first grade 9-14 career and technical education high school opened in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Pathways in Technology Early College High School, or “P-TECH,” emphasizes STEM subjects and blends free, public high schooling with community college courses at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology. From the beginning, the partnership between private and public institutions emphasized that the P-TECH school would be open to all students interested in the school’s STEM focus and related Associate degree, which would be offered at no cost to their families. By successfully completing a six-year sequence of high school, college, as well as work-based learning program including internships and apprenticeships, Brooklyn’s P-TECH has been designed for students to be considered “first-in-line” for jobs at IBM.

Since then, cities across the nation have continued to open schools based on the P-TECH model, including in Chicago, Illinois and Norwalk, Connecticut. New York State also continues to support and expand P-TECH schools throughout the state. There are over 30 New York State P-TECH schools to date and ten such schools in New York City.