The IDEAL School of Manhattan

Academic Program and Support for Diverse Learners
IDEAL offers one inclusive academic program with three levels of support based on students' academic needs.

• The Standard Program encompasses all elements of our differentiated curriculum and extracurricular program. All IDEAL students participate in advisory, receive additional help from their teachers, and can access our school counselor as needed.
• The Zenith Program encompasses all elements of our differentiated curriculum and extracurricular program, as well as up to 180 minutes of related services, which include counseling, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. No student is pulled from core academic classes to receive therapy.
• The Dylan Program encompasses all elements of our differentiated curriculum and extracurricular program, as well as up to 270 minutes of related services, which include counseling, speech and language therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy. No student is pulled from core academic classes to receive therapy. Students in our Dylan Program also have an associate teacher, a one-to-one specialist charged with ensuring that their assigned student is fully included in our program and community.

Community
In 2023, IDEAL relocated to a new building in the Financial District, where it occupies five self-contained floors that were completely designed and built to be models of accessibility and inclusion. The Lower School includes Grades K-5. The Upper School consists of a Middle School (Grades 6-8), a High School (Grades 9-12), and the postsecondary Next Steps Transition Program. Each division has its main classrooms on one floor of the building, starting with Lower School on the second floor, Next Steps on the third floor, Middle School on the fourth floor, and High School on the fifth floor. The school has a shared gym and multipurpose room, a nurse suite, and a Learning Center. The Lower and Upper School each have dedicated therapy suites, art, drama, and music rooms, and counselors.

The student body is culturally, economically, and academically diverse, reflecting the founders' vision of a school that is as dynamic and diverse as New York City itself. Learning within a diverse community cultivates a positive sense of self, empathy, and collaborative leadership skills within IDEAL students. IDEAL's High School provides a rigorous academic program, a variety of leadership opportunities, and an emphasis on social justice and the arts that together inspire students to strive for personal and academic excellence.

The student body includes 175 students, of whom 45% identify as African American, 23% identify as Caucasian, 16% identify as multiracial, 15% identify as Latinx or Hispanic, and 1% identify as Asian. 85% of the student body receives some form of financial aid or assistance. Within the Standard Program, 100% of students receive financial aid. Within the Zenith and Dylan Programs, the school is not able to offer financial aid but does offer amended payment plans, allowing families to pay smaller amounts each month based on need while they pursue reimbursement through the Committee on Special Education and the impartial hearing process in New York. 77% of families in the Zenith and Dylan Programs have an Amended Payment Plan.

The School by Division
IDEAL is an independent K-12+ inclusion school. The school currently enrolls 175 students and employs 110 faculty and staff members. Currently, there are 56 students in the Lower School (Grades K-5), 49 students in the Middle School (Grades 6-8), and 60 students in the High School (Grades 9-12). IDEAL offers a postsecondary 18-21 program, Next Steps. There are 7 students currently in that program. The average class size is 10 in the Lower School, 14 in the Middle School, and 10 in the High School. The student to faculty ratio is 3:1 in the Lower School and 4:1 in the Upper School. The school was opened in 2006, and graduated its first senior class in 2018.

Accreditations, Memberships, and Associations
High School Certificate of Registration from the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New YorkK-12 Accreditation from the New York State Association of Independent SchoolsIDEAL holds an Absolute Charter, Grades K-12, from New York State and is accredited, Grades K-12, by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). The Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York also granted IDEAL its certificate of High School Registration in June 2018. The school is also a member of the National Association of Independent Schools, the Independent Schools Admissions Association of Greater New York, the Guild of Independent Schools of New York City, and The Heads Network. IDEAL registered with the College Board in September 2017 as a Level II School to receive students' scores for AP, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and ACT and to administer AP, PSAT/NMSQT. Additionally, the Level II code allows us to participate in AP Course Audit, to request College Board accommodations for students with disabilities, and to receive SAT and ACT publications. Our membership in One Schoolhouse's online independent school program increases student access to electives and AP classes (www.oneschoolhouse.org).