Our Curriculum

Curriculum

At PS 290 Manhattan New School, the essence of our philosophy is to encourage a child’s natural curiosity, to develop a love of learning, and to promote social responsibility as global citizens. This climate of academic dedication, respect and understanding contributes to our vibrant learning community.

• We engage students with a curriculum that includes rigorous academics as well as a focus on each child’s social and emotional development and wellbeing.
• Our curriculum is aligned with the Next Generation Learning Standards.
• Our students are articulate, intellectually curious, and learn to think of themselves as readers, writers, mathematicians and researchers. 
• Our teachers use formal and informal assessments to evaluate each students’ mastery of educational content and academic progress within learning benchmarks.
• MNS is committed to its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices and leverages its families, staff and renown experts to develop anti-racist pedagogy and practices.

Exciting News about our New York State Test Scores Last Year (2024-25)! In English Language Arts (ELA): 100% of 4th graders and 92.7% of 5th graders scored a 3 (grade level) or 4 (above grade level). In Math: 96.2% of 4th graders and 97.6% of 5th graders scored a 3 (grade level) or 4 (above grade level). 

• • 3K - 1 Phonemic Awareness: Heggerty is our phonemic awareness curriculum that helps students develop essential pre-reading skills through daily, systematic instruction. The curriculum focuses on listening and speaking skills that support decoding and spelling. The program complements phonics instruction by strengthening students' ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in spoken language.
  • K - 3 Phonics: Fundations is our research-based phonics, spelling, and handwriting curriculum designed to build a strong foundation in early literacy for students in grades K–3. It provides systematic and explicit instruction in critical reading skills, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Fundations supports all learners through a structured, multi-sensory approach aligned with the science of reading.
  • K - 5 English Language Arts: Wit & Wisdom is our English language arts curriculum that helps students build knowledge and vocabulary through the study of rich, content-based texts. Wit & Wisdom integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening with lessons grounded in history, science, and the arts. Wit & Wisdom encourages deep thinking and meaningful discussions while supporting students in becoming strong readers and effective communicators.

 

 

• • K-5 Math: Eureka Squared is our comprehensive math curriculum that is designed to build a deep understanding of mathematical concepts through problem-solving and reasoning. It offers a coherent, connected approach that supports all learners with clear instruction, visual models, and real-world applications. Eureka Math Squared helps students develop fluency, confidence, and a strong mathematical foundation for future learning. Students grasp the “how” and the “why” behind the number through engaging discourse. Students learn how math is a part of everyday life, while also building enduring math knowledge. Eureka Squared provides familiar routines and structures in each module across the grades to build knowledge, confidence, and math proficiency. 

• • Responsive Classroom -The Responsive Classroom approach integrates engaging academics with social-emotional learning, providing educators with practical strategies to build positive and inclusive school communities. Backed by research, this approach enhances student achievement, boosts teacher satisfaction, and supports effective classroom management through clear and consistent practices.

• • • At the heart of the Responsive Classroom approach lies a core belief: In order to be successful in and out of school, students need to learn a set of social and emotional competencies — cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control—and a set of academic competencies — academic mindset, perseverance, learning strategies, and academic behaviors.
    • In addition to identifying a set of academic competencies, the core belief of Responsive Classroom lays out a set of social and emotional competencies that students need in order to be successful in and out of school. Those competencies—cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control—are captured in the acronym C.A.R.E.S. C.A.R.E.S. is embedded throughout the day and within each curricular area.

  

• • Passport to Social Studies is the core social studies curriculum used in NYC elementary schools, designed to help students build knowledge about their communities, history, geography, and civic life. Through engaging lessons, primary sources, and hands-on activities, students explore important questions about the world around them.

 

> For additional Curriculum and Program Details for 3-K and Pre-K: learn more here.​

 

Non-Discrimination Policy

Please see:

Non-Discrimination Policy  (Translations are also featured.)

Integrated Co-Teaching​

Every grade has at least one Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classroom. An ICT classroom provides a challenging and enriching learning environment for both general education students (60% of the class) and children with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) that mandates an ICT class (up to 40% of the class). These classes are co-taught by two teachers, a general education teacher and a special education teacher. The curriculum is identical to any other classroom in that grade.​

Academic Grading Policy

At PS 290 Manhattan New School we maintain a fair academic grading policy that reflects each individual student’s achievement levels based on the Next Generation Learning Standards. Grades are designed to measure each student’s competency in curricular content by evaluating mastery of academic areas and grade appropriate skills and behaviors.

Grades reflect each student’s understanding of subject areas and advancement within the grade curriculum at a specific time within the academic year. Grades represent a number of contributing factors, including classwork, evaluations, class participation, special projects and behavior. 

Classroom academic assessment includes the following criteria:

Academic Standards

• In-class assignments

• Notebooks and folders

• Group projects

• Reading

• Writing

• Mathematics

• Listening, speaking, and language based skills

• Social studies

• Advancement within and consistent engagement with curricular content

• Assessments and evaluations including tests, quizzes, and teacher evaluations and observations

Classroom Standards

• Respect for school rules, teachers, classmates, and the school community

• Classroom discussion and participation

• Collaborative partner or group work

• Adherence to classroom expectations and behaviors

• Preparedness and timeliness

• Completion of tasks and assignments

• Social–emotional development

• Attendance: Missing classroom instruction can negatively impact a student’s success both academically and behaviorally

Students are expected to adhere to academic and behavioral standards within all specialty (“Cluster”) classes, such as Music, Physical Education, Art, and Science, as well as in special programs (ex. Dance, Swim), and during Afterschool and school trips.

Student work is an essential way for teachers to gauge student understanding of materials, and it allows teachers to inform instruction. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their academic progress through multiple measures of performance. Our assessments, class projects, classroom assignments are aligned with the Next Generation Learning Standards.

Teachers regularly provide constructive feedback on student work and next steps to guide students in improving their understanding.

Opportunities to Discuss Student Progress

• Parent-Teacher conferences will take place twice a year (fall and spring).

• Teachers, guidance counselors, and staff members can be reached via email to discuss student progress any time outside the scheduled conferences. Please allow school staff 48 hours (2 school days) to respond to correspondence.

• Teachers are available to schedule brief telephone or in-person conversations on Tuesday afternoons.

Report Cards

Students will receive report cards in November, March and June. The information provided in our Report Cards is designed to foster the vital communication between school and families that supports each student’s academic, social, emotional and physical development. Students will receive a grade for Music, Art, Physical Education and Science.

Explanation of Grades

Performance Levels:
4     Excels in standards
3     Proficient
2     Below standards
1     Well below standards​​

​Related Services Providers

Our school is fortunate to have a full team of school-based service providers on-site: speech therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and counseling. We have a guidance counselor, school psychologist, social worker, and Special Education Teacher Support Service (SETSS) providers.

​English Language Instruction

Our school has a full-time English Language teacher for students who are learning English.