Schools, Programs, & Services

Help for Students Exploring Other Ways to Graduate

Located in every borough, Referral Centers for High School Alternatives are one-stop guidance centers where students can learn about and get connected to Department of Education (DOE) high school options, GED, and to other supports that will help them graduate. Referral Centers can also provide additional information on the programs and services described in this list.

Learn more about how Referral Centers can help students by:

Visiting the Referral Center webpage, and/or
Reading/printing the Referral Center frequently asked questions (FAQs): English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu.

GED Plus helps students earn their GED plus prepares them for college and career options. Students 18 - 21 years old can choose to participate in a full-time or part-time program. Students who are 17 years old may only enroll with parent or guardian permission, though final determinations are considered on a case-by-case basis.GED Plus is offered at no cost and has many locations throughout the five boroughs.

The GED Plus site list contains the names, addresses, and contact information for all 62 locations.
To enroll, candidates must first visit a Referral Center.
For more information, visit the GED Plus website and review the GED Plus FAQs: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu.

The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) guarantees that all student parents graduate from high school and are college/career ready, while transitioning into parenthood. LYFE provides free, high-quality childcare and academic, social/emotional, and referral support services at each of its 37 sites, across the five boroughs.

Review the LYFE directory to find locations that may be convenient for you.
To enroll, students may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at a LYFE center.
For more information, visit the LYFE website and review the Services for Students with Families FAQs: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu.

The School of Cooperative Technical Education, or Co Op Tech, offers 17 different certification courses in a variety of careers from culinary arts to computer networking. The program has a half-day model where students can attend their DOE high school or GED program for half a day and attend Co Op Tech for the other half of the day.

Co Op Tech’s main campus is located on 96th and 1st Avenue and has off-site locations in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx.
To enroll, DOE high school, GED, and post-graduate students between 18 and 21 years old may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at Co Op Tech.
For more information, visit the Co Op Tech website and review the Co Op Tech Brochure.

The Skills Training for Employment Program, or STEP, aims to empower young adults through academic and work-based learning aided by 21st century technology. All students, despite their individual challenges, gain the opportunity to learn in a nurturing and supportive environment to take their first “STEPS” to success. Students attend STEP for a half-day of academic and CTE instruction and off-site internships for the other half-day.

Currently, STEP is located at Canarsie HS in Brooklyn.
Eligible students must have an IEP or disability, be 18 years old or older with an IEP diploma or 3 or less credits away from diploma.
To enroll, students may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at Co Op Tech.

Services and Programs for Court-involved Youth

DOE Court Liaisons assist court-involved students, their families, and the agencies that support them so that students experience minimal interruption to their education. They provide current and applicable information that supports court-involved students in achieving their educational goals. Court liaisons are available, reliable, and committed to the academic success of every student in the Courts.

Review the Who I Am brochure to learn more about where DOE court liaisons are located and how they can help students and their families.

East River Academy (ERA) serves students between the ages of 16 and 21 in multiple locations on Rikers Island. The academic curriculum is designed to support students in obtaining either a high school diploma or a GED diploma. ERA staff work with students to develop a successful plan for their transition to their next appropriate academic placement.

Passages Academy provides educational instruction and counseling for students ages 16 and younger in secure and non-secure detention and placement facilities operated by the Division of Youth and Family Justice of the Administration for Children’s Services. Passages Academy also works with the Office of Children and Family Services to provide academic instruction to students diverted from incarceration. The academic curriculum is designed to help students complete their middle school or high school requirements. Passages develops individual transition plans to ensure student success at the next appropriate academic placement.

ReStart Academy provides educational services for students in drug treatment programs or other involuntary and/or temporary settings. The academic curriculum is designed to help students meet their middle school, high school, or GED requirements. In addition, ReStart develops individual transition plans to ensure student success at the next appropriate academic placement.

The ReStart site list contains the names, addresses, and contact information for all 24 locations.
To enroll, students must first be admitted to a host agency’s program.
The agency contact person should be contacted directly to determine a young person's eligibility.

Phoenix House Academy is the academic component of the residential substance abuse treatment program lead by Phoenix House located in Yorktown Heights, NY. It provides a full high school course of study, as well as, GED preparation. In addition to coursework, students at Phoenix House Academy benefit from supplementary activities such as educational trips, career and technical education courses, and audio recording engineering.

To enroll, students must first be admitted to a Phoenix House treatment program.
For more information, including locations and contact information, review the Phoenix House Academy flyer.

If you are 21 years of age or older...

The Office of Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), the largest education provider in New York State, offers Basic Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), High School Equivalency, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes. More information

If you or someone you know has graduated from high school or a GED program...

and are looking for help preparing acadmeically for college, please reach out to any of the organizations listed here.

About Us Academics Choices & Enrollment Schools in the Community Offices & Programs District 79: Alternative Schools & Programs Schools, Programs, & Services Rules & Policies Student Support, Safety & Activities Performance & Accountability	Schools, Programs, & Services Help for Students Exploring Other Ways to Graduate Located in every borough, Referral Centers for High School Alternatives are one-stop guidance centers where students can learn about and get connected to Department of Education (DOE) high school options, GED, and to other supports that will help them graduate. Referral Centers can also provide additional information on the programs and services described in this list. Learn more about how Referral Centers can help students by: Visiting the Referral Center webpage, and/or Reading/printing the Referral Center frequently asked questions (FAQs): English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu. GED Plus helps students earn their GED plus prepares them for college and career options. Students 18 - 21 years old can choose to participate in a full-time or part-time program. Students who are 17 years old may only enroll with parent or guardian permission, though final determinations are considered on a case-by-case basis.GED Plus is offered at no cost and has many locations throughout the five boroughs. The GED Plus site list contains the names, addresses, and contact information for all 62 locations. To enroll, candidates must first visit a Referral Center. For more information, visit the GED Plus website and review the GED Plus FAQs: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu. The Living for the Young Family through Education (LYFE) guarantees that all student parents graduate from high school and are college/career ready, while transitioning into parenthood. LYFE provides free, high-quality childcare and academic, social/emotional, and referral support services at each of its 37 sites, across the five boroughs. Review the LYFE directory to find locations that may be convenient for you. To enroll, students may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at a LYFE center. For more information, visit the LYFE website and review the Services for Students with Families FAQs: English, Spanish, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Urdu. The School of Cooperative Technical Education, or Co Op Tech, offers 17 different certification courses in a variety of careers from culinary arts to computer networking. The program has a half-day model where students can attend their DOE high school or GED program for half a day and attend Co Op Tech for the other half of the day. Co Op Tech’s main campus is located on 96th and 1st Avenue and has off-site locations in Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Bronx. To enroll, DOE high school, GED, and post-graduate students between 18 and 21 years old may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at Co Op Tech. For more information, visit the Co Op Tech website and review the Co Op Tech Brochure. The Skills Training for Employment Program, or STEP, aims to empower young adults through academic and work-based learning aided by 21st century technology. All students, despite their individual challenges, gain the opportunity to learn in a nurturing and supportive environment to take their first “STEPS” to success. Students attend STEP for a half-day of academic and CTE instruction and off-site internships for the other half-day. Currently, STEP is located at Canarsie HS in Brooklyn. Eligible students must have an IEP or disability, be 18 years old or older with an IEP diploma or 3 or less credits away from diploma. To enroll, students may speak with a guidance counselor at their school, staff at a Referral Center, or staff at Co Op Tech. Services and Programs for Court-involved Youth DOE Court Liaisons assist court-involved students, their families, and the agencies that support them so that students experience minimal interruption to their education. They provide current and applicable information that supports court-involved students in achieving their educational goals. Court liaisons are available, reliable, and committed to the academic success of every student in the Courts. Review the Who I Am brochure to learn more about where DOE court liaisons are located and how they can help students and their families. East River Academy (ERA) serves students between the ages of 16 and 21 in multiple locations on Rikers Island. The academic curriculum is designed to support students in obtaining either a high school diploma or a GED diploma. ERA staff work with students to develop a successful plan for their transition to their next appropriate academic placement. Passages Academy provides educational instruction and counseling for students ages 16 and younger in secure and non-secure detention and placement facilities operated by the Division of Youth and Family Justice of the Administration for Children’s Services. Passages Academy also works with the Office of Children and Family Services to provide academic instruction to students diverted from incarceration. The academic curriculum is designed to help students complete their middle school or high school requirements. Passages develops individual transition plans to ensure student success at the next appropriate academic placement. ReStart Academy provides educational services for students in drug treatment programs or other involuntary and/or temporary settings. The academic curriculum is designed to help students meet their middle school, high school, or GED requirements. In addition, ReStart develops individual transition plans to ensure student success at the next appropriate academic placement. The ReStart site list contains the names, addresses, and contact information for all 24 locations. To enroll, students must first be admitted to a host agency’s program. The agency contact person should be contacted directly to determine a young person's eligibility. Phoenix House Academy is the academic component of the residential substance abuse treatment program lead by Phoenix House located in Yorktown Heights, NY. It provides a full high school course of study, as well as, GED preparation. In addition to coursework, students at Phoenix House Academy benefit from supplementary activities such as educational trips, career and technical education courses, and audio recording engineering. To enroll, students must first be admitted to a Phoenix House treatment program. For more information, including locations and contact information, review the Phoenix House Academy flyer. If you are 21 years of age or older... The Office of Adult and Continuing Education (OACE), the largest education provider in New York State, offers Basic Education, English as a Second Language (ESL), High School Equivalency, and Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes. More information If you or someone you know has graduated from high school or a GED program... and are looking for help preparing acadmeically for college, please reach out to any of the organizations listed here.	Contacts Bronx Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ Bronx Regional High School 1010 Reverend James A. Polite Avenue Room 436 Bronx, NY 10459 (718) 842-9200 Brooklyn Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ Marcy Avenue Complex 832 Marcy Avenue Room 501A Brooklyn, NY 11216 (718)636-5770 Manhattan Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ the Alternative Learning Complex 269 West 35th Street (@ Eighth Avenue) 11th Floor New York, NY 10001 (212)244-1274 Queens Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ Jamaica Learning Center 162-02 Hillside Avenue Room 109 Jamaica, NY 11432 (718)739-2100 Staten Island Referral Center for High School Alternatives @ St. George 450 St. Marks Place Staten Island, NY 10301 (718)273-3225 District 79 Office of Student Support Services 4360 Broadway Room 402 New York, NY 10033 (917)521-3639 youthhelp@schools.nyc.gov District Office 4360 Broadway 4th Floor New York, NY 10033 (917)521-3639