47 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LOWER SCHOOL (THE)

172 Students

Elementary School Pre-K - 8th

School Overview

The American Sign Language and English Lower School (P.S. 347) is a unique, specialized public school located in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan. It is one of the few schools in the United States that utilizes a bilingual approach, integrating both American Sign Language (ASL) and spoken English into its daily curriculum. The school serves a diverse student body, including both Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing students and hearing students, fostering an inclusive environment where all children are encouraged to become fluent in two languages.

The educational philosophy of P.S. 347 emphasizes the importance of visual learning and the cultural heritage of the Deaf community. By providing an environment where ASL is treated as a primary language of instruction alongside English, the school promotes high academic standards, social-emotional development, and strong communication skills. Its mission is to ensure that students graduate with the ability to navigate both the Deaf and hearing worlds with confidence, making it a distinctive and highly regarded institution within the New York City Department of Education.

172

Total Students

34.2

Full-Time Teachers

5.0

Student/Teacher Ratio

73.8%

Free/Reduced Lunch

Student Demographics

Student Demographics Data Table

Student Demographics for 47 AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND ENGLISH LOWER SCHOOL (THE)
Demographic	Student Count
White	30
Hispanic	93
Black	30
Asian	10
Two or More	6
American Indian	2
Pacific Islander	1

Hispanic
93 (54.1%)
White
30 (17.4%)
Black
30 (17.4%)
Asian
10 (5.8%)
Two or More
6 (3.5%)
American Indian
2 (1.2%)
Pacific Islander
1 (0.6%)

School Location

School Details

Status:	Open
School Level:	Elementary School
School Type:	Regular School
Charter Status:*	Public Non-Charter
Virtual Instruction:	No virtual instruction
Shared Time Status:	No
District:	NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 2
Phone:	(914)326-6609
Grade Range:	Pre-K - 8th
Total Students:	172
Full-Time Teachers (FTE):	34.2
Pupil/Teacher Ratio:	5.0
NSLP Participation:¹	N/A
Qualified Free Lunch:	127
Qualified Reduced Lunch:	0

* Charter Schools: A public charter school is a publicly funded school that operates independently under a legislative contract (or "charter") with a state, school district, or designated authorizing entity. Charters grant these schools greater operational flexibility over curriculum, staffing, and budgeting in exchange for strict accountability to achieve performance standards established in their charter agreement.

¹ National School Lunch Program (NSLP): The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches to eligible children each school day based on household income thresholds or community eligibility options (CEO).

Title I Program Overview: Title I, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) allocates federal financial assistance to local educational agencies and public schools with high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards.

Grades Taught

Pre-Kindergarten 40

Kindergarten 15

Grade 1 14

Grade 2 13

Grade 3 19

Grade 4 17

Grade 5 16

Grade 6 7

Grade 7 23

Grade 8 8