Arts and Academics: The Twain Shall Meet Here

By Paulette Safdieh

While middle school students around the city spend time each night reviewing history notes and racking their brains over math homework (at least we hope they do), the students at Mark Twain Independent School for the Gifted and Talented in Brooklyn do that and more. With a period set aside each day for talent, students at the middle school complement the usual subjects with art, dance, theater and other concentrations.

Since opening in 1974, Mark Twain"s rigorous application and admissions process has welcomed some of our city"s most talented youth, with many alumni proceeding to specialized high schools like Stuyvesant and LaGuardia. The administration"s dedication to demanding academics in addition to their ability to hone in on special talents has earned Mark Twain a Blackboard Award as an outstanding school.

“This is very exciting and, obviously, we are sharing this with the former principal, Carol Moore, said Karen Ditolla, 38, who became the school"s principal in September. “We"re all very honored to have been selected.

Ditolla, who earned a master"s degree in school counseling and has extensive experience in the state Department of Education, first began working with Mark Twain back in 2003. She said coordinating its admissions process for a few years gave her a great understanding of how the school operates's of about 8,000 annual applicants, only 450 are admitted.

In addition to taking a traditional academic test, 5th grade applicants audition for two talent areas of their choice's dance, theater, art, creative writing, media, science, math, music or athletics. Those who make the cut are placed in one of those areas of concentration for the duration of their stay at the school. Mark Twain hopefuls only get one shot at admission, which remains closed for the 7th and 8th grades.

Jyoti Jikaria, treasurer of the school"s Parent-Teacher Association, has two daughters in the school now and one graduate who went on to study at Stuyvesant. She is starting college at Georgetown this fall.

“Getting accepted was the greatest achievement in their lives, said Jikaria, 42, whose daughters have all specialized in dance.

In addition to Mark Twain"s hard-earned recognition in the arts departments, the school ranks No. 4 in the state for reading and math numbers. Ditolla attributes this to the focus on rigorous daily instruction as opposed to test preparation. Students receive an additional period of English language arts and math skills, grouped according to their ability.

“Our responsibility is to help them progress, whether they"re on the lower or higher end of the spectrum, said Ditolla.

Mark Twain students are divided into groups of 160 and groups are assigned the same four teachers for the duration of the year. Cluster conferences with teachers and parents ensure each student receives focused attention and parents stay involved in their children"s education.

“The transition from elementary school to middle school is a tough one, said Ditolla. “When the children come into this model, it eases the transition because they have a team of teachers who serve them and help them be as successful as they can be.

In addition to gearing up for high school, students at Mark Twain seize the opportunity to prepare for college, too. The foreign language department offers the choice of Italian or Spanish for two periods a week, and 8th graders can take a proficiency exam at year end for college credit. In order to prepare students for a career environment, the only bell that rings in the day is the 2:49 p.m. dismissal bell.

The school administration plans to work on three goals for the immediate future's incorporating more technology, working with alumni and continuing to build relationships with the city"s specialized high schools. In addition to the recently built computer lab, Ditolla plans to introduce iPads in the classrooms.

“My daughters love school, said Larry Brandman, 51, of his 8th-grader and alumna currently at Stuyvesant. “That"s a great story to tell and one not often heard in today"s school system. I"m happy the school was awarded. They deserve it.