Staten Island Technical High School is part of a group of schools with Specialized High School status from the NYC Department of Education. These schools serve the needs of gifted New York City students. Although the school emphasizes engineering and technology, the arts have a strong presence at this high school. Many of the students participate in band and the high school offers drama classes.The school is known for combining the rigors of a specialized school with a friendly atmosphere.

The high school provides a challenging college preparatory curriculum that emphasizes mathematics, science, engineering, computers, and the humanities. The high school also emphasizes health, fitness, and the performing arts. Students have access to science, engineering, and computer laboratories. The high school teaches all the courses at the Honors level. Every student takes introductory courses in robotics, TV/movie production, research and technical writing, and electronics. Students also study computer-aided design (CAD).