At a Glance
A large K-8 charter in East New York that's clawing its way back from a rough stretch
Best suited for
Families committed to the charter model who want a long K-8 run without a middle-school transition and are willing to weigh the chronic absenteeism and lower teacher survey scores against the strong math results.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Full K-8 arc through eighth grade means no middle-school transition for families who stick with the school.
- Math proficiency runs roughly 9 points above the district average, the school's clearest academic strength.
- The 2025 rebound from a deep 2022-2024 slump is the most dramatic turnaround in this district's recent data.
- Part of the Achievement First charter network, which brings a structured curriculum and extended school day.
- Average class size of 21.8 matches the district, so no special intimacy claim either way.
Things to consider
- Chronic absenteeism at 66.3% is high enough that missing school has essentially become normal here — worth asking leadership what they're doing about it.
- Teacher-reported instruction quality of 62.2% is roughly 26 points below the district average, which is a significant gap and a real signal about the day-to-day classroom experience.
- Parent satisfaction of 78.6% trails the district by about 13 points, though the survey's 1% response rate makes that figure hard to weigh seriously.
- Admissions are by charter lottery, so there's no guarantee of a seat even if it's your top choice.
- Math and ELA proficiency are back above district average but still below the school's own pre-pandemic performance, so the comeback isn't complete.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 19
District 19's average overall score is 1.94/4, and this school lands at 2.14, putting it modestly above typical. Peer schools in the district score 74-85 out of 100, and this school sits in the middle of that range — solid but not a standout.
Academics
Math proficiency of 56.9% runs well ahead of the district 19 average of roughly 48%, and ELA proficiency of 50.1% edges out the district's 49%. Science proficiency sits at 56.3%, also a solid mark. The trajectory tells the more interesting story: the school was hitting 56-57% ELA and 67-70% math in 2017-2019, fell off a cliff during the pandemic years (down to 39% ELA and 37.5% math in 2024), and bounced back hard in 2025. The recovery is real but the school hasn't yet returned to its pre-pandemic highs, particularly in math.
Culture
Attendance itself is fine at 91.2%, slightly above the district's 89.9%, but chronic absenteeism is striking — 66.3% of students missed enough school to qualify, with boys (70.7%) and Black students (68.9%) particularly affected. Parent satisfaction sits at 78.6%, well below the district average of 91.4%, and teacher-reported instruction quality is just 62.2% against a district average of 87.9% — a gap that's hard to ignore. Note that the family survey response rate was 1% (3 responses), so the parent satisfaction figure is essentially anecdotal rather than representative.
Community
The student body is 78% Black, 16% Hispanic, and 2% each Asian and Native American, with an economic need index of 76.1 indicating widespread household poverty. The surrounding neighborhood matches the school's demographics fairly closely: East New York-New Lots has a median household income around $58,000 and a poverty rate of 22.6%, with only 29% homeownership. Just 16% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, suggesting most families here are first-generation college-bound or working-class.
Neighborhood
East New York-New Lots is a working-class, family-rooted stretch of eastern Brooklyn where homeownership is low and most adults haven't gone past high school. With a median home value around $605,000 but a poverty rate above 22%, it's a neighborhood of economic contrast — long-standing residents holding on as the area gradually changes. Households with children make up about 11% of the population, a marker of a community with plenty of school-age kids.
Three 3-train stops serve the school: New Lots Av and Van Siclen Av are both about a 9-minute walk, and Pennsylvania Av is around 12 minutes.
Enrollment & applying
Enrollment availability is tracked from the school's published listings and refreshed daily. Confirm cycle dates on the school's own site before applying.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Science Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Science exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 3 families responded (1% rate)
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Achievement First Linden Charter School a good school?
- On Motley, Achievement First Linden Charter School earns an overall rating of 54/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run in line with the District 19 average.
- What grades does Achievement First Linden Charter School serve?
- Achievement First Linden Charter School serves grades K to 8.
- How do students get into Achievement First Linden Charter School?
- Achievement First Linden Charter School is a charter school — it admits through a free public lottery, with no test or attendance zone.
- Is Achievement First Linden Charter School public, charter, or private?
- Achievement First Linden Charter School is a public charter school in NYC Community School District 19.
- What neighborhood is Achievement First Linden Charter School in?
- Achievement First Linden Charter School is in East New York-New Lots, Brooklyn.