Amber Charter School East Harlem

ELA proficiency is 55.7% and math proficiency is 53.1%, both meaningfully above the district 4 averages of roughly 49.8% and 45.2% respectively, and the overall quality score of 2.18 out of 4 also beats the district average of 1.90. The trend line tells a more complicated story: Amber was a high performer in 2018 and 2019, hitting 68.2% in ELA and 64.2% in math, then cratered during the pandemic years (math dropped to 23.4% in 2022). The 2025 numbers show a real recovery in motion, especially in math, which jumped more than ten points from 2024. This is a school that is regaining its footing, not one that has lost it.

The climate picture is unusually warm on the family side. Parent satisfaction is 93% (above the district's 91%) and parent trust in both teachers and the principal is 97% — numbers that suggest a school where families feel like real partners. Teachers report feeling safe at 94%, well above the district average of about 87%, and report strong collegial trust at 93%. Teacher-perceived instruction quality is 88%, just above the district. Two things parents should weigh honestly: chronic absenteeism is high at 67% (meaning two-thirds of students missed a significant chunk of school), and only 23 teachers responded to the climate survey, which is a small sample. Daily attendance at 91% is above district average, which suggests the chronic absenteeism number reflects the long tail of students who struggle to get in regularly rather than a school-wide attendance problem.

Amber's student body is 67% Hispanic and 28% Black, with smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students, which closely mirrors the East Harlem community around it. The economic need index of 82.3% means more than eight in ten students come from low-income households. Notably, 19% of students have IEPs — a higher share than many schools serve — which speaks to how inclusive the school is.

East Harlem is a working-class neighborhood with a median household income around $44,000, a poverty rate near 30%, and very low homeownership at under 8%. Only about 9% of households have children, which is a reminder that this is largely a neighborhood of adults, renters, and multigenerational households. The BA+ education rate sits near 38%, so there is a real mix of college-educated residents alongside families navigating economic pressure.

Families can reach the 103 St (6) stop in about a four-minute walk, the 110 St (6) stop in about six minutes, or the 96 St (Q) stop in roughly ten minutes, giving the school solid transit access along both the local 6 line and the Q across the park.