At a Glance
A high-performing transfer high school offering college-level coursework in a neighborhood where families are navigating significant safety concerns
Families with teens who have fallen off track in traditional high schools and are motivated to earn college credits; parents who prioritize strong school-family relationships and instructional quality over campus amenities; families comfortable with a longer commute who can navigate the East New York neighborhood context.
- College-level coursework: Students can earn up to 60 college credits before graduation through Bard College
- Transfer school model: Serves off-track students seeking a second chance at high school completion
- Parent trust metrics among the highest in the district: 97% parent-principal trust, 96% parent satisfaction
- Teacher instruction quality rated 8 points above district average
- No state test score data published — academic performance must be assessed through school-provided outcomes
- Very small teacher survey sample (8 responses) means climate data has significant margin of error
- Neighborhood safety concerns are real — crime density and environmental health indicators are elevated
- No attendance, suspension, or demographic data provided — parents should request this information
- As a transfer school, this may not be the right fit for students seeking a traditional 4-year high school experience
Based on 2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 19
District 19 includes several elementary schools (P.S. 190 Sheffield at 85/100, P.S. 149 Danny Kaye at 81/100) that feed into the district's high schools. Bard Early College operates as a citywide transfer option, so direct comparison is difficult — but the school's survey metrics suggest it outperforms district averages on trust and instruction quality, even as it serves a more complex student population.
Without published state test scores for this transfer high school, the most reliable academic signal comes from the 2025 surveys: parents and teachers rate instruction quality at 96% — roughly 8 percentage points above the district average. This suggests strong classroom dynamics, though the lack of proficiency data means families should ask directly about college-readiness outcomes and credit attainment rates.
The survey results paint a remarkably cohesive picture. Parent satisfaction sits at 96%, and trust across every dimension — parent-teacher, parent-principal, and teacher-principal — ranges from 95-97%. Teacher collegial trust is somewhat lower at 84%, which could indicate some departmental friction, though the very small teacher response sample (8 teachers) makes this difficult to interpret with confidence. There's no suspension rate or discipline data provided, so parents should ask about the school's approach to behavior management.
As a citywide transfer high school, Bard Early College draws students from across Brooklyn rather than just the immediate neighborhood. The surrounding East New York community has a low BA+ education rate of just 15.7%, with 25% of households living in poverty — context that makes the school's college-credit model particularly ambitious. With only 17% of neighborhood households having children, this is not a traditional family-dense area, which may affect extracurricular community-building.
East New York is a neighborhood where families face real tradeoffs. The safety score of 24.9 (on a 0-100 percentile scale) reflects elevated crime density, and environmental health indicators show concerns including lead exposure in 16% of tested properties and high asthma emergency department rates. On the positive side, transit access is strong (70.88 score) and the median home value of $616,916 indicates an affordable entry point for Brooklyn. Families considering this school should factor in the neighborhood context — it's a place where strong school community may serve as a stabilizing force.
Transit access is a genuine strength — the 70.88 transit score suggests most families will rely on public transportation rather than walking. Parents should plan for commute times and consider how younger students navigate the area.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 45 families responded (32% rate)
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Bard High School Early College Brooklyn a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for Bard High School Early College Brooklyn yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 9 to 12 in East New York (North).
- What grades does Bard High School Early College Brooklyn serve?
- Bard High School Early College Brooklyn serves grades 9 to 12.
- Is Bard High School Early College Brooklyn public, charter, or private?
- Bard High School Early College Brooklyn is a public school in NYC Community School District 19.
- What neighborhood is Bard High School Early College Brooklyn in?
- Bard High School Early College Brooklyn is in East New York (North), Brooklyn.
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