Brooklyn RISE Charter School

Test scores sit below the District 15 averages — 50.6% ELA versus 65.5% districtwide and 48.9% Math versus 63.3% districtwide. The school showed a notable dip from 2022 proficiency levels (64% in both subjects) through 2024, with a modest recovery this year. Grade 4 performs strongest (59.6% ELA, 57.1% Math), while Grade 5 math lags at 43.3%. Students are working to regain ground lost during the pandemic period, and the upward tick in 2025 suggests early intervention efforts may be taking effect.

Survey data reveals a striking disconnect: parents report near-universal satisfaction (99%) and trust in teachers (100%) and the principal (99%), yet chronic absenteeism sits at 66.1% — far above the district average. Teacher-reported safety (89%) also trails the district average (97%). The school has dramatically reduced suspensions from 16 in 2021-22 to just 4 in 2022-23, reflecting a deliberate discipline shift. Teachers show strong collegial trust (83%) and reasonable trust in leadership (90%), though the 25% family survey response rate means the high satisfaction numbers may not represent all families equally.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic (77%) with smaller Asian (10%), White (8%), and Black (5%) populations — reflecting the neighborhood's growing families but differing from the surrounding area's higher-income, highly educated demographic (73% BA+). With 82% economic need and 20% IEP students, this is a high-need population served by a school in an affluent neighborhood where the median household income is $150,272. The diversity index of 44% indicates moderate demographic variety.

The Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill neighborhood offers exceptional transit access (98th percentile) and a strong family orientation (82nd percentile), with parks and waterfront spaces nearby. However, safety scores are low (21st percentile), and environmental health indicators show concerns including elevated lead rates and asthma emergency department visits. The area is gentrifying rapidly, with high home values ($1.46M) and low homeownership (26%), meaning many families in the school may not live locally year-round.

Highly walkable and transit-accessible — families can rely on public transit or walking. The school is in an urban core with multiple subway lines nearby.