Creston Academy

Creston's 39% ELA and 41% Math proficiency land below the District 10 averages of 45% and 44%, but the trend is unmistakably upward — ELA has risen roughly 15 percentage points since 2016, and math has nearly doubled. The 8th-grade class is notably stronger (47% ELA, 44% Math) than incoming 6th graders (38% ELA, 31% Math), which suggests students grow into proficiency as they move through the school rather than arriving that way. Science proficiency at 33% is a softer spot. Overall, this is a school that's catching up, not leading — but the curve is clearly pointed the right way.

The day-to-day feel here is unusually calm: just two suspensions all of 2023-24, with a suspension rate of 0% compared to the district's 0.28%. Parent trust is the standout — 98% of parents trust their child's teacher and 96% trust the principal, both well above typical. Teachers feel slightly less aligned: instruction quality at 90% edges below the district's 91.4%, and teacher-principal trust at 84% is solid but not spectacular. Attendance at 91% beats the district average, but chronic absenteeism is high at 69% (a citywide post-COVID pattern), and boys miss school at notably higher rates than girls (72% vs 65%).

Creston serves a student body that's 84% Hispanic and 13% Black — a relatively homogeneous population with a diversity index of just 31%. The school reflects its Fordham Heights surroundings: median household income in the neighborhood is around $40,000, 33% of residents live in poverty, and only 1% of households own their homes. Economic need at the school is high (94%), 21% of students have IEPs, and ELL support is available. With 432 students and average class sizes of 23, this is a mid-sized middle school serving a neighborhood where roughly one in five households includes children.

Fordham Heights is a densely populated, working-class neighborhood where about 33% of residents live in poverty and median household income hovers around $40,000. Almost everyone rents — homeownership sits at just 1% — and fewer than 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree. About one in five households includes children, so there are plenty of school-age kids around, even if the broader educational attainment is low. Getting around by transit is straightforward.

Creston is one of the better-connected middle schools in the area: the 182-183 Sts station (B and D lines) is about a 3-minute walk, the 183 St station (4 line) about 5 minutes, and Burnside Av (4 line) about 6 minutes.