Dock Street School for STEAM Studies

Dock Street's ELA proficiency (54.2%) sits just above the district average of 53.1%, but math (37.4%) trails the district average of 45.9% by a meaningful margin. The school's overall score of 1.83/4 falls slightly below the district average of 1.98. Looking at grade-level patterns, Grade 7 performs notably stronger (65.5% ELA, 49.1% math) while Grade 6 lags (45.3% ELA, 22.6% math), suggesting the school may be struggling to onboard younger middle schoolers. The historical trend shows dramatic growth from 2016-2019, a pandemic-era spike in 2022, and a steady decline since — a pattern worth watching closely.

This is a tale of two survey worlds: parents are highly satisfied (88-95% trust ratings), while teachers show more mixed sentiment (64-68% on trust and instruction quality metrics). The chronic absenteeism rate of 62.3% is striking — nearly two-thirds of students are chronically absent, which likely impacts learning and explains some of the test score decline. Discipline incidents have increased (from 0 suspensions in 2021-22 to 9 in 2023-24), though the 3% suspension rate remains below some peer schools. The day-to-day feel seems to be: families who are engaged feel well-served, but the school is battling attendance issues that may reflect broader post-pandemic challenges.

The student body is predominantly Black (65%) with significant Hispanic representation (18%), reflecting the broader district demographics. Nearly a quarter of students (23%) have IEPs, and the economic need index sits at 59.4%. The diversity index of 60% indicates moderate demographic variety. The neighborhood around the school is quite different from the student body — it's affluent (median household income $150k), highly educated, and predominantly White — which creates an interesting dynamic between the school's population and its surrounding community.

The school sits in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, an area with exceptional transit access (98th percentile) and strong education orientation (85th percentile). However, the safety score is concerning at 21 — one of the lowest in the dataset. The neighborhood offers good access to parks and cultural amenities, and the high homeownership rate (26%) and stability score (though low at 5) suggest a mixed transient/permanent population. It's a bustling, urban environment that works well for families with older kids comfortable in city settings.

Very walkable with excellent subway access — families commute from across the district and beyond, taking advantage of the area's transit hub