East Brooklyn Ascend Charter School

The academic performance at East Brooklyn Ascend is striking when you look at the trajectory. Just two years ago, only about one-third of students were meeting state standards in ELA; now it's 77%, and math has climbed to 85% — nearly double the district average of 48%. The overall score of 3.24 out of 4 places it well above the district average of 1.94. Grade 4 is performing slightly better in ELA (81.8%) than Grade 3 (71.4%), while Grade 3 leads in math with an impressive 88.9% proficiency. These gains suggest the school's instructional approach is working, though with only 72 students total and two grade levels tested, individual class dynamics can shift year to year.

The attendance picture here is mixed in a way that deserves unpacking. The overall attendance rate of 95.5% is solid and above the district average of 89.9%, suggesting families are generally showing up. But the chronic absenteeism rate of 86.5% is extraordinarily high — meaning most students are missing significant stretches of school despite being counted as present on any given day. This pattern is more pronounced for male students (91.2%) than females (82.8%), and slightly higher for Hispanic students (87.2%) versus Black students (85.2%). Without survey data on trust, safety, or instruction quality from this specific school, we can't fully characterize the day-to-day culture, but the attendance patterns suggest there may be underlying challenges with consistent daily attendance that parents should probe during a visit.

This is a small school — just 72 students across grades K-4 — with a class size averaging 21.8 students, right at the district average. The student body is predominantly Black (44%) and Hispanic (50%), reflecting the demographics of Cypress Hills, where the neighborhood has similar proportions. About 17% of students have IEPs, and the economic need index of 86.5% indicates this serves a community facing significant financial hardship. The diversity index of 50% is moderate for an urban elementary school. Families here are largely working-class, with a median household income in the surrounding neighborhood of about $66,000.

Cypress Hills is a residential Brooklyn neighborhood in District 19 with a strong family presence — about 21% of households have children. It's a transit-accessible area (scoring 65.5 on transit) but scores lower on safety (38.3) and education orientation (32.6), meaning families here are navigating broader neighborhood challenges alongside their school choice. The median home value of $659,000 reflects the broader Brooklyn housing market, though homeownership rates are relatively low at 33.5%. There are local parks and community resources, and the area has a neighborhood feel that some families find welcoming and others find rough around the edges.

Families typically walk or take public transit; the neighborhood is dense and well-connected to bus routes, though parents often accompany younger children given the safety considerations