EMBER Charter School for Mindful Education, Innovation and Transformation

Test scores sit below the District 16 average — 43% ELA and 45.6% Math versus the district's 57.6% and 57% respectively. The school's performance history shows dramatic swings: math climbed from 17% in 2016 to 56.7% in 2024 before dropping to 45.6% in 2025, while ELA peaked at 56.9% in 2023. Grade-level data reveals stark inconsistency — Grade 7 students showed 70.8% math proficiency while Grade 5 lagged at just 9.5%. The school earned a 1.77 overall score on the 4-point scale, below the district average of 2.29.

Survey data tells a different story than test scores: 92% of parents are satisfied, 96% trust teachers, and 96% trust the principal. Teachers rate instruction quality at 97% and nearly all (99%) trust the principal — extraordinary numbers. Teacher-reported safety sits at 89%, slightly below the district average of 94%. However, chronic absenteeism is a serious issue at 53.6%, affecting over half of students consistently, with Black students at 56.4% and Hispanic students at 49.2%. This suggests strong relational culture but significant attendance barriers.

The student body is predominantly Black (79%) with Hispanic students comprising 17%, reflecting the demographics of surrounding Bedford-Stuyvesant. Nearly 77% of students face economic need, and 19% have IEPs. The diversity index sits at 37%, and the school serves a high-need population in a neighborhood where 23% of households live below the poverty line.

Bedford-Stuyvesant is a transit-rich, family-dense neighborhood with strong educational orientation (69th percentile). However, safety scores are low (22.6 percentile) and environmental health indicators show concerns: elevated lead rates (20%) and asthma emergency department rates at 104 per 1,000. The area has seen significant gentrification with median home values over $1.1 million, though 73% of residents rent rather than own. Families with children make up only 11.9% of households.

The neighborhood scores very high on transit (94.6 percentile), making it accessible by public transportation. However, the low safety score (22.6) and collision rates suggest families should consider travel logistics carefully, particularly for younger children.