Frederick Douglass Academy II Secondary School

ELA proficiency of 34.8% is well below the District 3 average of 59.3%, though the school has nearly doubled its ELA rate since 2016 (23%) — a genuine upward trajectory. Math is the harder story: proficiency sits at 17.5%, less than a third of the district average of 54%, and the trend is jagged rather than clearly improving, with scores bouncing between 9% and 30% over the past decade. The 6th-grade cohort is performing notably better than 8th-grade (50% ELA vs. 35%), suggesting students may be losing ground as they move through the school.

The day-to-day climate looks strong by most measures: attendance of 95.7% beats the district average of 90.4%, teacher-rated instruction quality tops out at 96%, and the school reported zero suspensions. Parents give the principal especially high marks (93% trust), and teacher collegial trust is solid at 80%. The major flag is chronic absenteeism at 88.3% — meaning the vast majority of students miss 10% or more of school days despite strong daily attendance — which suggests sporadic rather than persistent absence patterns across the year.

The student body is 60% Black and 33% Hispanic, with an economic need index of 91.8% — meaning nearly all students come from low-income households. This mirrors the surrounding South Harlem census tract, where the median income is around $69,000 and a fifth of residents live in poverty. With 29% of students classified as IEP and ELL services offered, the school serves a population that brings significant outside challenges, and only 12% of families completed the parent survey — a low response that may understate — the full range of family experience.

South Harlem is a dense, working-class neighborhood where homeownership is rare (18%) and just 12% of households include children, suggesting a high share of renters and adult-only homes. More than half of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree, a striking figure that reflects the area's mix of long-time residents and newer arrivals. The school's screened admissions and program richness make it a draw beyond the immediate census tract, pulling families from across Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

The school is well-served by subway: the 116 St station on the C and B lines is about a four-minute walk, with the 110 St-Malcolm X Plaza (2 and 3) and Cathedral Pkwy (C and B) stations each about six minutes away.