I.S. 136 Charles O. Dewey

Raw proficiency numbers are tough: 36.1% ELA and 21.7% math sit far below District 15 averages of 65.5% and 63.3%, and the overall quality score of 1.16/4 is less than half the district average of 2.58. But the trajectory is the more interesting story. ELA proficiency climbed from 15.1% in 2016 to 36.1% in 2025, and math rose from 10.3% to 21.7% over the same span — meaningful, sustained gains in a school where most families are economically disadvantaged and roughly a quarter of students have IEPs. The grade-level breakdown is uneven: 7th-grade math proficiency (30.9%) is notably stronger than 8th grade (11.3%), which is worth asking about if you have an older student.

This is a school where families feel heard. Parent-teacher trust (94%) and parent-principal trust (95%) are both very high, and teacher-reported instruction quality (94%) runs well above the district average of 89%. Discipline is essentially a non-issue — the school has had zero suspensions for two consecutive years, against a district average of 0.28%. Teacher-principal trust at 84% is solid if not exceptional. The day-to-day feel is collaborative rather than punitive, and the staff survey response rate was healthy at 49 teachers.

The student body is 77% Hispanic, with Asian and white students at 9% each, Black students at 4%, and small multiracial and Native American populations. The diversity index of 45% reflects real but not overwhelming variety. The economic need index of 84.4 means most families qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 28% of students have IEPs — well above typical middle-school rates. The school offers ELL support, and the demographics mirror the surrounding Sunset Park neighborhood, which has a median household income around $81,000 and a 17% poverty rate.

Sunset Park (West) is a working- and middle-class Brooklyn neighborhood where about one in five households has children, just over a third of adults have a bachelor's degree, and homeownership is low (25%) — most families rent. Median home values are high (over $1 million), reflecting broader Brooklyn pricing pressure, but incomes are more modest. The school sits within easy reach of multiple subway lines.

Families have three reasonable options: the 45 St (R) stop about six minutes on foot, the 36 St (D, N, R) stop also about six minutes, and the 53 St (R) stop around twelve minutes away.