I.S. 171 Abraham Lincoln

ELA proficiency of 41.4% sits below the District 19 average of about 49%, and math proficiency at 29% is well below the district's 48%—so on any given year, I.S. 171 is catching up, not leading. But the trajectory is the more interesting story: ELA more than doubled over the past decade, and math jumped from 10.3% in 2016 to a peak of 38.1% in 2024 before settling at 29% this year. The school's overall quality score of 1.41 out of 4 is below the district average of 1.94. One striking pattern by grade: 7th graders perform markedly better than 8th graders in both subjects, with 8th-grade math proficiency at just 8.3%—a significant red flag the school will need to address as students approach graduation.

The survey picture here is genuinely strong: 91% parent satisfaction matches the district average, while parent-teacher trust and parent-principal trust both reach 94%, and teacher-reported instruction quality sits at 91%—above the district's 88%. Families respond at a 74% rate, which is real engagement for a school this size. But the day-to-day reality is more complicated. Chronic absenteeism affects nearly half the student body at 49.8%, and it's especially pronounced among Asian students at 69.6%—a gap worth asking about. The suspension rate of 4% is more than double the district average of 1.6%, and the trend has moved the wrong way (2 suspensions in 2021-22, 7 in 2022-23, 11 in 2023-24). The tension between warm family-trust numbers and rising discipline issues suggests a school where parents feel heard but some students may be disengaged.

The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (80%), with smaller Black (9%), Asian (8%), and other populations—mirroring the character of Cypress Hills, where most families are working-class and many are first-generation New Yorkers. The school serves a high-need population, with an economic need index of 87.6% and 17% of students classified with IEPs—higher than the citywide norm. ELL support is a named program, and 200 families responded to the latest survey, indicating solid community engagement despite the modest enrollment.

Cypress Hills is a working-class Brooklyn neighborhood where most adults haven't earned a bachelor's degree—only 16.9% have—and median household income sits at about $66,000. Roughly a fifth of households include children, and homeownership is relatively low at 33.5%, meaning most families rent. The $659,257 median home value tells you this is a community with deep roots and rising property values, even when household incomes don't reflect that wealth. It's the kind of place where families are juggling a lot, and the school reflects that reality directly.

Three J/Z stops serve the area: Crescent Street is about a 6-minute walk, Cypress Hills is roughly 7 minutes, and 75th Street-Elderts Lane is about 8 minutes away—so most families live within a short walk of the train.