I.S. 5 - The Walter Crowley Intermediate School

ELA proficiency of 56.2% is comfortably above the district average of 51.1%, while math at 53.2% lands just below the district's 54.8%. The overall quality score of 2.19 out of 4 edges past the district's 2.12. ELA has trended upward over the past decade, from 46.4% in 2016 to 56.2% in 2025, with a dip during the pandemic years. Math saw a sharp crash in 2022 (down to 32.6%) but has been climbing steadily since. Science proficiency at 32.1% is a clear weak spot. By grade, seventh-graders are the academic high point (62.9% ELA, 65.9% math), while sixth-graders trail noticeably (49.5% ELA, 39.4% math) — a wider-than-usual gap that incoming families should be aware of.

The day-to-day feel is anchored by very strong family relationships — parent-teacher and parent-principal trust both sit at 95% — even though overall parent satisfaction is 91%, slightly below the district's 93.9%. Teachers rate instructional quality at 94%, above the district average of 91.7%, and teacher collegial trust and trust in the principal are at 85%. The chronic absenteeism rate of 74.1% is a serious flag — more than seven in ten students miss 10% or more of the school year — even though the overall attendance rate of 92.5% looks close to normal. Asian students carry the highest chronic absenteeism at 86.8%, while Black students have the lowest at 26.7%. Discipline has held flat at 20 suspensions in each of the last two reported years, for a 2% rate that's well above the district's 0.175%. The pattern reads as a school with warm adult relationships but real challenges getting all students in the building consistently.

The student body is 60% Hispanic and 35% Asian, with Black and White students making up only a few percent each — a diversity index of 48% reflects two large groups rather than broad mixing. The economic need index of 77.6% means most families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and 18% of students have IEPs. The school runs both an ELL Support program and an Accelerated/Honors track, fitting a community where many students are still learning English while others are ready for advanced coursework. PTA fundraising totals just $8 per student — a fraction of the district's $32.46 per-student average — signaling a community with limited financial bandwidth for extras.

Woodside is a working- and middle-class Queens neighborhood with a median household income of $74,765 and a poverty rate of 8.1%. About one in five households has children, 30.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and homeownership sits at 33% — suggesting many renters — with a median home value around $649,500. The neighborhood's mix of Hispanic and Asian families has been established for decades and lines up closely with the school's demographics.

Most students commute to school. The Elmhurst Avenue station (M and R lines) is about a 10-minute walk, while Jackson Heights–Roosevelt Avenue (E, F, M, R) and 74th Street–Broadway (7) are each about a 14-minute walk.