KIPP NYC Washington Heights Academy Charter School

Students here outperform District 6 averages on both ELA (57% vs 47%) and math (62.7% vs 52.1%), and the school's overall score of 2.39/4 sits well above the district's 1.98. The trajectory tells a more complicated story: ELA proficiency had climbed into the low 60s pre-pandemic, plunged to 39% in 2022, and has now nearly recovered to 57%. Math has been steadier overall, holding mostly in the 60s and 70s despite its own 2022 dip. Science proficiency at 56% is another solid mark. Grade-by-grade results vary — seventh graders lead (65% ELA, 77% math), while sixth grade trails (39.8% ELA, 49% math).

The standout signal is trust: 100% of surveyed parents trust the principal, 97% trust their child's teacher, and 100% of teachers trust school leadership — a tight triangle of confidence you almost never see. But chronic absenteeism at 70.4% — meaning roughly seven in ten students missed 10% or more of the school year — is a serious flag and worth asking the school about directly. Attendance rate (92.2%) is slightly above the district average, and teacher-reported instruction quality (86%) is a touch below it. The family survey response rate was only 11% and just 8 teachers responded, so the trust numbers are glowing but based on a smaller sample than usual.

KIPP Washington Heights is overwhelmingly Hispanic (89%), with small Black (7%), White (1%), and multiracial (1%) populations — a student body that closely mirrors the surrounding Washington Heights neighborhood. The school serves a high-need community, with an economic need index of 83.9 and 24% of students classified as IEP. At 827 students, it's a sizable campus, and the charter lottery draws families from across a wide swath of upper Manhattan.

Washington Heights is a working-class, predominantly renter neighborhood with a median household income around $55,800 and a poverty rate of about 22%. Only 9% of households include children under 18, and just 8% of residents own their homes — meaning most local families are navigating tenancy as much as they navigate school choice. About a third of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The school is well-served by transit, with multiple subway lines within a short walk.

The 168 St (A, C) and 168 St–Washington Hts (1) stations are each about a 5-minute walk, and the 163 St–Amsterdam Av (C) station is about 7 minutes away — solid subway access for families coming from multiple directions.