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The trajectory is the headline here. ELA proficiency rose from 25% in 2016 to 60.5% in 2025, and math climbed from 15.7% to 54.9% — a remarkable arc for any school. The current ELA score (60.5%) now sits close to the district average of 62.8%, while math (54.9%) is meaningfully below the district's 62.8%. Grade-level patterns show sixth graders leading in ELA (64.6%) and seventh graders leading in math (64.9%), suggesting some cohort effects. The school is moving in the right direction, but math has more ground to cover to reach district norms.

Trust is the story here. Teacher trust in the principal is 98%, teacher collegial trust is 99%, and teacher-reported instruction quality is 97% — all well above the district averages around 92%. Parents are similarly bought in: 94% are satisfied and 95% trust the principal. The discipline record is striking — zero suspensions in 2023-24, down from six the year before. The harder note is chronic absenteeism at 71.8%, meaning more than two-thirds of students miss extended periods of school. Day-to-day, this feels like a place where adults are aligned and the climate is calm, but getting kids to show up consistently is a real challenge.

The student body mirrors Jamaica's diversity: 41% Hispanic, 31% Asian, 21% Black, 6% Native American, and 1% White, with a diversity index of 72%. Roughly 75% of students qualify for economic need, in line with a neighborhood where the median household income is about $62,000 and 16.8% of residents live below the poverty line. About a quarter of neighborhood households have children, giving this middle school a real local feeder base. Sixteen percent of students have IEPs and ELL Support is offered, so this is a school built to serve a broad range of learners, not a screened population.

Jamaica is one of Queens' most diverse and transit-connected neighborhoods, with a median household income around $62,000 and a mix of homeowners and renters (homeownership sits at 24.2%). About a quarter of households include children, and roughly 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. It's a working- and middle-class area where families often include multiple generations under one roof. The neighborhood has strong subway access for families who live along the F or E/J/Z lines.

Three subway options sit within walking distance: the 169 St (F) and Parsons Blvd (F) stations are each about a six-minute walk away, and Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer (E, J, Z) is about ten minutes on foot.