Norma Adams Clemons Academy

Both ELA (44.7%) and math (36.5%) proficiency remain well below the district 17 averages of roughly 60.5% and 57.3%, so on any single snapshot this school looks behind. The trend, though, is the more honest read: ELA proficiency has climbed from about 19.9% in 2016 to 44.7% in 2025, and math from 19.2% to 36.5%. The jump from 2024 to 2025 was particularly steep, with ELA rising roughly 20 points in one year. By contrast, the overall school quality score is 1.62 out of 4 versus a district average of 2.36. The third grade is leading the way (61% ELA proficiency), while grades 4 and 5 are still further from grade-level work.

The day-to-day picture here is warmer than the test scores suggest. Teacher-reported instruction quality is 99% (well above the district's 89%) and teacher-reported safety is 93%, and parent-principal trust is 93% with 87% parent satisfaction. Teachers say they trust each other at 85%. There were zero suspensions in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, after just one the prior year — a meaningful trajectory for a school this size. The gap to watch is attendance: at 89.5% the school sits below the district's 91%, and chronic absenteeism is at 57.9%, with boys and Black students most affected. Family survey response rate was a low 18%, so the parent-trust numbers reflect those who did engage.

Of 630 students, 69% are Black, 23% Hispanic, 5% White, with single-digit Asian, multiracial, and Native American representation — a reflection of the East Flatbush block patterns more than a wide cross-city draw. The school carries an economic need index of 82.4, meaning most families qualify for free or reduced lunch, and 18% of students have IEPs. The diversity index of 48% is relatively low because the population is concentrated rather than mixed. The parent body is engaged where it counts: 102 families responded to the survey and the trust scores ran high.

East Flatbush-Erasmus is a working- and middle-class Caribbean-American hub of Brooklyn, with median household income around $71,675 and a poverty rate of 15.8%. About a third of adults have a bachelor's degree and only 12.7% of households have children under 18, so families with young kids are a notable slice of the population. Most residents rent, with homeownership near 17% and a median home value around $710,327. The school sits in walking distance of multiple transit options, which matters for families without cars.

Families can reach the school on foot from the Church Av B/Q and 2/5 stations in about eight minutes, or from Parkside Av on the Q in about eleven minutes — solid options for a zoned elementary that draws from a wide radius.