P.S. 164 Queens Valley

ELA proficiency of 64.1% puts P.S. 164 right at the district average (64.9%), while math proficiency of 63.3% trails the district's 69.6% by about six points — a meaningful gap. Looking at the grade-by-grade breakdown, results swing sharply: Grade 4 hits 69% ELA and 85.4% math (well above district), while Grade 5 collapses to 50% ELA and 35.9% math, and Grade 6 sits at 63% ELA and 48.5% math. Middle school grades (7 and 8) recover nicely, both in the high 60s and low-to-mid 70s. The historical trend shows ELA bouncing between 55% and 64% over the past decade with no clean upward trajectory, and math similarly volatile — 2025's 63.3% is essentially the same as 2016's 62%, suggesting steady rather than improving performance. The school offers an Accelerated/Honors academic track alongside ELL support, but its overall program richness score of 34.7/100 is on the low end for the district.

The climate picture here is genuinely strong on the family side and more mixed on the staff side. Parent satisfaction sits at 93% (basically matching the district's 93.7%), and parent-teacher trust is unusually high at 95%, with 100% of surveyed staff reporting strong relationships with students. Teacher-reported safety is 97%, above the district average, and the school recorded zero suspensions in both 2021-22 and 2023-24, with just three the year in between — a notably calm environment. The friction point is teacher-principal trust at 76%, the lowest trust metric in the survey and below the parent-equivalent score, which suggests teachers may feel less aligned with administration than families do. Teacher instruction quality (88%) is slightly below the district's 89.6%, and only 38 teachers responded to the survey, so staff perspectives are thinner than the family voice. Overall, the day-to-day feel for families appears welcoming and responsive; internally, the admin-teacher relationship is the one to watch.

The student body reflects the surrounding neighborhood fairly closely: Asian students make up 32%, White 35%, Hispanic 26%, Black 5%, and multiracial or Native American students together about 2%. With a diversity index of 72%, the school is mixed but leans toward White and Asian enrollment, mirroring Kew Gardens Hills's middle-class character. About 57.8% of students qualify for economic need, and 16% have IEPs, suggesting a socioeconomic spread that's broader than the neighborhood income alone might suggest. Family engagement is the standout — 85% of families responded to the survey (440 responses), giving administrators an unusually clear picture of what parents think.

Kew Gardens Hills is a middle-income, family-oriented Queens neighborhood with a median household income of about $84,750 and a 12.1% poverty rate — both fairly close to city medians. Nearly half of adult residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher, homeownership is above 50%, and about a quarter of households have children, which sets up well for a zoned elementary school with sustained enrollment. The school draws from this kind of stable, educated family base.

P.S. 164 is not a quick subway commute for most families — Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike (E/F) is roughly a 13-minute walk, 75 Avenue (E/F) about 16 minutes, and Briarwood (E/F) around 18 minutes. Most families likely walk, bike, or drive rather than take the train.