Redwood Middle School

Test scores at Redwood have come a long way since 2016, when only about one in five students were proficient in ELA or math. By 2025, math proficiency reached 48.6% and ELA hit 42.5% — meaningful gains, especially in math. However, both remain well below the District 28 averages of roughly 63% in each subject. The school scores 1.82 out of 4 overall compared to the district average of 2.51. Grade-level data shows older students performing stronger — 8th graders reached 61% math proficiency, while 6th graders lagged at 28% — suggesting the academic program builds skills over time, though the 6th grade performance is a concern. With a 1.82 overall score, the school is working hard but has significant ground to cover to match peer schools.

The culture here tells a complicated story. Families absolutely trust the leadership — parent-teacher trust and parent-principal trust both sit at 98%, and 93% of parents report satisfaction, matching or beating district averages. Teachers report strong collegial trust at 92%. Yet chronic absenteeism is a serious issue at 55.9%, far above the district average of about 9%, and overall attendance sits at 88.3%. There's also a notable gap by subgroup: 63% of Black students are chronically absent versus 40% of Hispanic students, and females miss more school than males. Teacher instruction quality scores 84%, below the district average of 92%, which may relate to the attendance challenges. The school had 2 suspensions last year (1% rate), slightly above the district average of 0.37%. The survey response rates are low — only 13 teacher responses and 30% of families — which makes the strong trust numbers more notable but also means the picture may be incomplete.

Redwood serves a predominantly Black student body — 74% of students are Black, with smaller Hispanic (10%), Asian (9%), and multiracial (1%) populations. The school reflects the neighborhood's demographics, which has a 70.7% economic need index and median household income of about $75,000. About one-quarter of students have IEPs, and the school offers ELL support. With only 214 students across three grades, class sizes average 24.5 students — essentially matching the district average. The diversity index sits at 51%, and while the student body is not racially diverse in the typical sense, the presence of multiple subgroups within a majority-Black population gives the school some internal demographic variety.

Springfield Gardens is a residential neighborhood in southeastern Queens with a strong Black middle-class identity, decent homeownership rates (37%), and a poverty rate around 11%. The area scores moderately for safety (61st percentile) but has lower transit access (37th percentile) and relatively low education orientation (31st percentile), meaning families often look outside the neighborhood for schools. There's a notable health environment score (85th percentile), though asthma rates are elevated. The neighborhood is more car-dependent than walkable for most families, and the transit score reflects that reality.

Transit access is limited — the neighborhood scores only 37 on transit, meaning most families drive or get dropped off. This affects who can easily access the school and may contribute to attendance challenges for students relying on irregular rides.