At a Glance
A career-focused high school with deeply engaged families navigating leadership tensions in a wealthy neighborhood
Families who prioritize a small school environment, career-focused education in growing green industries, and strong parent-teacher relationships may find a good fit. Parents should be comfortable with the reality that teacher satisfaction with leadership is low, and should discuss this directly with the school. This school may work well for families who value the diverse student body and rich arts/athletics programming and are comfortable navigating the school's academic challenges while benefiting from its community engagement strengths.
- Zero suspensions — indicating a discipline approach focused on keeping students in school
- Very high family satisfaction (94%) and parent-teacher trust (100%)
- Specialized green careers focus with pathway programs
- Rich programming including Alvin Ailey Dance, theater, and extensive athletics
- 20% offer rate from 400 applicants demonstrates community demand
- Located in a neighborhood with top-tier education orientation and transit access
- Teacher trust in leadership is very low (29%) — a significant concern for families prioritizing school culture
- Teacher-rated instruction quality (56%) falls well below district average (87%)
- Low family survey response rate (15%) means satisfaction data may not represent all parents
- No proficiency data available this year — academic performance is difficult to assess
- High economic need (86.6%) means the school serves students facing significant challenges
- Teacher survey had only 30 responses — limited teacher voice in the data
Based on 2024-2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 3
In District 3, this school operates alongside some of the city's highest-performing schools, including the Special Music School (100/100) and The Anderson School (98/100). Those schools screen students, while The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers uses limited unscreened admissions. The peer comparison is stark — charter schools in this district score in the 90s, suggesting this school faces different student populations and challenges. The district average for teacher instruction quality (87%) makes this school's 56% teacher rating particularly notable as an area of concern.
Proficiency data was not available for this school year. However, the school offers AP Courses and maintains class sizes matching the district average (23.1 students). With 29% of students receiving special education services and 68% identifying as Hispanic, the academic program includes ELL Support and World Languages to address diverse learner needs.
This is a school of stark contrasts in how different groups experience it. Families are highly satisfied (94%) and report strong trust in teachers (100%) and principals (90%). Teachers report excellent collegial trust with each other (86%) but very low trust in leadership (29%) and only 56% rate instruction quality positively — well below the district's 87% average. There were zero suspensions last year, suggesting a restorative or low-exclusion approach to discipline. The family survey response rate was low (15%), which means the parent satisfaction figures represent a subset of families.
With 259 students, this is a small high school where Hispanic students (68%) and Black students (23%) make up the majority — notably different from the surrounding Upper West Side neighborhood, which is predominantly white and very affluent. The economic need index of 86.6% indicates most families face significant financial challenges, even though they live in a neighborhood where the median household income exceeds $150,000. About 29% of students have IEPs, and the school provides ELL Support for multilingual learners.
The Upper West Side is an exceptionally family-dense neighborhood (98th percentile) with strong education orientation (95th percentile) and excellent transit access (91st percentile). However, it scores poorly on safety (24th percentile) and health environment (13th percentile), with elevated asthma rates and air quality concerns. The area offers numerous parks, cultural institutions, and family resources, but parents should be aware of urban safety considerations. Median home values exceed $1.5 million, though 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
The school is highly accessible by public transit given the neighborhood's 91st percentile transit score. Families walking or taking subway will find the area navigable, though parents should consider safety discussions given the neighborhood's lower safety percentile.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 43 families responded (15% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
UAGC's CTE program engages students through both hands-on and academic exposure to the chief theories, and practices within both the urban agriculture and building science fields. Within this program, students learn directly from industry experts, engage in work-site visits, compete for industry-based paid internships, and have the option to earn industry certifications. All students select their major after 9th grade. CTE Endorsed diploma is available for Building Science pathway.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Economic Need & Special Populations
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 9 to 12 in Upper West Side (Central).
- What grades does The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers serve?
- The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers?
- The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers uses the Educational Option (Ed-Opt) method, ranking applicants across performance levels so seats go to a mix of abilities.
- Is The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers public, charter, or private?
- The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers is a public school in NYC Community School District 3.
- What neighborhood is The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers in?
- The Urban Assembly School for Green Careers is in Upper West Side (Central), Manhattan.
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