Uncommon Excellence Boys Charter School NYC

The school's 60.1% ELA proficiency and 65.5% math proficiency both edge out District 16 averages of roughly 57.6% and 57% respectively, putting it above typical schools in the area. Math has been the steadier performer, staying in the mid-60s for most years on record and hitting 67.5% in 2024. ELA was more volatile — dipping into the low 40s during the pandemic years and bouncing back to 43-55% before making a notable jump to 60.1% in 2025. The grade-by-grade breakdown tells a clear story: third through fifth graders are crushing it (86% ELA and 91% math in fifth grade), but scores fall off in middle school, with eighth-grade math landing at just 36.4%. Parents considering this school should know the strong K-5 foundation may not translate uniformly through the upper grades.

The climate data here is striking in both directions. Parent trust in teachers and the principal is essentially unanimous at 100%, and parent satisfaction hits 98% — well above the district average of 91%. Every parent who took the survey feels heard. Teacher trust in the principal is solid at 89%, and teacher-rated collegial trust sits at 76%. But the 51.1% chronic absenteeism rate is a real concern — over half of students missed enough days to be flagged, and that's not a pandemic artifact; this is the current reality. The family survey response rate was only 2% (just 8 families responded), so the glowing parent numbers come from a very small slice of the school. Teachers also had only 15 respondents, which is a thin signal. Day-to-day, parents who are engaged clearly feel great about the school, but the attendance picture suggests many students are struggling to show up consistently.

The student body is 80% Black, 12% Hispanic, and 4% Asian, with an economic need index of 75.4% meaning three-quarters of students come from low-income households. The diversity index of 40% reflects a fairly homogeneous population. This mirrors the surrounding neighborhood closely — Bedford-Stuyvesant is a majority-Black community where median household income sits around $70,755 and about 23% of residents live below the poverty line. The school serves the community around it rather than drawing from across the borough.

Bedford-Stuyvesant (East) is a historically Black neighborhood where the poverty rate runs at 23% and median household income lands at about $70,755 — modest by city standards but supported by a strong community fabric. About 11.9% of households include children, and 40.8% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher. Homeownership is relatively low at 26.7%, reflecting a renter-majority area, though median home values have climbed to over $1.1 million, signaling ongoing gentrification pressure. Families sending kids here are rooted in long-standing community ties as much as in real estate.

The school is reachable by subway but not right at a stop — the Utica Av A/C train is about an 8-minute walk, the Ralph Av C train about 9 minutes, and the Gates Av J/Z about 10 minutes