At a Glance
A small, inclusive middle school in Manhattan Valley where parent trust runs high but academic gaps remain a work in progress.
Best suited for
Families who value a small, inclusive community where staff truly know their child — particularly those with students who have IEPs, are English-language learners, or would benefit from a close-knit school willing to be a patient partner in their academic growth.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of NY State ELA + math proficiency, grades 3–8
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- Parent satisfaction and trust scores that run roughly 6 points above the district average, a meaningful signal of family-school partnership
- Real academic progress over the past decade — ELA proficiency nearly doubled from a 2016 baseline of 21.9%
- An IEP enrollment of 44% suggests deeply embedded inclusion practices, with students learning alongside same-age peers rather than being tracked into separate settings
- A genuinely small school of just 153 students, meaning adults likely know every child by name
- Dedicated ELL Support built into the program for English-language learners
Things to consider
- ELA and math proficiency both run 20–30 points behind district averages — kids here are catching up, not leading academically
- A 44% chronic absenteeism rate is significant and likely a major drag on instructional time and outcomes
- Suspensions have tripled over three years (from 1 to 4) — worth watching even though the absolute numbers are small
- With only 153 students, elective offerings and extracurricular breadth are limited compared to larger middle schools
- Teacher survey responses number just 19, so staff-side numbers should be read with some caution
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 3
District 3 includes some of the city's most competitive schools — Special Music and Anderson both score 98–100 out of 100, with Success Academy charters close behind. West Prep operates in a fundamentally different lane: a small, inclusive middle school serving students who often arrive behind, not a screened or selective program.
Academics
West Prep's proficiency numbers tell a story of real progress from a low base: ELA proficiency was 21.9% in 2016 and rose to 38% by 2025, while math nearly doubled from 13.1% to 23.4%. But District 3's average ELA is 59.3% and math is 54%, so West Prep is still roughly 20–30 percentage points behind in both subjects. The recent trend is mixed — ELA peaked at 51% in 2022 and 2023 before sliding to 38%, while math has held steadier in the mid-20s after years of slow climb.
Culture
The climate here defies easy categorization. Parent satisfaction is 94% (well above the district's 88%), and teachers rate instruction quality at 96% and collegial trust at 97% — suggesting a staff that feels supported and families that feel heard. But attendance sits at just 84.5% — well below the district's 90.4% — and 44% of students are chronically absent, meaning they miss 10% or more of the school year. Discipline is gently trending up (suspensions went from 1 to 2 to 4 over three years), but at 3% overall it's not a dominant feature of the school.
Community
The school's demographics tell a story distinct from its surroundings: 46% Black and 45% Hispanic students, with an economic need index of 83.2 and an IEP rate of 44% — far higher than the citywide average. Just 153 students pass through these halls, making it one of the smaller middle schools in Manhattan. Many families arrive here navigating real financial and learning challenges, often commuting in from outside the immediate neighborhood.
Neighborhood
Manhattan Valley sits at the northern edge of the Upper West Side, with a median household income just over $100,000 and a 16.7% poverty rate that reflects a mix of longtime rent-regulated residents and more transient arrivals. About 61% of neighborhood adults hold a bachelor's degree, and just 28% own homes in a part of town where median home values cross $1 million. The area draws a mix of long-established Manhattan families, students affiliated with nearby Columbia, and a more working-class pocket than the rest of the Upper West Side.
The 1 train runs right through the neighborhood, with Cathedral Parkway (110 St) about a three-minute walk, 103 St about five minutes, and 116 St–Columbia University about eight minutes.
Academic Performance
ELA Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State ELA exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Math Proficiency
Students scoring proficient or above on the NY State Math exam.
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Historical Trends
The dashed line marks 2023, when New York changed its grades 3–8 state tests. Scores before and after it aren’t directly comparable.
2020–2021 data unavailable due to COVID-19
Source: NYC DOE School Quality Reports
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 82 families responded (56% rate)
Programs & Activities
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database (2023-24)
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
Middle school (6th grade)
Middle school is one citywide application, made in 5th grade. West Prep Academy admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- West Prep Academy (M.S. 421)Unscreened72 seats
Middle school application
- Opened
- Wed, Oct 14
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 11
- Offers
- Wed, Apr 7
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the middle school application, in 5th grade.
- 2Unscreened programs fill by random lottery among the families who rank them.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
Open house
Mon, Nov 16, · 5:00 PM · In person
Tour
Thu, Nov 19, · 8:45 AM · In person
Tour
Thu, Dec 3, · 8:45 AM · In person
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is West Prep Academy a good school?
- On Motley, West Prep Academy earns an overall rating of 31/100 — the average of the school's New York State ELA and math proficiency, grades 3–8, shown out of 100. Its state test results run below the District 3 average.
- What grades does West Prep Academy serve?
- West Prep Academy serves grades 6 to 8.
- How do students get into West Prep Academy?
- West Prep Academy admits by application through a random lottery, with no academic screen.
- Is West Prep Academy public, charter, or private?
- West Prep Academy is a public school in NYC Community School District 3.
- What neighborhood is West Prep Academy in?
- West Prep Academy is in Upper West Side-Manhattan Valley, Manhattan.