Young Women's Leadership School of Brooklyn

ELA proficiency of 41.2% and math at 26.5% both sit well below district averages of 62.4% and 59.5%. The trajectory is bumpy rather than clearly improving: ELA peaked at 46.4% in 2022, plunged to 25.8% in 2024, then partially rebounded to 41.2% this year. Math hit 33.3% in 2023 before sliding to 19.4% the next year. Among reported grades (6-8), grade 8 ELA reaches 56.5% while grade 7 sits at just 27.3% — a sharp within-school swing worth asking about.

The climate numbers are a study in contrasts: 96% parent satisfaction, 98% teacher trust in leadership, and zero suspensions — yet 43% of students are chronically absent. Hispanic students have the highest absenteeism (51%), with Black students at 36%. The 84.3% attendance rate lags the district's 88.9%. With 92% of families responding to the survey, this is a deeply engaged parent community — they're just struggling to get kids in the building every day. Zero suspensions is genuinely notable for a middle/high school and signals a restorative, relational approach.

All 345 students are girls, drawn largely from Black (45%) and Hispanic (44%) backgrounds, with an economic need index of 86 reflecting widespread family economic pressure. Twenty-four percent of students have IEPs, and the school offers ELL support. The surrounding East Williamsburg neighborhood has a similar economic profile — median income around $82K and a 24% poverty rate — so many families share the circumstances their classmates come from. Demand is steep: 513 applicants chasing 77 seats.

East Williamsburg is a working, mostly-renter neighborhood where only about 12% of households own their homes and roughly a quarter of residents live below the poverty line. The median home value north of $1 million reflects the area's broader gentrification pressure rather than typical resident wealth. About 44% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, and only 9% of households include children — a relatively child-light census profile for a school drawing families from across Brooklyn.

Three subway stops are within walking distance: Montrose Av (L) about four minutes away, Morgan Av (L) about seven minutes, and Flushing Av (M, J) about eight minutes.