The top reported proficiency rate is 67% in Math. The lowest is 50% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on New York City Geographic District #21
NEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #21
District 21 serves Brooklyn neighborhoods from Coney Island and Gravesend northward through Bensonhurst and Homecrest, operating roughly forty schools across pre-K through grade 12. The district enrolls a diverse student body: just over a third are White, roughly a quarter are Asian, about a quarter are Hispanic, and about a tenth are Black. The overall enrollment spans multiple grade levels, with the largest cohorts in the middle and high school years.
In math, the district's performance shows a pattern of improvement from elementary into middle school, then a slight decline in high school. Third and fourth graders show proficiency around two-thirds; that dips slightly to about three-fifths by fifth grade, then rises sharply in sixth and seventh grade to roughly two-thirds and three-quarters respectively. By eighth grade, proficiency falls back to about seven-tenths. English language arts proficiency runs somewhat lower, sitting in the upper-fifties and low-sixties across third through fifth grade, then rising to the mid-sixties by sixth and seventh grade before settling near that level in eighth. Science results, reported only for fifth and eighth grade, show the subject as a relative soft spot: about half of fifth graders and roughly fifty-four percent of eighth graders reach proficiency. A parent considering this district may want to look more closely at science instruction and where strengths in math support are concentrated within the grade band.
The district's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile when compared to other districts in Kings County, a meaningful position that reflects solid performance in core academics. Chronic absenteeism sits above the midpoint in the county comparison, suggesting attendance challenges that could merit inquiry with individual schools.
Curriculum instruction in the district is now shaped by two major city mandates. NYC Reads requires all elementary schools to use one of three approved, science-of-reading-aligned literacy programs; this same mandate is being phased into middle schools. NYC Solves similarly mandates that middle schools adopt an approved math program by the 2027-28 school year, moving away from school-level curriculum choice. These changes standardize instruction across the district but remove the flexibility some families prize in school selection.
For families considering screened middle schools, the district operates talent magnet programs, most prominently Mark Twain I.S. for the Gifted and Talented, where admission is based on competitive talent exams and auditions. New York City reinstated this form of screened admissions after a pandemic pause, which means families interested in these programs must navigate the application and testing process rather than relying on a lottery.
The high school offerings include several career and technical pathways: William E. Grady offers career and technical education, while Life Academy focuses on film and music, and the High School of Sports Management aligns with students interested in that field. The district also operates Rachel Carson High School for Coastal Studies, International High School at Lafayette, and Kingsborough Early College School, providing some program diversity at the secondary level. Specialized secondary schools like Brooklyn Studio Secondary School and alternative settings such as Leaders High School and Liberation Diploma Plus extend options for students whose needs or interests fall outside a traditional comprehensive high school structure.
State testing data and program information were available, but the district profile did not include free-or-reduced-price-lunch rates, a four-year graduation rate, per-pupil spending, information about English learner support, or numbers of students in special education. These are routine metrics in many districts, and a parent seeking a fuller picture of student support systems and economic context may want to contact the district directly or examine individual school profiles for that detail.
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