Harlem Prep Charter School, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Harlem Prep Charter School

Harlem Prep Charter School is undergoing a major structural change. Through an approved enrollment revision, it is transitioning from a school serving third through twelfth grade to a high-school-only program. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year and continuing through 2028-29, the school will serve only students in grades nine through twelve. Elementary and middle school students previously enrolled will be moved to other schools within the same education corporation, Democracy Prep. This is not a temporary measure but a lasting reconfiguration of what the school is. A family with children in grades three through eight should plan accordingly, as those grades will no longer be offered at this location.

The school also received a shorter three-year charter renewal term running through 2029, rather than a longer authorization period, reflecting its current standing with regulators. This may be worth noting alongside the broader transition.

In terms of academic performance on New York State testing, Harlem Prep shows mixed results across grades and subjects. English language arts is the school's relative strength. In grade five, roughly two-thirds of students scored at proficient or above, the highest mark for any grade and subject combination. Grade eight ELA also shows reasonable performance at just above half the students meeting the standard. In grade six ELA, about four in ten students are proficient, and grades four and seven show lower results in the low twenties to low forties range.

Mathematics proficiency is lower. Grades four through seven show modest performance, with roughly one in seven, one in three, one in three to one in three, and two in five students reaching proficiency, respectively. Grade eight math results are notably weak, with no students scoring at proficient or above; however, participation in testing that year was very low, suggesting administrative or operational issues may have affected that cohort's testing day. Grade five science proficiency sits at roughly one in three students, while grade eight science is notably stronger at just over half.

The school serves a student body that is economically disadvantaged and predominantly Black and Hispanic. Roughly nine in ten students qualify for free or reduced price lunch. In terms of racial and ethnic composition, students are roughly split between Black and Hispanic enrollment, with Black students making up a somewhat larger share. The student enrollment across all grades totals around low hundreds; the school is a small to mid-sized school within its grade band.

Housing values in the school's New York zip code area are above the state average, with monthly rental prices also elevated and rising year over year. This reflects the broader New York City market context: the area is a dense urban neighborhood with mixed-use buildings, high walkability, extensive public transit access, and proximity to major employment centers. Families are paying urban-market rents and property costs.

When compared to other districts in New York County, Harlem Prep's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into the school's instructional approach and plans for improvement, especially in mathematics and for the incoming grades as the school transitions to high school only.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

70-74%Cohort of 77 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

New York Regents Exams

4 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Social Studies	117	62.0%
Ela	107	54.0%
Math	84	32.0%
Science	46	57.0%

Math

Grade 30%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 59 pts below state median · ▼ 58 pts below county median

Grade 414%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 531%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 636%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 741%

School 41% · district not reported

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 30%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 52 pts below state median · ▼ 56 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 564%

School 64% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 644%

School 44% · district not reported

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 744%

School 44% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income61%Higher-income80%19 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income53%Higher-income60%7 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income26%Higher-income60%34 pp gap