School for Global Leaders, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on School for Global Leaders

School for Global Leaders is a small middle school in lower Manhattan serving grades six through eight on the Lower East Side. The school sits in one of New York City's most densely populated neighborhoods, where housing values are high and the streetscape is mixed-use, with residential and commercial space layered vertically and pedestrian life intense. The school population is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a very substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic diversity of the neighborhood and the city's broader residential demographics.

Academically, the school shows a mixed profile. In math across all three grades, proficiency is solid and improving: roughly half of sixth graders tested reached proficiency, about two-thirds of seventh graders, and roughly seven in ten eighth graders. In English language arts, the picture is weaker. Sixth and seventh grade proficiency hovers just above or slightly below half, while eighth grade dips further, with fewer than half reaching proficiency. Science proficiency in eighth grade sits in the middle range. Overall, the school's proficiency rate across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among schools in its county.

The data do not include specific enrollment numbers for special education or English learner services, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those supports and how the school works with students developing English or working through IEP goals. The school does offer an International Baccalaureate program, which typically emphasizes inquiry-based learning and international perspectives and may appeal to families drawn to that pedagogical approach.

District 1, which includes this school, has no zoned middle schools; every family must apply through a choice process. The district has implemented a districtwide Diversity in Admissions program that prioritizes seats for students from low-income families, English language learners, and those in housing instability or child welfare involvement. This reflects a deliberate effort toward socioeconomic mixing. The district also sits in a city housing market experiencing sustained growth, with rising rents and home values in the area, and a neighborhood anchored by extensive public transit, dense street life, and walkability. For families already in the neighborhood, proximity is an advantage; for others, access depends on the competitive admissions process.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

New York Regents Exams

1 course 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
Math	11	82.0%

Math

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 56% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 766%

School 66% · District 70% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 53% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 72 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 652%

School 52% · District 57% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 751%

School 51% · District 66% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 63% · ▼ 17 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 35% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 50 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 1, 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 6Lower-income47%Higher-income83%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income100%50 pp gap