Ps 89, New York NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 89

PS 89 is a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in lower Manhattan, near Battery Park City. The school enrolls a small population balanced across its grades, with the highest enrollment in kindergarten and declining cohorts in the upper elementary years.

The school's academic performance stands out. State testing data from the most recent year show proficiency rates well above what is typical. In English language arts, third and fourth graders achieved proficiency rates in the high range, with fifth grade slightly lower. Math results are similarly strong across all tested grades. Science proficiency at fifth grade, the only grade tested, sits in the low-to-mid range, a relative soft spot compared to literacy and numeracy. Social studies data are from an earlier year and less current. Overall, the school's proficiency across tested subjects places it in the top quartile among districts in New York County.

The school serves a racially and ethnically mixed student body. White students make up roughly half the enrollment; Asian students represent a meaningful share; multiracial and Hispanic students each represent a substantial portion; and Black students are few. Fewer than a small minority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic disadvantage. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available.

PS 89 sits in lower Manhattan, an area that is walkable and dense with mixed-use development: residential units integrated vertically with ground-floor retail, restaurants, and offices. The neighborhood is served by extensive public transit. Housing values in the 10282 zip code are very high, reflecting Manhattan's real estate market, and rents are correspondingly elevated. This is an affluent community; families considering this school should expect a neighborhood and peer population reflective of that context.

The school is part of New York City Geographic District 2, which covers lower Manhattan and serves the neighborhoods around it. District 2 has recently undergone a significant change in how Gifted and Talented admissions work: the standardized entrance exam has been replaced by teacher nominations and a lottery system for kindergarten entry, while older-grade admission is now open to all students scoring at proficient levels or above, making placement more competitive and luck-dependent. Families interested in early elementary enrollment at PS 89 should be aware of this shift and its ongoing uncertainty, as the incoming mayoral administration has signaled potential further changes to kindergarten gifted programming.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 395%

School 95% · District 81% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 495%

School 95% · District 79% · ▲ 16 pts above district

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

Grade 592%

School 92% · District 78% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 3100%

School 100% · District 80% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 498%

School 98% · District 78% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 592%

School 92% · District 81% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 67% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 596%

School 96% · district not reported

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 2, 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.