Ps 76 a Phillip Randolph, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 76 a Phillip Randolph

PS 76 A Phillip Randolph serves grades pre-K through eighth on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, in a neighborhood that is densely built, heavily walked, and layered with mixed-use buildings—ground-floor retail and residential and office space above. The school sits in an urban environment where public transit, libraries, parks, and pedestrian street life shape daily life. New York City's economy is anchored by finance, professional services, and technology, with major employers like Google, Meta, Amazon, and JPMorgan Chase adding roles across the city; growth and housing production have been sustained in recent years, and the median household income is substantial.

The school's enrollment is small for its grade band, with students distributed across ten grades from pre-K through eighth. The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic share, a small white population, and very few students identifying as Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, or two or more races. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic hardship in the school's catchment area.

State testing data from the most recent year shows proficiency rates that are consistently below what one would typically see across New York state and city. In math, proficiency across the elementary and middle grades ranges from low to moderate. In English language arts, results are similarly mixed: third and fifth grade perform somewhat better, but fourth, sixth, and seventh grades show proficiency well below half of students meeting the standard. Eighth grade in ELA is an outlier, with a majority of students meeting proficiency, though the ninth-grade cohort data (suppressed due to very small numbers) is not available. In science, tested grades show proficiency around one-third to mid-40s. The participation rate in testing has generally been strong, though sixth and seventh grade show lower engagement and eighth-grade mathematics participation was extremely sparse, making that result unreliable.

Relative to the districts in New York County, this school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about what supports are available for students reading and computing below grade level, what interventions are in place, and how the school measures progress across the year beyond state tests.

Civil-rights information such as suspension and expulsion rates, gender breakdowns, English learner identification, or special education enrollment counts were not available in the data, so there is limited visibility into discipline patterns, language support, or special populations. State graduation rate data do not apply to a school with eighth grade as its highest level.

District 3, which covers the Upper West Side and encompasses PS 76, has recently undergone major structural changes. In 2023, the district moved to a lottery system for middle school admissions, removing academic screening and prioritizing seats for low-income and lower-performing students. The Department of Education proposed closing or relocating three schools in the district but withdrew those proposals in April 2026 after sustained community opposition. The Gifted and Talented admissions process citywide has also been reformed, shifting from a high-stakes test to a report-card-based lottery that has broadened the demographics of students entering accelerated programs. These changes affect how families navigate school choices and what academic pathways look like in the district.

The housing market in the zip code is expensive, with home values substantially above the state benchmark and median rents moving upward. A short-term rental presents a different calculus than purchase, but families weighing the Upper West Side will encounter both high rents and entry prices if considering a move to the neighborhood.

PS 76 is a small, neighborhood-embedded school with very high economic need among its families. The proficiency data suggest students are working well below grade level across most grades and subjects, a pattern that a family would want to understand in depth. The school sits within a district navigating significant structural change and is part of a vibrant, densely built urban neighborhood with strong public transit access and civic amenities. Whether this setting is the right fit depends on what supports and academic programming the school offers, how responsive the school is to individual student need, and whether a family's education goals align with what the school is equipped to provide.

See more original research from School Decision →

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	31	3.0%

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 73% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 413%

School 13% · District 71% · ▼ 58 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 65% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 631%

School 31% · District 61% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 712%

School 12% · District 70% · ▼ 58 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 71% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 70% · ▼ 51 pts below district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 73% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 66% · ▼ 45 pts below district

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

Grade 726%

School 26% · District 70% · ▼ 44 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 68% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 60% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 39% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 555%

School 55% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 3, 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.