The top reported proficiency rate is 84% in Social studies. The lowest is 44% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 163 Alfred E Smith
PS 163 Alfred E. Smith is a small public elementary school on the Upper West Side serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school sits within a dense, mixed-use neighborhood where residential and commercial buildings share blocks, pedestrian life is continuous, and the subway is how families navigate the city. The immediate zone is part of New York County and falls under NYC Geographic District 3, a Manhattan district that has been working through significant middle-school admissions changes and, more recently, controversy over school closures that affected planning for many families.
The student body reflects the neighborhood's demographic makeup, with a large majority of students identifying as Hispanic, a substantial share as white, and smaller numbers of Black and Asian students. About two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that while the Upper West Side is known for affluence, the school draws many families with lower household incomes. No data on students with disabilities or English learners was available. The school's enrollment sits in the ballpark of five hundred students across all grades, with the biggest classes in grades three through five.
On state math and English language arts assessments given in the most recent school year, proficiency rates fell in the mid-range for the school's grades. In math, results were fairly consistent across grades three, four, and five, with around half to just under three-fifths of students meeting state standards. In English language arts, third-grade performance lagged at just over two-fifths proficient, while grades four and five performed stronger, with about three-fifths and nearly two-thirds of students proficient respectively. A small science assessment in grade five showed less than half the students meeting proficiency. Participation rates were strong across the board, typically in the low-to-mid nineties, suggesting that absences and opt-outs were not driving the results. When placed against the universe of districts within New York County, PS 163's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint, meaning the school performs comparably to or better than a typical district in its county peer set.
No trend data showing growth or decline over time was available. The school's most recent four-year graduation rate and chronic absenteeism rate were not reported, as these metrics apply to middle and high schools, not elementary schools. Data on special education enrollment and English learner enrollment were also not provided.
The school does not carry Title I status, which typically indicates that the percentage of students from low-income families falls below the federal threshold, though roughly two-thirds of students here do qualify for free or reduced lunch. This apparent gap may reflect how Title I eligibility thresholds operate or changes in federal policy. The school is neither a charter nor a magnet school; it is a regular public school assigned by residence.
Housing in the school's zip code is expensive relative to state and national benchmarks, with median home values substantially above both. Monthly rents have been rising and likewise exceed state averages. The Upper West Side as a neighborhood remains one of the city's most expensive residential areas, though the school draws many lower-income families, suggesting that some households in the zone live in older, rent-stabilized apartments or other affordable units, while others are newer arrivals or higher-income households. The broader economic context shows solid employment levels, persistent high rents, and a city in a sustained housing-growth phase, particularly in outer boroughs and along formerly industrial waterfront corridors, though most of Manhattan's new construction is office or mixed-use conversion work rather than net new housing.
For families considering this school, the core question is fit within the neighborhood context: a walkable, transit-rich, mixed-income area where elementary schools sit embedded in block faces rather than on campuses, and where middle school entry has shifted to lottery-based admissions following the removal of academic screens. Performance data shows the school is holding steady relative to its district peers, with math and early English language arts achievement below proficiency targets for some grades and stronger results in upper-grade reading and lower-grade math. A parent may want to look further with the school into what academic supports or curriculum choices shape these results, especially in early elementary writing and in science.
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