James Weldon Johnson School, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on James Weldon Johnson School

James Weldon Johnson School serves pre-K through eighth grade in East Harlem, on East 115th Street. The school enrolls a small student body, with about three-quarters of students in the upper grades (sixth through eighth) and the remainder spread across the early grades. A very substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller populations of Black students and very small numbers of Asian, white, and multiracial students.

State testing data from the most recent year show consistently low proficiency across all grades and subjects. In math, proficiency ranges from around one-quarter to just over half across grades three through eight, with the strongest showing in third grade but dropping substantially in fourth. English language arts proficiency is similarly low, ranging from about one-third to just under half. Science testing (offered in grades five and eight) shows proficiency around one-third to two-fifths. These patterns hold across the school with little variation from grade to grade. Student participation in testing is high, generally in the low-to-mid nineties, suggesting the results reflect actual performance rather than non-participation.

Compared to other districts in New York County, James Weldon Johnson's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, meaning performance trails most other county schools substantially. A parent may want to look into further with the school what specific instructional supports, remediation, or intervention programs are in place, particularly given the sustained low proficiency across grade bands.

The school is part of New York City Geographic District 4, which covers East Harlem. Beginning in 2024-25, all District 4 elementary schools (including the K-2 grades at James Weldon Johnson) adopted one of three city-approved phonics-based reading curricula as part of the NYC Reads mandate, moving away from the prior balanced literacy approach. This citywide shift represents a substantial change in how early readers are taught. For the middle school grades (six through eight), a standardized math curriculum will take effect during the 2026-27 school year as part of NYC Solves, meaning the school will move from its own math materials to a uniform problem-based approach adopted across the city.

The neighborhood context is central to understanding the school's environment. East Harlem is densely populated, mixed-use, and highly walkable, with heavy pedestrian and street-level activity. The nearby subway system is essential infrastructure for residents; the area lacks the car-centric infrastructure of suburban districts. Housing in the zip code where the school is located is substantially above the state median home value but rents have risen considerably in the past year. The neighborhood is anchored by finance, technology, and services employment in downtown Manhattan, within reasonable transit reach.

No data on graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, special education enrollment, or English learner enrollment were available, as those metrics either do not apply to the school's grade band (eight grade) or were not reported in the available data. Program offerings, staffing levels, and detailed school-level discipline data were similarly absent from the records provided, so a parent interested in those specifics should contact the school directly.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 46% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 422%

School 22% · District 49% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 44% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 45% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 45% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 38% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 44% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 433%

School 33% · District 52% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 52% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 46% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 735%

School 35% · District 50% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 842%

School 42% · District 48% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 37% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 30% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 586%

School 86% · district not reported

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

Grade 878%

School 78% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 4, 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.