The top reported proficiency rate is 42% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Frederick Douglass Academy
Frederick Douglass Academy is a six-to-twelve public school serving a substantial student body in upper Manhattan. Most of its students come from low-income households, and the school is predominantly Black and Hispanic. Reading ability is a strength relative to math, particularly in seventh grade where proficiency on state tests is notably higher. Math proficiency in sixth grade is quite low, and math testing data is not available for eighth grade, which a parent may want to look into further with the school.
The school sits in dense, walkable Manhattan with integrated ground-floor retail and residential buildings stacked above. The city's transit network shapes daily life and access. Housing values in the local zip code are above the state average, and rents have grown in the past year. The broader neighborhood continues a sustained housing growth phase driven by citywide zoning reforms and available land, though permit activity has dipped.
Frederick Douglass Academy operates within New York City Geographic District 5, which is in the midst of major curriculum changes. All schools in the district now teach reading using one of three science-of-reading, phonics-based curricula—Into Reading, Wit & Wisdom, or EL Education. Middle schools in the district are being phased into city-approved math programs on a schedule running through fall 2027. These shifts replace the old school-by-school approach and standardize instruction across the district.
District 5 also operates under revised secondary admissions rules. Middle schools can now screen applicants at superintendent discretion (a practice paused during the pandemic), families may apply to middle schools across the entire city while keeping in-district priority, and high school applicants are no longer capped at twelve choices. These changes widen access to seats citywide and alter the competitive landscape for District 5 families.
State testing data is available for grades six through eight in reading and math, and for eighth-grade science. The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile among county districts. Specific results show grade six reading at roughly a third of students proficient, grade seven reading substantially higher at around three-fifths, and grade eight reading back down to around a third. In math, sixth-grade proficiency is very low at about an eighth of students, seventh-grade proficiency climbs to about two-fifths, and eighth-grade math testing data was not submitted. Eighth-grade science testing data was also not submitted. A parent evaluating this school may want to ask directly about the eighth-grade math and science gaps, whether those grades are tested at this school, and what the assessment picture looks like for high school grades.
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