Kipp Star College Prep Charter School, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Kipp Star College Prep Charter School

KIPP STAR operates as a K through 8 charter school serving Harlem with a consolidated K-8 structure that is relatively recent. The school now houses both its elementary program (Grades K through 4) and its middle program (Grades 5 through 8) on a single West 133rd Street campus after relocating its middle school there in early 2025 from a shared, overcrowded building on West 123rd Street. This consolidation gives families a continuous pathway from kindergarten through eighth grade without transition. Every KIPP STAR student also receives a guaranteed seat at KIPP NYC College Prep high school, extending the enrollment security into secondary grades.

The school enrolls a student population that is predominantly low-income, with a substantial share of families qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. By race and ethnicity, the enrollment is more than half Black and a large share Hispanic, with small representation of Asian, white, and multiracial students. Kindergarten is small, and the school grows into its largest grade bands in the middle years.

State testing results show a split profile. In the lower elementary grades (third and fourth), math and English language arts proficiency is very strong. By fifth grade, proficiency drops significantly in math and more moderately in language arts, a shift that holds and in some cases widens through grades six, seven, and eight. Eighth-grade English language arts proficiency climbs back toward the high range, and science proficiency at eighth grade reaches the mid-range. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among school entities in New York County, a position that reflects strength in the early grades offsetting the softer middle-years performance. A parent may want to ask the school directly about the curriculum transition between fourth and fifth grade and what instructional supports are in place as students encounter more complex material.

The school sits in Manhattan's Upper West Harlem neighborhood, within a dense, walkable urban environment with extensive public transit access. Housing values in the neighborhood are substantially above the state benchmark, reflecting the broader Manhattan real estate market. This location places students in a neighborhood with significant civic activity, but families should understand that the school building itself is located on a residential block, not on a campus with dedicated outdoor play space beyond what fits the urban footprint.

KIPP STAR's charter status means it operates independently of the traditional public school system and has its own enrollment lottery. Families interested in the school should confirm current enrollment procedures and capacity with the school directly.

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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	95	74.0%

Math

Grade 398%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 496%

School 96% · district not reported

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

Grade 552%

School 52% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 661%

School 61% · district not reported

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 787%

School 87% · district not reported

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 394%

School 94% · district not reported

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

Grade 486%

School 86% · district not reported

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · district not reported

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 652%

School 52% · district not reported

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 769%

School 69% · district not reported

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · district not reported

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Science

Grade 551%

School 51% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 58 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 556%

School 56% · district not reported

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

Grade 892%

School 92% · district not reported

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

This schoolDistrict average, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income93%Higher-income100%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income87%Higher-income83%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income68%Higher-income80%12 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income90%44 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income68%Higher-income75%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income88%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income98%Higher-income100%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income95%Higher-income100%5 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income51%Higher-income60%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income57%Higher-income90%34 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income85%Higher-income94%9 pp gap