Ps 128 Audubon, New York NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 128 Audubon

PS 128 Audubon is a small public elementary school in Washington Heights in Manhattan, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade. Its enrollment is small, with roughly the size typical for that grade span in New York City. The school sits in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood woven into the block structure of the city rather than on a separate campus. Washington Heights itself is a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood with strong Dominican and other immigrant communities, and the school's enrollment reflects that composition nearly completely.

The school serves a community with substantial economic need. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is typical for many NYC elementary schools in lower-income neighborhoods. The student body is almost entirely Hispanic, with very small numbers of other racial or ethnic groups represented.

On state testing, PS 128 shows performance in the lower-to-middle range. In English language arts, the school's results vary across grades: third grade is notably lower, while fourth grade reaches closer to the middle range and fifth grade drops back down. In math, results are similarly mixed and modest, with third grade showing particularly weak results and fifth grade slightly higher. Science performance at fifth grade is in the lower range. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects and grades is below the midpoint relative to other schools serving students in New York County. A parent may want to look further into the school's literacy and math initiatives, especially given the recent district-wide shift to mandated phonics-based reading programs starting in 2024-25, which changed how elementary reading is taught across all NYC schools.

The school is part of NYC Geographic District 6, which covers parts of northern Manhattan including Washington Heights, Inwood, and adjacent areas. The district has experienced enrollment decline over the past several years due to fewer resident families and growing charter-school enrollment, which has led to school consolidations and building re-sitings. At the same time, the district has added a K-8 pathway at Bill Lynch to provide a middle-school option that allows students to stay within the same school community. The mandated reading-curriculum change to phonics-based instruction is now in place across all district elementary schools.

Housing in the 10032 ZIP code area is relatively affordable compared to much of Manhattan, though prices and rents have risen modestly. The neighborhood is highly walkable with excellent public transit access, and the area's character combines residential and mixed-use blocks with ground-floor retail and residential units above, typical of Washington Heights. Major employment in the broader city economy spans finance, professional services, technology, hospitality, and facility services, though the neighborhood itself is primarily residential with local retail and services.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 443%

School 43% · District 53% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 544%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 345%

School 45% · District 47% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 48% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 545%

School 45% · District 54% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 41% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 568%

School 68% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 6, 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-income39%Higher-income100%61 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income51%Higher-income75%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income30%Higher-income100%70 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income38%Higher-income75%37 pp gap