The top reported proficiency rate is 32% in English language arts. The lowest is 0% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Community Health Academy of the Heights
Community Health Academy of the Heights is a public middle and high school serving grades 6 through 12 on West 158th Street in upper Manhattan. The school enrolls a small student body for its grade span, with nearly all students from the immediate neighborhood qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, and white students.
The school's testing results in English language arts and math show proficiency rates substantially below the midpoint for schools in New York County. In sixth-grade ELA, about a third of tested students met proficiency; seventh-grade ELA proficiency was lower, around a fifth. Eighth-grade ELA rose again to about a third proficient. Math proficiency across sixth and seventh grades each hovered around a third. The school did not have data available for eighth-grade math or science testing, which may reflect enrollment or administrative circumstances particular to the school. No high school state assessment data was provided, limiting the picture of student learning in grades 9 through 12. Test participation rates across available grades were strong, suggesting the assessments were broadly administered rather than optional. These results position the school below the median performance level among county districts.
The school's location in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood embeds it in the city's dense, walkable street fabric. The area around 158th Street is a mixed-use corridor with residential buildings, shops, restaurants, and services integrated vertically and horizontally. The neighborhood is served by the A and C subway lines, making transit access straightforward for families across upper Manhattan and beyond. Housing in the school's zip code is moderately valued compared to citywide benchmarks, though rents have risen notably in recent years. The neighborhood continues to see residential development and reinvestment as part of the broader growth throughout the city.
District 6, which includes this school, has experienced enrollment decline in its elementary and middle grades over recent years, driven by fewer resident families and the growth of charter schools. The district recently consolidated or re-sited several schools in response. At the same time, the district has adopted the citywide NYC Reads literacy curriculum mandate, which requires all elementary schools to use one of three phonics-based programs. The district also expanded one school, Bill Lynch, from K-5 to K-8 beginning in the 2024-25 school year to address demand for progressive middle-school options. These changes reflect a district in transition, with declining enrollment in lower grades but ongoing efforts to tailor school options for families who remain.
A parent considering this school may want to learn more directly from the school about the curriculum and instruction in the middle grades, the specific support available for students not yet meeting proficiency in core subjects, and the educational pathway available in the high school grades, since the state testing data does not extend to high school. The proficiency numbers suggest students in grades 6 through 8 face academic challenges, making the school's approach to reading intervention, math instruction, and student support worth discussing in detail.
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