The top reported proficiency rate is 50% in Math. The lowest is 24% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 70 Max Schoenfeld
PS 70 Max Schoenfeld sits on Weeks Avenue in the Morrisania-adjacent part of the central Bronx, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within New York City Geographic District 9. It is a mid-to-large elementary school by the standards of its grade band, and nearly every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places it among the most economically concentrated schools in the city. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with Black students making up most of the remainder. English learner and special education population data were not available in the data provided, which a parent would want to ask the school about directly.
State testing results from the New York State Testing Program are available for grades three through five in math, ELA, and fifth-grade science. The math picture is mixed. Third graders perform at a solid level, with a majority reaching proficiency, and fifth graders come in around the halfway mark. Fourth grade math drops noticeably below both of those, with fewer than half of students reaching the proficient threshold. ELA is a consistent concern across all three tested grades: proficiency rates in third, fourth, and fifth grade each land well below the halfway point, with third grade the weakest. Fifth-grade science results are similarly low, with roughly one in four students testing proficient. No multi-year trend data was available, so it is not possible from this data alone to say whether results are improving, holding, or declining. A parent would be reasonable to ask the school directly about trajectory.
Placed against other schools in Bronx County for which comparison data exists, PS 70's overall proficiency index sits just above the midpoint of that comparison set, which means it is performing near the middle of a group of Bronx schools, not near citywide or statewide averages. That context matters: the Bronx as a whole includes many high-need schools, so landing above that local midpoint is not the same as strong absolute performance.
Two district-level changes are worth knowing about. New York City's NYC Reads mandate requires all elementary schools in District 9, including PS 70, to use one of three phonics-based reading curricula, ending the era of school-by-school curriculum choice. The approach is grounded in what is broadly called the science of reading, and the mandate has been in place since the 2023-24 school year. Given that ELA proficiency at this school is low across the board, a parent would be right to ask the school how the new curriculum is being implemented and whether results have begun to move. A parallel math mandate, NYC Solves, standardizes math instruction at the middle school level in District 9, which will matter as current PS 70 students age into middle school. District 9 enrollment has declined over a longer period, though it stabilized more recently; families should be aware that declining enrollment in a district can affect school-level program decisions over time.
The neighborhood around Weeks Avenue is dense and walkable, typical of the central Bronx, with transit access via bus and nearby subway lines. The broader borough is in an active development phase, with a substantial volume of new affordable housing under construction or recently announced across multiple Bronx neighborhoods. Housing costs in the zip code are below the statewide median home value benchmark, though rents have not declined. The Bronx's major civic anchors, including Van Cortlandt Park, the Bronx Zoo, the New York Botanical Garden, and the borough's public library network, are all accessible by transit.
A graduation rate does not apply here because PS 70 serves only pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. There are no high school course offerings to evaluate, no AP or dual-enrollment pathways relevant to this school, and no attendance or chronic absenteeism figures available in the data provided.
For a family whose child is entering kindergarten or the early grades, PS 70 offers a stable, well-populated neighborhood elementary school with a clear curriculum framework now in place districtwide. The academic results, particularly in reading and science, are areas a parent should probe further with the school before enrolling.
See more original research from School Decision →