Family School (the), Bronx NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Family School (the)

The Family School is a small pre-kindergarten through fifth grade public school in the Bronx, located at 1116 Sheridan Avenue in the 10456 zip code. It serves an elementary population in a neighborhood where the school functions as a neighborhood anchor in a dense, mixed-use borough.

The school's student body is predominantly low-income and Hispanic, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is small, and the racial and ethnic composition reflects the immediate South Bronx community: most students are Hispanic, with a meaningful share who are Black, and small numbers of Asian, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, and white students.

On state assessments in mathematics, the school shows a pattern worth noting. Third and fourth graders perform at rates that fall solidly into the range where most students are meeting proficiency, driven partly by gains in math where the school's overall proficiency index sits above the median among Bronx County districts. Fifth graders show a steeper drop in both math and English language arts, with math proficiency notably lower than in the grades below. This pattern, where upper elementary performance softens, is one a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand whether it reflects curriculum transitions, teaching changes, or other factors. Science proficiency in fifth grade is also below half, and ELA proficiency across grades three through five hovers in the range where roughly three in five students meet the standard, suggesting reading is an area where the school may benefit from additional support.

The school is subject to two district-wide curriculum mandates that shape instruction. Under NYC Reads, all elementary schools in District 9 now teach reading using one of three city-approved phonics-based curriculums, ending the prior practice where each school chose its approach. This is a lasting structural change to early literacy instruction that families with young children will experience.

District 9, the geographic district that oversees The Family School, has experienced significant enrollment decline over recent years, though enrollment has stabilized in the most recent period. This context matters: consolidations and program shifts sometimes follow sustained enrollment drops, and families may want to track the district's trajectory as it manages capacity.

The immediate neighborhood sits in a section of the South Bronx experiencing active growth and development. The Bronx as a whole is in a strong housing development phase, with substantial new affordable housing projects anchored by major transit, health care, and civic institutions. The median home value in the 10456 zip code is moderate relative to New York State and national benchmarks, and rents are within a similar relative range, reflecting the economic fabric of the area. Walkability is high; White Plains Road and other commercial corridors are dense with groceries, bakeries, and street-level retail. Parks including Bronx Park, Van Cortlandt Park, and Crotona Park provide green space, and transit options include multiple subway lines and bus service.

For families in this neighborhood, The Family School offers a small, community-embedded setting where state assessments show solid third and fourth grade performance in math but where reading proficiency and fifth grade attainment warrant conversation with the school leadership. The school's highly economically disadvantaged student population is typical of the immediate area, and instruction is now bound by the city's reading and math curriculum mandates that took effect in this district.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 49% · ▲ 26 pts above district

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

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 38% · ▲ 34 pts above district

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

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 36% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 38% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 459%

School 59% · District 37% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 41% · ▲ 17 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 23% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT # 9, 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 4Lower-income56%Higher-income80%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income71%Higher-income80%9 pp gap