Ps 56 Norwood Heights, Bronx NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 56 Norwood Heights

PS 56 Norwood Heights is a kindergarten through fifth-grade elementary school in the Bronx, enrolling about that size with a highly economically disadvantaged student body. The vast majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school serves a predominantly Hispanic enrollment alongside substantial populations of Asian, Black, and white students.

The school's recent state test results show proficiency rates that fall below the midpoint among Bronx County's school districts. In math, third-grade proficiency is in the low to mid range, while proficiency dips noticeably in the upper elementary grades, with fifth-grade performance also lower. English language arts proficiency tracks similarly across grades three through five, with rates around the low to mid range. Science proficiency in fifth grade is the lowest subject area. A science test result from more than a decade ago is in the record but is not comparable to current assessments. The school's overall proficiency index across tested subjects places it in the top quartile among Bronx County districts, though this reflects the calculation method rather than strong absolute performance; viewed alongside the grade-level detail, PS 56's results indicate students are progressing but more than half of tested students in most grades are not yet meeting proficiency. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand what supports exist for students working below grade level and what specific literacy and math interventions the school offers.

The school is located in Norwood, a northern Bronx neighborhood anchored by the Montefiore Einstein medical complex. The broader Bronx area is experiencing substantial growth in affordable housing, with major developments underway across multiple neighborhoods and new transit infrastructure on the horizon. The neighborhood itself is relatively stable, with mixed single- and multi-family housing and access to parkland and subway service.

District 10, the school's parent district, has implemented the city's NYC Reads literacy mandate, meaning PS 56 is now required to use one of three approved phonics-based curriculums for reading instruction. This replaced a prior patchwork of school-chosen approaches and represents a substantial shift in how early literacy is taught across all elementary classrooms. The district is also navigating declining overall enrollment and has excess seat capacity, which has prompted the city to remove district boundary requirements for middle school applications, giving families wider choice as their children advance.

Enrollment data did not include information about the share of students receiving special education services or speaking English as a learner, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about its programs in those areas. State test participation rates are strong across subjects, indicating consistent assessment administration.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 46% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 45% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 41% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 43% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 444%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 47% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 31% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 583%

School 83% · district not reported

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #10, 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-income38%Higher-income67%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income64%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income89%48 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income52%Higher-income78%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income39%Higher-income57%18 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income60%20 pp gap