Ps 178 Dr Selman Waksman, Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 178 Dr Selman Waksman

PS 178 Dr Selman Waksman is a public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Baychester section of the Bronx, part of New York City Geographic District 11. The school sits in a neighborhood characterized by a mix of residential and commercial spaces; the Bronx overall ranges from dense urban corridors to quieter residential pockets, with the area around the school part of a borough that is generally walkable and served by subway and bus transit.

The enrollment is small, around the size typical for a neighborhood elementary school in the city, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller Asian, white, and multiracial populations represented. The school does not report rates for special education enrollment or English learner enrollment, so those figures are unavailable.

On state testing in math and English language arts, the school shows uneven performance across grades. In math, third and fourth graders reach proficiency at rates above half, while fifth graders drop to roughly half. English language arts proficiency dips more sharply in third grade to about half, climbs in fourth, then settles just below two-thirds in fifth. In science, fifth graders score below half. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the districts in Bronx County, which is a strength. However, a parent may want to look into further what additional support the school provides for students who are not yet proficient, and how the school approaches intervention for struggling readers, as the district has adopted standardized reading interventions starting in the 2025-26 school year.

All elementary schools in District 11 must now use one of three city-approved, phonics-based reading curriculums under the NYC Reads mandate, a significant change in literacy instruction that began this year. This standardization affects classroom practice and is worth understanding if reading instruction is a priority for your family.

State assessment data for social studies was last reported a number of years ago, so current performance in that subject is unknown. Kindergarten, prekindergarten, and first and second grades are not assessed under state testing, so no proficiency data exist for those grades.

The school is part of a Bronx that is experiencing substantial housing and economic development, with major new affordable housing projects underway and significant investment flowing into the borough. Transit infrastructure expansion is also planned, including new Metro-North stations coming to several Bronx neighborhoods. This growth is relevant context for families considering where to live and which school to choose, as the neighborhood and the borough are actively changing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 366%

School 66% · District 57% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 54% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 49% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 349%

School 49% · District 50% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 463%

School 63% · District 50% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 55% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 541%

School 41% · District 34% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 595%

School 95% · district not reported

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #11, 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-income45%Higher-income64%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income58%Higher-income73%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income71%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income64%Higher-income73%9 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income63%Higher-income91%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income49%Higher-income75%26 pp gap