Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School (casa), Bronx NY

Original Research by School Decision on Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School (casa)

Cornerstone Academy for Social Action Middle School (CASA) is a small public middle school in the Bronx serving grades six through eight. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhoods it serves.

The school's academic performance, based on the most recent state assessments, shows low proficiency rates across tested subjects. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from around one in five students in grade seven to nearly half of eighth graders meeting state standards. Mathematics proficiency is considerably lower: roughly one in five sixth and seventh graders score at proficient or above, while no eighth-grade students participated in math testing this year. Science testing data is similarly sparse, with no eighth-grade participation recorded. A parent may want to look into these assessment patterns directly with the school to understand what they reflect about instruction, student progression, and support systems in place.

The school's enrollment is small, with roughly equal numbers of students across the three grades, though sixth grade has notably fewer students than seventh. This smaller size can afford closer relationships between staff and students, though it also means fewer course sections and less breadth in some program areas than larger schools would offer.

CASA sits within New York City Geographic District 11 and is subject to citywide curriculum mandates that took effect or will soon take effect. All middle schools in the district must adopt city-approved math curriculums by the fall of 2027. Additionally, the district now requires all schools to use city-approved reading intervention programs to support students reading below grade level, a change the city framed as particularly beneficial for students with disabilities such as dyslexia. These mandates shape the instructional environment families would encounter.

The Bronx itself is experiencing significant residential growth and development, particularly in affordable housing. The neighborhood has a dense public transit network, including subway and bus service, with major institutional anchors such as the Bronx Zoo, New York Botanical Garden, and substantial parkland. The borough's economy centers on health care and human services, with Montefiore Medical Center as the largest employer.

When compared against other districts in Bronx County, CASA's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile, indicating that state assessment results trail most other district-level performance in the county. The school does not report a graduation rate, which is expected since it serves only middle grades, nor is data available on chronic absenteeism. A parent or guardian considering this school would want to explore directly with administrators what academic supports, enrichment offerings, and transition planning exist for students, and how the school addresses the academic gaps evident in state testing results.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 courses reported · 2024-25

End-of-course exams required for a New York Regents diploma. Each row shows the cohort size and the share of students scoring at the proficient level or higher.

Course	Students tested	% proficient
Science	54	26.0%
Math	51	33.0%

Math

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 40% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 723%

School 23% · District 51% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 45% · ▼ 45 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 624%

School 24% · District 44% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 719%

School 19% · District 47% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 52% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 36% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below 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 8Lower-income44%Higher-income60%16 pp gap