The top reported proficiency rate is 62% in Social studies. The lowest is 24% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 307 Daniel Hale Williams
PS 307 Daniel Hale Williams sits on York Street in the DUMBO-adjacent edge of Brooklyn, part of NYC Geographic District 13, and serves children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school is small for its grade band, with enrollment spread across seven year levels including a pre-K program. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Black and Hispanic, with smaller shares of white, multiracial, and Asian students.
State testing results are available for grades three through five in math, ELA, and science, measured on the New York State Testing Program. The picture they show is uneven and, in places, quite low. Third-grade math proficiency sits at a solid majority, which stands out as a clear bright spot. Fifth grade math and ELA come in at roughly a third of students reaching proficiency or above. Fourth grade is where the data are most concerning: both math and ELA show very low rates, with only a small handful of students reaching the proficiency threshold in each subject. Fifth-grade science results are also modest, with roughly a quarter of students meeting the standard. Social studies data is present only from a school year well over a decade ago and cannot be used to characterize current performance.
Taken across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Kings County, based on the available comparison data. That is a fact a parent should sit with and, if it raises questions, bring directly to the school, asking about reading intervention supports, tutoring, and how the school tracks growth over time.
Chronic absenteeism and graduation rate data are not applicable here: this is an elementary school with no high school grades, so the graduation metric does not exist for PS 307. Absenteeism data was not available in the provided information.
IEP and English learner rates were not reported in the data we have, so families with students who have special education needs or are developing English proficiency should inquire directly with the school about available services and staffing.
District 13 has made a structural shift worth knowing if your child will eventually move on to middle school. All middle schools in the district now admit students through a screen-free lottery, with a substantial share of seats reserved for students from low-income families and those in temporary housing. One school merger in the district created a new unzoned K-8 option in Fort Greene accessible by lottery. And Dr. Susan S. McKinney Secondary School of the Arts was publicly reported as restructuring to remove its middle-school grades starting in the 2024-25 school year, narrowing one arts-focused middle option for families in this part of Brooklyn.
The neighborhood context is deeply urban. DUMBO and the surrounding area near the Brooklyn waterfront are among the most transit-dense, walkable parts of the borough, with subway access to multiple lines and Atlantic Terminal within reasonable reach. The housing market in the zip code surrounding the school is among the most expensive in New York State, well above both the state and national medians, and rents have been climbing. New residential construction is actively reshaping Downtown Brooklyn and adjacent neighborhoods, which means the community around the school is in demographic and physical flux.
For a family weighing PS 307, the third-grade math result offers a real point of encouragement, but the wider pattern across grades and subjects points to a school where academic outcomes are currently well below the middle of the county's range. What the data cannot show is the quality of individual teachers, the school's culture, or the support a specific child might receive. Those are worth investigating firsthand.
See more original research from School Decision →