Jhs 88 Peter Rouget, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Jhs 88 Peter Rouget

JHS 88 Peter Rouget is a regular public middle school in Park Slope, Brooklyn, serving grades six through eight. The school enrolls a student body that is majority low-income, with a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Enrollment is distributed across a small to mid-sized cohort within the typical range for a middle school of its type in New York City's public system.

Demographically, the school's enrollment reflects Brooklyn's diversity. The student population is majority Hispanic, with significant representation of Black, Asian, and white students, as well as smaller groups. The school serves students with a range of needs, though specific counts for special education enrollment and English learners were not available in the data provided.

In terms of academic performance, the picture is mixed. The school has reported proficiency data for grades six, seven, and eight across English language arts and mathematics. In English language arts, sixth graders achieved proficiency at a rate approaching two-thirds, seventh graders at a similar or slightly lower rate, and eighth graders at roughly the same level. Mathematics performance is notably lower, particularly in sixth grade where proficiency is near one-half, improving to a higher rate by seventh grade. Science testing data shows very limited participation, so those results cannot be assessed. Overall, when averaged across the subjects and grades with reported data, the school's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile when compared to other middle schools in Kings County. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, including what supports are available and what academic trajectory the school sees for students as they move toward high school.

The school sits within New York City Geographic District #15, which covers Park Slope, Carroll Gardens, Sunset Park, and other neighborhoods in central Brooklyn. In 2019 District 15 eliminated academic screening for middle school admission, moving to a lottery system that reserves seats for low-income students, English learners, and those in temporary housing. This means families cannot gain access to JHS 88 or its peers based on test scores or grades; admission is by preference lottery with those priorities built in. The district's middle schools subsequently showed modest gains in state test performance and reduced segregation. For those considering the area, the district is also currently revisiting its elementary school zoning and may shift to lottery-based admission there as well, so the admissions landscape remains in flux.

The Park Slope and Sunset Park neighborhoods where this school is located are densely developed residential and commercial areas within Brooklyn's grid. Housing values in the 11215 zip code, where the school sits, are quite high and continue to rise steadily. The neighborhood is highly walkable with active street life, frequent transit options, and access to Prospect Park. Downtown Brooklyn and the wider borough have seen substantial new residential development in recent years, particularly in Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg, though growth is unevenly distributed across neighborhoods.

The school does not serve grades nine through twelve, so no graduation rate is applicable. State testing participation rates for some grades fell below acceptable thresholds, particularly in eighth grade, which warrants clarification with the school about what accounts for the low participation and how it reflects the student population at that grade level.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

3 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
Math	221	62.0%
Science	221	65.0%
Social Studies	202	72.0%

Math

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 68% · ▼ 68 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 58 pts below county median

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 56% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 63% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 69% · ▼ 69 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 62 pts below county median

Grade 663%

School 63% · District 61% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 63% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 863%

School 63% · District 64% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 58% · ▼ 57 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #15, 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 6Lower-income45%Higher-income87%41 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income84%38 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income46%Higher-income90%44 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income28%Higher-income76%49 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income44%Higher-income80%36 pp gap