Ps 262 El Hajj Malik El Shabazz Elementary School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 262 El Hajj Malik El Shabazz Elementary School

PS 262 El Hajj Malik El Shabazz Elementary School is a small public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighborhood. The school enrolls a compact population of students, the majority of whom qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhood. The student body is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Hispanic, white, Asian, and multiracial students.

In math, the school shows a grade-dependent pattern. Third graders reach strong proficiency, while fourth graders meet a solid threshold. Fifth graders, however, fall meaningfully below the earlier grades, with fewer than two in five reaching proficiency. In English Language Arts, results track similarly: third and fourth graders perform well, but fifth-grade proficiency drops noticeably. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably weak; state testing data shows very few students meeting the standard. The school participated in social studies assessment in 2009-10 but state testing in that subject is no longer reported at the elementary level.

A parent may want to look into the dip in performance from grade four to grade five, and particularly the very low science results. These patterns could reflect specific staffing, curriculum alignment, or testing factors that the school can explain. The data show most students are tested, so participation is not the issue. Conversely, the school's consistent strength in grades three and four, especially in math, suggests capable instruction in the earlier grades.

The school adopted the Into Reading literacy program as part of the city's mandated curriculum change, which began in the school's district in 2023-24. Reading instruction is now standardized across the city's elementary schools. District 16 is also phasing in state-mandated class size reductions, with early priority going to high-poverty schools like this one; families can expect smaller classes as these reductions take hold.

Prospect Heights is densely walkable and well-served by subway transit. Housing values in the surrounding zip code are moderate to high for Brooklyn and have appreciated steadily. The neighborhood is part of the broader Brooklyn growth trajectory, with new residential development continuing across the borough. Schools in the school's building and neighborhood serve as anchors within the dense urban fabric rather than as isolated campuses.

Among schools in Kings County that report state proficiency data, PS 262 sits in the top quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. This positioning rests on the strength of grades three and four; the drop in grades five outcomes pulls the overall average down. The school is small enough that individual classroom or cohort differences can move results year to year.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 393%

School 93% · District 68% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 482%

School 82% · District 60% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 44% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 392%

School 92% · District 67% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 477%

School 77% · District 63% · ▲ 14 pts above district

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

Grade 569%

School 69% · District 54% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 34% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 577%

School 77% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #16, 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.