Ps 219 Kennedy-king, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 219 Kennedy-king

PS 219 Kennedy-King is a small elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in the Clarkson Avenue area of Brooklyn. The school has a student body that is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic enrollment and very small populations of other racial and ethnic groups. A very large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting high economic need in the surrounding community.

The school's recent state test results show modest proficiency across the board. In math, third-grade students performed at the strongest level, though still below half the cohort reaching proficiency. Performance in fourth and fifth grade math slips below half proficiency. In English Language Arts, third graders again lead the school's results, while fourth and fifth graders show lower proficiency rates. Science proficiency in fifth grade is notably low. These results place the school's overall proficiency index below the midpoint when compared to other schools across Kings County. The school does submit to state testing at high rates, and testing participation is consistent across grades, which indicates stable engagement in assessment.

Brooklyn as a place offers dense, walkable neighborhoods with extensive transit access and active street life. The borough blends residential streets in areas like Prospect Heights and Crown Heights with bustling commercial corridors. Major employers include large healthcare systems and universities; Maimonides Medical Center and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University anchor job growth in the health sector. The Brooklyn Public Library, with branches throughout the borough, and Prospect Park serve as major civic anchors. Growth in housing has been strong, particularly in Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg, though the school's own immediate neighborhood is more established residential.

Citywide curriculum mandates now shape instruction at every elementary school in the district. NYC Reads, the literacy initiative, requires all elementary schools including PS 219 to adopt one of three city-approved reading curriculums aligned with the science of reading, replacing the prior system where principals chose their own programs. A separate phonics program is also mandated. This standardization means reading instruction follows a consistent blueprint across the district. Math instruction similarly falls under NYC Solves, a curriculum mandate requiring schools to use city-approved math programs. For a family considering this school, these mandates mean that literacy and numeracy instruction are now aligned district-wide rather than varying by principal preference.

A parent evaluating PS 219 may want to learn more directly from the school about how it is supporting students whose current proficiency rates fall short, what additional interventions or tutoring are available, and what the school's trajectory has been over time. The school's strength lies in stable testing participation and engagement; the area for attention is the modest proficiency outcomes, particularly in upper elementary grades and science, where additional support strategies would be worth understanding.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 363%

School 63% · District 74% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 436%

School 36% · District 58% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 547%

School 47% · District 61% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 64% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 430%

School 30% · District 54% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 60% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 33% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 579%

School 79% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #18, 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 5Lower-income33%Higher-income57%24 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income50%4 pp gap