Middle School for Art and Philosphy, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Middle School for Art and Philosphy

Middle School for Art and Philosophy is a small public middle school serving about a mid-sized cohort across grades six through eight in Brooklyn's Flatbush neighborhood. The enrollment sits at a modest scale, with uneven distribution across grades, and nearly all students come from low-income households, qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic profile shows mixed results. In math, proficiency ranges from lower in sixth grade to stronger in seventh, then softens again in eighth. In English language arts, performance is consistently below the school's math results, with sixth and eighth grades showing particular weakness. The school assessed only a very small number of students in science in the most recent year, so no proficiency rate is available for that subject. A science result from an earlier school year exists but is historical and likely not reflective of current instruction. Participation rates in both math and ELA testing are solid across grades, suggesting the school is testing students at good scale.

Compared to other middle schools within Kings County, this school's overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint. The index averages the proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades, so it captures the full picture: the school has strength in grade seven math but carries down much weaker performance in sixth- and eighth-grade ELA that pulls the overall result lower.

The school's name and framing suggest an arts and philosophy focus, but no program details are present in the data provided. A parent may want to contact the school directly to understand how its curricular identity shapes instruction in core subjects and what electives or specialized offerings exist. The school is also affected by NYC's systemwide curriculum mandates: all New York City middle schools will be required to use city-approved reading and math curriculums by fall 2027, which will reshape how both subjects are taught here regardless of prior practice.

Brooklyn itself is a dense, highly walkable borough with strong transit access and active street life, anchored by major civic institutions like Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library. Housing values in the school's zip code are above both the New York State benchmark and the national benchmark, and rents are also elevated, reflecting Brooklyn's broader real-estate demand and the ongoing wave of residential development and rezoning across neighborhoods including Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg.

Student demographics at the school are predominantly Black, with smaller populations of Hispanic, white, and other students. Nearly all students are economically disadvantaged. Enrollment data on English learners and students with disabilities is not available, so a parent may want to ask the school about those populations and what support services are in place.

This is a school with real academic gaps that warrant conversation and close attention, particularly in reading. The school's arts and philosophy mission may appeal to families drawn to a specialized theme, but prospective families should understand the test results and ask what academic supports exist for students working below proficiency.

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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	40	15.0%
Math	19	21.0%

Math

Grade 640%

School 40% · District 45% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 770%

School 70% · District 55% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 55% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 49% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 56% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · District 54% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 843%

School 43% · district not reported

▼ 36 pts below state median · even with 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 7Lower-income60%Higher-income17%43 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income32%Higher-income43%11 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income70%Higher-income67%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income44%Higher-income86%41 pp gap