Ps 106 Edward Everett Hale, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 106 Edward Everett Hale

PS 106 Edward Everett Hale is a public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, in New York City Geographic District 32. The school enrolls a small student body concentrated in the early primary grades, with the student population being predominantly Hispanic and nearly all economically disadvantaged; a substantial majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

State assessments from the most recent school year show proficiency rates well below the state benchmark across tested grades and subjects. In mathematics, fewer than one-third of third graders met proficiency standards, with rates declining to about one-quarter in fourth grade and lower still in fifth. English language arts results are similarly low, ranging from the low twenties to low thirties across grades three through five. In fifth-grade science, about one-quarter of students met proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other elementary schools in Kings County. These are the core facts a parent needs to know: the school's students are struggling academically by state measures, and the gap between this school's results and typical performance elsewhere is substantial.

District 32 underwent a significant curriculum shift in the 2023-24 school year as part of NYC Reads, the city's mandate requiring standardized reading instruction across all elementary schools in the phase. The district adopted Into Reading, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, ending the prior practice of individual schools selecting their own materials. This change aimed to align elementary literacy instruction with the science of reading, though some Brooklyn parents and teachers have raised concerns that this particular program lacks emphasis on critical thinking and cultural responsiveness. For families at PS 106, this mandated curriculum is now the framework through which early reading is taught.

The school sits in Williamsburg, a Brooklyn neighborhood that has been undergoing significant residential growth and development. New construction has brought mixed-income housing alongside longtime residents, reshaping the area's character. The neighborhood is highly walkable with dense transit access via subway lines serving the area. Housing values in the local zip code are substantially above the state average, though the rental market has shown more modest year-over-year movement.

A parent considering PS 106 should factor in the low state proficiency results alongside the school's context: a predominantly Hispanic, economically disadvantaged student body in a neighborhood that is itself in transition. The curriculum standardization through NYC Reads means the school's reading instruction is now dictated by the district rather than chosen locally. If you are evaluating this school for your child, a parent may want to look into further with the school the specific support systems in place for students below proficiency, the school's approach to supplemental instruction, and how families have experienced the literacy program transition.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 50% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 40% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 525%

School 25% · District 40% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 40% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 35% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 45% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Science

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 564%

School 64% · district not reported

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #32, 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-income30%Higher-income60%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income23%Higher-income40%17 pp gap