Ps 377 Alejandrina B De Gautier, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 377 Alejandrina B De Gautier

PS 377 Alejandrina B De Gautier is a small pre-kindergarten through fifth-grade school in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, serving a predominantly Hispanic student population in one of the city's densest and most dynamic residential areas. The school enrolls a small student body, with roughly equivalent numbers across most grade levels. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the neighborhood.

The school's academic performance shows a pattern of strength in upper elementary English language arts and considerable struggle in mathematics across all tested grades. In fourth and fifth grade English, students reached proficiency at modest but meaningful rates; third grade English proficiency was much lower. Mathematics proficiency collapsed across all three tested grades, with single-digit percentages of students reaching proficiency in third, fourth, and fifth grade. Fifth grade science proficiency was similarly very low. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile compared to other schools in Kings County. These results suggest that students are building some reading skills as they move through upper elementary but face serious challenges in mathematics and science. A parent considering this school should look into what interventions or supports are in place for math instruction and whether the school can articulate a plan to improve performance in that area.

The school participates in NYC Reads, the city's mandated literacy reform launched in the 2023-24 school year. This means third, fourth, and fifth grade reading instruction uses the district's assigned "Into Reading" curriculum from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. While this standardizes reading instruction around evidence-based practices, some Brooklyn parents and educators have raised concerns about the program's depth in critical thinking and cultural responsiveness, so families may want to examine the school's implementation and balance.

Williamsburg and surrounding areas of north Brooklyn have experienced rapid residential growth and gentrification over the past decade, with new construction transforming waterfronts and former industrial zones into mixed-use neighborhoods. Housing values in the area have risen significantly. The neighborhood is highly walkable with dense transit access, proximity to restaurants, shops, and cultural spaces, and strong street life. Prospect Park, one of the nation's largest urban parks, and the Brooklyn Public Library system are nearby civic anchors. The local economy is anchored by healthcare, higher education, and a growing tech sector, though the neighborhood itself mixes longtime residents and families with newer arrivals.

PS 377 serves students in a school-choice environment with significant local competition from other district schools, charter schools, and private options across Brooklyn. The school's small size and grade band mean it feeds students into middle schools elsewhere in the district rather than providing a full K-12 pathway. For families in the neighborhood seeking a traditional public elementary school, this school's location and walkability are genuine assets; its academic trajectory in reading suggests some capacity to serve early literacy, though its mathematics results warrant careful conversation with school leadership about how students move forward in that critical skill area.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 37%

School 7% · District 50% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 63 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 40% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 50 pts below state median · ▼ 59 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 40% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 53 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 38%

School 8% · District 40% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 44 pts below state median · ▼ 56 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 35% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 45% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 32% · ▼ 26 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 581%

School 81% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · district not reported

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▲ 13 pts above 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 8Lower-income29%Higher-income0%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 8Lower-income6%Higher-income0%6 pp gap