The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in Math. The lowest is 24% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Is 347 School of Humanities
IS 347 School of Humanities is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in the Bushwick section of Brooklyn, part of New York City Geographic District 32. It sits on Starr Street, embedded in a dense residential neighborhood that is walkable, transit-rich, and actively changing, with new housing development reshaping nearby corridors even as the surrounding blocks retain their working-class residential character.
The school is small for a middle school, enrolling fewer students than most comparable city schools across its three grade levels. Its student body is predominantly Hispanic, with the vast majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, a reflection of the neighborhood's economic profile rather than anything particular to the school's design.
On the New York State testing program, proficiency rates across math, English language arts, and science are low, and a parent should look at this closely. In math, around a quarter to just over a third of students tested at each grade level scored at proficiency, with eighth graders performing somewhat better than sixth and seventh. In ELA, the pattern is similar, with seventh graders outpacing sixth and eighth graders by a modest margin. Science results at eighth grade are in the same general range. Placed among schools in Kings County, IS 347's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile relative to the districts in that comparison set. These are the numbers on the state assessment; they do not tell the full story of what students experience day to day, but they are the most direct signal available about measured academic attainment, and a parent should raise specific questions with the school about how students are supported toward proficiency. Multi-year trend data was not available in what was provided, so it is not possible to say whether results are improving, flat, or declining.
The name "School of Humanities" signals an intentional curricular focus, though the data provided does not describe specific programs, course offerings, or extracurricular activities in any detail. Program information would be worth pursuing directly with the school. A graduation rate does not apply here, as the school serves only middle grades. Chronic absenteeism data was not available.
One near-term change that families should know about: District 32 is in the queue for New York City's middle school literacy curriculum mandate, publicly reported to take effect for District 32 middle schools in the 2026-27 school year. Under this rollout, the school will shift to a standardized reading curriculum rather than continuing with whatever materials the school currently uses. Families who care about how reading and writing are taught at the middle level will want to ask what that transition looks like for IS 347 specifically.
The housing market surrounding the school is among the most expensive in New York State, running well above both the state and national medians, and has appreciated meaningfully over the past year. Rents in the zip code are substantial. Bushwick and nearby Ridgewood have seen considerable residential interest from younger renters and buyers, and new construction is active throughout the broader borough. For families weighing whether to put down roots in the neighborhood, the cost of entry is high and rising, which is context worth building into any longer-range planning.
Brooklyn itself offers genuine practical advantages for families: dense transit with multiple subway lines accessible from Bushwick, a walkable street grid, a large public library system with many branches, and the full breadth of New York City's cultural and civic resources. None of that is specific to IS 347, but it shapes the daily life of families who enroll here.
What the data leaves open is any picture of school culture, staff continuity, family engagement, or how students actually experience the building. The academic proficiency numbers are a real concern worth following up on, and they are the primary measurable evidence this profile can offer.
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