Ps 98 Douglaston School (the), Douglaston NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 98 Douglaston School (the)

PS 98 Douglaston School is a small elementary school serving pre-K through fifth grade in a tree-lined, predominantly owner-occupied residential neighborhood in northeastern Queens. The school sits within a community built around single-family homes, parks, and quiet residential streets, with access to the LIRR and local bus routes. The student body is diverse, with roughly equal representation of Asian, white, and Hispanic students, and about a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's academic profile is strong in math and English language arts. Third-grade students achieved full proficiency in math, while fourth and fifth graders showed proficiency rates in the high-90s. In ELA, proficiency was consistently high across grades three through five, ranging from the low-90s to high-90s. Science proficiency at the fifth-grade level sits lower, in the mid-70s, indicating an area where the school may want to focus attention. State testing data from 2009-10 showed very strong performance in social studies at the fifth-grade level, though current science of reading and math curriculum mandates across New York City have reshaped elementary instruction since then. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among the county's school districts, a meaningful indicator of academic strength relative to peers.

The school enrolls a modest number of students across its seven grades. Class sizes appear manageable, and the demographic composition reflects the neighborhood's character: majority students of color with stable housing and family structures typical of owner-occupied neighborhoods. Data on students with special needs classifications and English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about support services, resource allocation, and the scope of inclusive programs.

District 26, which includes PS 98, has been implementing system-wide curriculum changes that affect this school. Beginning in 2023, all elementary schools in the district adopted one of three phonics-based, science-of-reading curricula in place of the balanced-literacy approach previously used, and all schools now deliver structured daily phonics instruction. For families accustomed to other reading frameworks, this is a lasting shift worth understanding. The district has also invested in capacity expansion in nearby northeast Queens schools to address overcrowding, though PS 98's small size suggests that particular pressure may not apply here as sharply.

Douglaston itself is preserved by three historic districts and intentional zoning that limits large apartment development, maintaining the low-density, single-family residential character that has defined it for decades. The neighborhood centers on green space, including Alley Pond Park and the Udalls Cove salt marsh, a public library, and the Douglaston LIRR station. Daily life moves slowly, with commercial strips rather than a large downtown and residential streets oriented to families and dog-walkers rather than dense pedestrian activity. Housing values in the area are substantially above the state median, reflecting both the neighborhood's stability and its appeal to families seeking suburban living within the city.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 3100%

School 100% · District 83% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 497%

School 97% · District 82% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 597%

School 97% · District 77% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 396%

School 96% · District 76% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 494%

School 94% · District 74% · ▲ 20 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 591%

School 91% · District 77% · ▲ 14 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Science

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 66% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 598%

School 98% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #26, 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 3Lower-income80%Higher-income100%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income100%Higher-income91%9 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income80%Higher-income93%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income100%Higher-income100%0 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income100%Higher-income96%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income100%Higher-income97%3 pp gap