Ps/is 266, Bellerose NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps/is 266

PS/IS 266 sits in Bellerose, a low-density, tree-lined residential neighborhood at the edge of Queens where garden-style single-family homes predominate and a diverse mix of Indian American, Caribbean, and European American families anchor intergenerational homeownership. The school itself serves children from pre-K through eighth grade in a regular public elementary and middle setting, the kind of neighborhood anchor that sits embedded in the residential blocks rather than at a civic center. Its enrollment is moderate, with students distributed across all tested grades from early elementary through the middle grades.

The school's recent state test results reveal an uneven academic profile. In the early elementary grades, math proficiency is moderate to solid, with third graders reaching proficiency at a rate just above the halfway point. That rate then softens in grade four, dropping further in grade five and grade six, where less than half of students score at proficient levels in math. This represents a concerning downward trajectory through the primary and intermediate grades. However, grade seven shows a sharp and dramatic reversal: proficiency in math there is very strong, with nearly all seventh graders scoring proficient or above. Grade eight data for math is too sparse to report. In English language arts, the pattern is somewhat less steep. Third grade proficiency hovers near the midpoint, fourth grade climbs into the upper reaches, and fifth through sixth grades settle in the low-to-mid range. Seventh grade ELA proficiency is strong, and eighth grade is solid as well. In science, the school administered tests to grade five students, where proficiency fell below the midpoint. Grade eight science testing did not take place during this period. The most recent social studies data are from over a decade ago and are not reflective of current performance, so they are set aside here.

Across the tested grades and subjects, PS/IS 266's overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint when compared to other districts in Queens County, a meaningful signal that the school's academic standing is not weak. Yet the pattern is lumpy: there is material struggle in the intermediate elementary grades, especially in math, paired with notably stronger showing in the seventh grade. A parent may want to look further into what accounts for that sixth-to-seventh-grade shift and what support patterns exist for students navigating the weaker-performance grades.

The student body is diverse and economically mixed. About half of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that is substantial but not overwhelming. Racially and ethnically, the school reflects Queens' diversity: roughly a third of students identify as Black, about a quarter as Asian, about a quarter as Hispanic, and smaller shares as white, Indigenous, multiracial, or Pacific Islander. This composition mirrors the neighborhood itself.

Bellerose as a place is defined by preservation rather than growth. Both the incorporated Village of Bellerose in adjacent Nassau County and the Queens-side neighborhood of the same name are zoned and regulated explicitly to prevent new multi-family construction and to keep the area low-density and single-family in character. The housing market has moved upward, with median values above state benchmarks, reflecting both the stability of the neighborhood and its appeal to families seeking a quieter, more spacious residential setting at the city's edge. The area is moderately walkable along the Jericho Turnpike commercial corridor, which hosts small businesses, banks, pharmacies, and restaurants, but daily life remains car-dependent for many errands. Transit centers on the Bellerose LIRR station at Commonwealth Boulevard, which offers Main Line and Hempstead Branch service. A major regional employment driver is the Belmont Park redevelopment in nearby Elmont, anchored by the UBS Arena and retail complex, though that is in a neighboring municipality.

Within NYC District 26, two curricular mandates shape instruction at PS/IS 266. The NYC Reads literacy initiative requires all elementary schools to adopt one of three approved, science-of-reading and phonics-based curricula in place of the balanced-literacy approach that had previously been principal-selected. This was in effect beginning in September 2024 and is a durable change to how reading is taught. For middle grades, the NYC Solves math initiative standardizes instruction on approved curricula such as Illustrative Mathematics, which emphasizes conceptual understanding over procedural steps. District 26 was among the first eight districts citywide to adopt this mandate in 2024-2025. Both changes reflect a shift toward centrally-driven, evidence-based pedagogy.

The district is also managing significant capacity pressure in northeast Queens through major school additions. Capital projects have added and are adding seats at multiple schools, including at nearby P.S. 26 in Fresh Meadows, P.S. 46, and the recently opened P.S. 390Q in Bayside, with a middle school addition planned. These investments aim to relieve overcrowding and stabilize class sizes for families in the broader Bellerose-Glen Oaks-Bayside sub-district.

PS/IS 266 is a neighborhood school serving a stable, diverse, and economically modest community in a preservation-minded area. Its test results show strength in the seventh grade and concerning softness in the intermediate elementary grades, a pattern that merits conversation with the school about instructional approaches and student support. The school sits within a district undergoing curricular transformation and managing enrollment pressure through capital investment.

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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	56	84.0%
Math	51	96.0%

Math

Grade 365%

School 65% · District 83% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 82% · ▼ 28 pts below district

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

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 77% · ▼ 31 pts below district

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

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 76% · ▼ 37 pts below district

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

Grade 795%

School 95% · District 82% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 356%

School 56% · District 76% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 468%

School 68% · District 74% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 77% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 76% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 781%

School 81% · District 77% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · District 79% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 66% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 61% · ▼ 60 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 597%

School 97% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 891%

School 91% · district not reported

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 37 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-income59%Higher-income53%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income57%Higher-income79%22 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income53%0 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income41%Higher-income67%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income78%Higher-income83%6 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income82%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income59%Higher-income71%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income57%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income45%Higher-income47%2 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income29%Higher-income56%27 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income94%Higher-income96%2 pp gap