The top reported proficiency rate is 99% in Social studies. The lowest is 72% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 101 School in the Gardens
PS 101 School in the Gardens sits at 2 Russell Place in Forest Hills, Queens, a short walk from the Queens Boulevard commercial corridor and well within reach of the E, F, M, and R subway lines at Forest Hills–71st Avenue. It is a regular public elementary school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within NYC Geographic District 28, and its enrollment puts it comfortably in the mid-size range for a school of its grade band.
The academic picture is genuinely strong. On the most recent New York State Testing Program results, third and fourth graders reached proficiency in math at rates that are, quite simply, high by any reasonable standard, and fourth grade ELA results were in the same tier. Fifth grade ELA was nearly as strong. Math proficiency dipped somewhat in fifth grade, and fifth-grade science came in meaningfully lower than the ELA and math results at that grade level, so parents of incoming students may want to ask the school how science instruction is sequenced across the upper elementary years. Relative to districts in Queens County, the school's overall proficiency index lands in the top quartile, which places it well above the midpoint of that comparison set. Multi-year trend data was not available in what was provided, so whether the current results represent a rise, a plateau, or a long-standing pattern is not something this account can settle.
The student body is racially and ethnically mixed, with white students making up the largest single group, followed by Asian students, Hispanic students, and students identifying as two or more races. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is well below average for a New York City school, reflecting the upper-middle-class character of the surrounding neighborhood. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs was not reported in what was provided; families with children who receive or may need special education or language services would want to ask directly about those supports.
Forest Hills itself is one of Queens' more distinctly residential neighborhoods, with a recognizable architectural character that runs from Tudor-style prewar homes near the private Forest Hills Gardens enclave to midcentury garden co-ops and newer high-rises. Austin Street, the pedestrian-heavy commercial spine, is lined with shops, restaurants, and cafes, and publicly reported data puts the neighborhood's Walk Score among the highest in the borough. The school draws from this environment, and the housing market reflects it: home values in the immediate zip code run above the statewide median, and rents have risen meaningfully over the past year. That context matters for any family weighing whether to move into the zone.
The neighborhood is also in an active development phase. Multiple new residential projects are publicly reported as under construction or recently completed along Austin Street and surrounding blocks, including affordable housing conversions and luxury condominiums, and at least one large pipeline project targets completion in the next few years. Whether that adds meaningful enrollment pressure on the school over time is worth watching.
At the district level, two changes are directly relevant to families considering PS 101. First, District 28 is now operating under the NYC Reads literacy mandate, which requires all elementary schools to use one of three city-approved reading curriculums grounded in the science of reading. Principals no longer have discretion to assemble their own literacy approaches, and the mandate has been described publicly as permanent. Second, the city has expanded Gifted and Talented access across all 32 districts, including District 28, adding a third-grade entry point and shifting from a single high-stakes test to a screening model based on academic performance. Families who have been tracking G&T options in Queens will want to ask PS 101 directly how students are identified and how the program connects to middle school placement.
Looking further down the academic pipeline, Queens High School for the Sciences, the borough's only specialized high school, is publicly reported to be relocating to a larger, purpose-built facility within District 28 for the coming school year, with plans to expand its enrollment and add facilities it currently lacks. The school reserves a share of seats for Districts 27 and 28 residents, so this expansion is a concrete change to what a District 28 elementary student might access five or six years from now.
Graduation rate does not apply here, as PS 101 ends at fifth grade and does not serve high school grades.
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