The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 28% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Ps 182 Samantha Smith
PS 182 Samantha Smith sits on 88th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, a neighborhood in the midst of rapid residential growth around one of New York City's busiest transit hubs. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within NYC Geographic District 28, drawing from a community that is majority Hispanic, with sizable Asian and Black populations and very few white students. The overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing this among the highest-need schools by that measure. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs was not available in the materials provided, so families with those specific interests should inquire directly with the school.
On the New York State assessments, results vary across grades and subjects. Third grade is the strongest point: math proficiency there sits at roughly the midpoint between passing and universal proficiency, and ELA in fifth grade approaches a similar level. Fourth grade math is a softer spot, with fewer than a third of students reaching proficiency, and science at fifth grade lands in a similar range. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Queens County. That comparison is worth holding with some context: the Queens County peer set includes some of the city's higher-performing suburban-style districts, and PS 182's student population carries high economic need. Still, the pattern across grades, particularly in math in the middle elementary years, is something a parent may want to explore further with the school to understand what targeted support looks like.
Participation in state testing is high across all subjects and grades, which is a meaningful signal. Schools where students show up for assessments tend to have stable attendance cultures and consistent routines. Trend data was not available, so it is not possible from these materials to say whether outcomes are improving, holding, or declining.
The school is part of a district undergoing two consequential instructional changes. All District 28 elementary schools are now operating under NYC Reads, the citywide mandate requiring schools to use one of three approved literacy curricula grounded in the science of reading, replacing the previous patchwork of principal-chosen approaches. This is an active, lasting shift to how children are taught to read, and families should ask the school which of the three approved programs it uses. Separately, the city has expanded its Gifted and Talented program to include a third-grade entry point in every district, with access now determined by a screening model rather than a single admissions test, which broadens the pathway for District 28 students into accelerated programming.
There is also a longer-horizon development nearby that families of younger children might keep in mind. Queens High School for the Sciences, the borough's only specialized high school, which reserves seats for District 28 residents among others, publicly voted to relocate to a new, larger building on 88th Avenue in Jamaica for the coming school year. The new facility is purpose-built with science labs, a gymnasium, and a library that the school previously lacked, and the school is expected to grow substantially by the end of the decade.
Jamaica itself is dense, transit-rich, and actively transforming. The neighborhood anchors a major LIRR and subway hub, and a wave of publicly reported mixed-income residential development along Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue has been adding thousands of new units. The area's civic infrastructure includes the Queens Public Library's Central Branch, Rufus King Park with its historic King Manor Museum, Baisley Pond Park, and York College. Home values in the zip code are well above both state and national medians, and rents have been climbing, making this a competitive housing market for families weighing proximity to the school.
Program details, staffing ratios, and attendance data were not available in the materials provided. Families considering PS 182 would benefit from a school visit to understand how classrooms are structured, how the new literacy curriculum is being implemented, and what supports are available for students who are below grade level.
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