Queens School for Leadership and Excellence (the), Jamaica NY

Original Research by School Decision on Queens School for Leadership and Excellence (the)

The Queens School for Leadership and Excellence serves students from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in Jamaica, Queens, drawing from a diverse, densely populated neighborhood anchored by Jamaica Station and undergoing substantial residential growth. The school enrolls a predominantly Asian and Hispanic student body, with most students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Housing in the area has appreciated notably and rents have risen modestly, reflecting Jamaica's development trajectory of new mixed-use towers and affordable housing projects.

The school's math and English language arts proficiency results paint a picture of mixed performance across the grade span. In third grade, students show the strongest results, with proficiency in math approaching or exceeding the upper half of the range and ELA proficiency in the solid range. By fourth and fifth grades, proficiency drops noticeably in both subjects. Fourth-grade math proficiency is below the midpoint, and fifth-grade results decline further, with math proficiency just above half the tested students meeting the bar and ELA proficiency in the lower-to-mid range. Fifth-grade science proficiency is the school's weakest area, with roughly a third of students meeting proficiency. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index falls below the midpoint relative to other schools tested across Queens County districts. Student participation rates in testing are consistently strong, suggesting the data reflects actual engagement rather than absences or opt-outs.

Within District 28, which covers several neighborhoods in Queens, the school operates under a district-wide literacy overhaul. All District 28 elementary schools have adopted one of three city-approved reading curriculums aligned with the science of reading, a mandatory shift from prior practice that took effect in 2024. Teachers have since gained more pacing flexibility, though the mandate is not expected to change. The district has also expanded access to Gifted and Talented programs, adding third-grade entry points and using a universal screening model rather than a single high-stakes test, which broadens access to accelerated pathways.

The school serves a neighborhood in transition. Jamaica's downtown core is dense and walkable, anchored by major transit, government offices, and health care institutions, with a street life that is intense and sometimes congested. Residential areas south and east of downtown are quieter, characterized by single-family homes and modest apartment buildings. The broader neighborhood is experiencing steady growth in housing and residential development, and Jamaica Station connects families directly to regional rail, the subway, and JFK Airport. A parent evaluating this school would want to look further into current curriculum pacing and classroom composition to understand how the reading overhaul is being implemented and whether the school's instructional approach aligns with their child's learning profile, particularly given the decline in proficiency in the upper elementary grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 72% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 457%

School 57% · District 68% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 551%

School 51% · District 63% · ▼ 12 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 66% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 63% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 66% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 48% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #28, 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-income69%Higher-income80%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income54%Higher-income67%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income54%Higher-income90%36 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income74%Higher-income100%26 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income58%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income46%Higher-income90%44 pp gap