Queens United Middle School, Springfield Gardens NY

Original Research by School Decision on Queens United Middle School

Queens United Middle School is a regular public middle school in Springfield Gardens, Queens, serving grades six through eight with a small enrollment. The school is part of New York City Geographic District 29.

The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Specific enrollment in special education or English learner programs was not available.

In state testing this past year, Queens United's performance was mixed and reflects a school struggling with core academic skills, particularly in math. In sixth-grade math, only about three in ten students met the state proficiency standard. Seventh-grade math showed similar results, while eighth-grade math improved noticeably, with about half the class reaching proficiency. In English language arts, the pattern was different: sixth graders performed better, with more than half proficient, but seventh grade dropped sharply to about a third, then recovered in eighth grade to about half. Science testing data for eighth grade was not reported, so no result is available for that subject. Across tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency falls below the midpoint among other districts in Queens County.

The school sits in a quiet, predominantly residential neighborhood built around mid-twentieth-century suburban housing stock with tree-lined streets and yards. Springfield Gardens is family-oriented and diverse, with a strong Caribbean-American and African-American presence. The commercial corridors along Farmers, Springfield, and Merrick Boulevards hold small groceries, churches, and service businesses, but the neighborhood lacks a dense downtown. The area benefits from substantial green space, including Springfield Park with its pond and walking trails, and Brookville Park to the southeast. Transit relies on bus routes and dollar vans; the nearest subway is the A train south toward Far Rockaway. Housing values in the zip code have appreciated moderately, and the market for single-family homes remains tight. New ground-up construction is happening in the neighborhood, though the area is protected by a zoning overlay intended to preserve its low-density character. Development pressure is rising, with some proposals pushing for higher-density buildings that would require zoning changes.

A parent may want to reach out to Queens United directly to discuss the school's approach to math instruction, especially in grades six and seven where proficiency lags, and to learn what supports are in place for students below grade level. The district has recently adopted new standardized math curriculums for middle and high schools as part of a citywide initiative, so asking how that rollout is affecting the school's teaching could be useful. Overall, this is a school where many students arrive below proficiency in core subjects, and a clear picture of the school's tutoring, intervention, and pacing would help a family assess whether Queens United is a match.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

3 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	60	20.0%
Social Studies	58	31.0%
Math	54	30.0%

Math

Grade 629%

School 29% · District 39% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 44% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 851%

School 51% · District 45% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 657%

School 57% · District 47% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · District 48% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 852%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 36% · ▼ 36 pts below district

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #29, 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 6Lower-income55%Higher-income63%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income33%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income50%Higher-income58%8 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income22%Higher-income56%35 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income25%Higher-income43%18 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income52%Higher-income47%5 pp gap