Ps 122 Mamie Fay, Astoria NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 122 Mamie Fay

PS 122 Mamie Fay is a pre-K through eighth-grade public school in Astoria, Queens, serving a mixed-income, densely residential neighborhood known for its Greek and Middle Eastern heritage, international diversity, and active real estate market. The school sits within the neighborhood grid on Ditmars Boulevard rather than on a separate campus, woven into a streetscape of walk-ups, mid-rise apartments, and commercial corridors.

The school's test results show strong and uneven performance across grades. In mathematics, grades 6 and 7 achieve exceptional proficiency, while grade 4 and grade 6 English Language Arts results are likewise strong. Grade 3 math and ELA both show proficiency closer to about two-thirds of students. Grade 5 science proficiency sits at roughly three-fifths, a notable softer spot. Grade 8 results are harder to read because only a small share of grade 8 students took the state science test, making that data thin. Math proficiency in grade 8 is solid but lower than the upper middle grades. Overall, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Queens County districts, a genuine strength. The school's enrollment is substantial for an elementary-to-middle school, with roughly a quarter of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and the student body reflecting deep neighborhood diversity, particularly Asian and white students alongside meaningful Hispanic and smaller numbers of other groups.

One thing to note: a majority of eighth graders did not take the state math or ELA tests reported here. This low participation in eighth grade is worth asking the school about directly, as it may reflect scheduling, opt-out patterns, or the fact that some eighth graders feed into different pathways or programs. The science testing picture in grade 8 is especially sparse. State social studies testing is no longer current in New York, so recent data for that subject is not available.

Astoria itself is growing and gentrifying, with rising housing costs and block-by-block transformation. A major mega-development called Innovation QNS collapsed in 2025, but smaller projects are moving forward, and large waterfront residential developments on Hallets Peninsula are adding substantial housing stock and, alongside it, new school seats. The neighborhood has good transit on the N and W subway lines, walkable commercial corridors, and Astoria Park as its civic anchor. Mount Sinai Queens and Kaufman Astoria Studios are major local employers. Public library service has expanded with a recent renovation of the Broadway branch.

At the district level, a new STEAM-focused middle school opened in Sunnyside in 2023, directly addressing years of overcrowding that pushed some families across the district. More broadly, all District 30 elementary schools are now required to teach reading from one of three city-approved, phonics-based curricula, a fundamental and lasting shift from the previous model where principals had more leeway. The citywide Gifted & Talented program was also overhauled under the current administration, moving from a standardized entrance test to a grades-and-lottery model; G&T seats are now available in every district, including District 30.

PS 122 appears to be performing well on recent state measures and enrolls a diverse, mixed-income student body. A parent may want to explore the grade 8 testing participation rates and the science results with the school directly, and to understand how the new district reading requirements align with their own approach to literacy instruction.

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

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	61	98.0%
Math	60	93.0%

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 65% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 477%

School 77% · District 67% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 566%

School 66% · District 59% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 694%

School 94% · District 59% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 799%

School 99% · District 64% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 47% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 59% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 477%

School 77% · District 61% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 62% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 696%

School 96% · District 62% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 41 pts above county median

Grade 799%

School 99% · District 61% · ▲ 38 pts above district

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

Grade 894%

School 94% · District 63% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 45 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Science

Grade 559%

School 59% · District 49% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 585%

School 85% · district not reported

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

Grade 8100%

School 100% · district not reported

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #30, 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-income49%Higher-income96%46 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income64%Higher-income88%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income65%Higher-income84%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income94%Higher-income98%4 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income98%Higher-income100%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income90%Higher-income100%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income60%Higher-income84%24 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income63%Higher-income88%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income81%28 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income86%Higher-income100%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income100%Higher-income98%2 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income76%Higher-income100%24 pp gap