Ps 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School, East Elmhurst NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School

PS 127 Aerospace Science Magnet School in East Elmhurst is a neighborhood elementary and middle school enrolling students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and economically disadvantaged, with most students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits on 25th Avenue in a densely residential, working-class pocket of Queens bounded by major expressways and shaped by proximity to LaGuardia Airport, where many families work.

The school's name reflects an aerospace science focus, though recent state test data shows uneven academic performance across grade levels. In math, proficiency ranges from around low thirties to just over half depending on the grade, with sixth-grade students performing above that range. English language arts results follow a similar pattern, clustering in the low to mid-thirties, except for sixth grade, which sits slightly higher. In the one science test reported at scale, fifth-grade proficiency was low; eighth-grade science data is limited to a tiny test population. A social studies assessment from over a decade ago is the only other subject data available, so readers should ask the school directly about current science and social studies instruction and how the aerospace science theme shapes the curriculum today.

The school's proficiency index, averaging across tested subjects and grades, places it in the bottom quartile compared to other schools in Queens County districts. This is a meaningful gap worth exploring directly with the school. On the positive side, test participation rates are consistently high across grades and subjects, suggesting the school is committed to having students sit for assessments. The school does not appear to be underenrolled; it serves a student population of about that size for its grade span, including substantial enrollment in middle school grades.

Families drawn to this school may appreciate its neighborhood location within a walkable, stable residential area where single- and two-family homes mix with small apartment buildings, and where most residents rent. Astoria Boulevard, the main commercial spine running diagonally through East Elmhurst, holds local groceries, restaurants, and the East Elmhurst branch of the Queens Public Library. There are no subway stops in the neighborhood itself, but multiple bus lines connect residents to transit hubs like the 103rd Street Corona Plaza station on the 7 line. The neighborhood's character reflects its history and its proximity to the airport; it is quiet and enclosed rather than bustling, with long-tenured residents alongside newer arrivals.

Growth in East Elmhurst is modest and carefully zoned to preserve the low-rise residential blocks while directing new mixed-use development to corridors and near transit. Recent additions include small affordable housing projects and a senior building that opened recently, and the ongoing multibillion-dollar LaGuardia Airport redevelopment continues to shape the area's economic life and future.

District 30, PS 127's parent district, covers East Elmhurst, Sunnyside, Woodside, and neighboring areas. A significant recent addition was a new middle school that opened in 2023 in Sunnyside, addressing years of overcrowding and providing families with a STEAM-focused option. The district also shifted to a phonics-based reading curriculum mandate in elementary schools starting in 2023-24, marking a shift away from principal-selected materials to one of three city-approved programs. Additionally, the citywide Gifted and Talented admissions process was overhauled, replacing a standardized entrance test with a grades-and-lottery model and expanding G&T seats to every district, a change that affects how families access accelerated programs in District 30.

Parents considering PS 127 may want to look into the school's current approach to science instruction and how its aerospace science designation shapes offerings across the grades, particularly since recent science proficiency data is sparse or limited. The school's academic results warrant direct conversation with administrators about instructional strategies, support systems, and the school's trajectory. East Elmhurst itself offers a stable, walkable, diverse neighborhood setting where families often stay long term, though reliance on buses rather than nearby transit is a practical consideration for commuting.

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

1 course 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	103	27.0%

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 65% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 67% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 531%

School 31% · District 59% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 59% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 64% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 47% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 332%

School 32% · District 59% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 432%

School 32% · District 61% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · District 62% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · District 62% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 729%

School 29% · District 61% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 841%

School 41% · District 63% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Science

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 49% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 38% · ▼ 38 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 576%

School 76% · district not reported

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

Grade 847%

School 47% · district not reported

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below 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-income30%Higher-income44%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income28%Higher-income53%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income56%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income50%10 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income30%1 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income40%Higher-income55%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income37%Higher-income41%4 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income53%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income36%6 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income56%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income36%Higher-income36%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income47%Higher-income73%26 pp gap