Ps 23 Carter G Woodson, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 23 Carter G Woodson

PS 23 Carter G Woodson serves early grades in Williamsburg-Greenpoint, Brooklyn, a neighborhood of dense residential blocks and mixed commercial corridors. The school enrolls a student population that is roughly evenly split between Black and Hispanic students, with a substantial majority qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school is small, drawing from a nearby residential zone in a borough that is actively growing and developing, particularly in this area.

State test results show uneven performance across grades. In third grade math, proficiency sits around two-thirds of students, a relatively stronger result. By fourth and fifth grade, math proficiency drops sharply to around four in ten students. English language arts follows a similar pattern: third grade sits around half proficient, falling to under half by fourth grade and further declining to about one-third by fifth grade. In science, tested only at fifth grade, proficiency is notably low, with just over one in ten students meeting the standard. The school does not currently serve sixth grade, so no results are available for that level. Participation rates are solid, with most grades seeing nearly full or full participation in testing.

The trajectory across grades suggests students' performance weakens as content becomes more demanding. A parent may want to look into this further with the school, particularly around how fourth and fifth grade instruction is structured and where support gaps may exist. The sharp drop between third and fourth grade, across both math and English, is worth understanding in conversations with school leadership. Strong early gains appear difficult to sustain into upper elementary.

The school's enrollment is spread across pre-K through fifth grade, with the largest cohorts in the earliest grades. This structure is typical for elementary schools serving the full early-grade band in New York City. Housing in the Williamsburg-Greenpoint zip is costly, with median values well above state benchmarks, and rents have been rising. The neighborhood itself is highly walkable with dense transit access and active street life, reflecting broader Brooklyn patterns.

District 14, the geographic district serving this school, has experienced steep enrollment declines in recent years, which has prompted school consolidations citywide with concentrated impact in Brooklyn. This is a backdrop families should consider when choosing a school here, as consolidations and grade reconfigurations have been part of the district's response to lower enrollment. The state also mandated smaller class sizes across New York City schools, a change rolling out through the late 2020s that will affect conditions at PS 23 going forward.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 368%

School 68% · District 67% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 439%

School 39% · District 63% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 61% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 48% · ▼ 48 pts below district

▼ 45 pts below state median · ▼ 50 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 62% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 63% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 72% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 60%

School 0% · District 60% · ▼ 60 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 52 pts below county median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 48% · ▼ 37 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 569%

School 69% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #14, 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.