The top reported proficiency rate is 63% in Math. The lowest is 21% in Social studies.
Original Research by School Decision on Gregory Jocko Jackson-sports-arts
Gregory Jocko Jackson-Sports-Arts sits on Osborn Street in the East New York section of Brooklyn, serving children from pre-kindergarten through fifth grade within New York City Geographic District 23. It is a small neighborhood public school with a student body that is almost entirely Black and Hispanic, and nearly every enrolled student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, making this one of the higher-poverty elementary settings in an already high-need district.
The school's state assessment results, drawn from the New York State Testing Program, tell a mixed story across grades. In the earlier tested grades, math proficiency is genuinely strong: third graders reached proficiency at a high rate, and fourth graders did even better, placing them well above what is typical for District 23 schools and for comparable schools across Kings County. ELA in those same grades was solid, with third and fourth graders reaching proficiency at rates that hold up respectably in context. The picture shifts in fifth grade, where both math and ELA proficiency drop noticeably, and science proficiency at that grade is lower still, with fewer than a third of students testing at grade level. A parent would be right to ask the school directly about that fifth-grade transition and what supports are in place as students approach middle school. Trend data was not available, so it is not possible to say from this data whether results are improving, holding, or declining over time.
Participation rates in fourth grade testing were lower than in the other tested grades, which means the proficiency figures for that grade reflect a narrower slice of the class. That gap is worth noting, though it does not change the overall picture dramatically.
A defining structural fact about District 23 is that it has no zoned schools. Families do not receive a guaranteed neighborhood seat; instead, they apply for placement across the district's schools. That means choosing Gregory Jocko Jackson is an active decision, not a default, and families in any part of the district can pursue it. Enrollment has been declining across the district over recent years, a pattern that can affect school programming and staffing stability, and parents would be reasonable to ask how this school has navigated that trend.
On curriculum, the school follows the district's mandated shifts. Elementary literacy instruction has moved to the Into Reading curriculum under the NYC Reads initiative, which standardizes phonics-based reading instruction across all District 23 elementary classrooms. That is a real, classroom-level change families will encounter. Math curriculum mandates are also being phased in citywide through NYC Solves, though that rollout is more directly felt at middle and high school levels.
The school's name signals an intentional identity around sports and arts, though program-level detail on what that means in practice, the breadth of arts offerings, the nature of physical education or athletics programming, or any enrichment structures, was not available in the data. Families interested in how those elements shape the school day would want to ask at the school directly or at an open house.
Brooklyn's broader civic infrastructure is a real asset for any family here. The neighborhood is dense and transit-connected, the public library system is extensive, and the borough is in a sustained growth period with new housing coming online across multiple neighborhoods. Home values in this zip code sit above the statewide median, and rents have edged slightly downward recently, though the housing market remains expensive in a Brooklyn-wide context.
The civil rights data section for this school was not populated, so information on discipline rates, chronic absenteeism, and special education or English learner populations and services was not available. Those are meaningful gaps for families evaluating fit, particularly for children with IEPs or those who are English learners, and direct inquiry with the school is the right next step.
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