Bell Academy, Bayside NY - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Bell Academy

Bell Academy is a middle school in Bayside, Queens, serving grades six through eight in a residential neighborhood known for its upper-middle-class character, tree-lined streets, and diverse population. The school's academic performance sits well above the median for its county peers. In both math and English language arts, proficiency rates across the sixth and seventh grades run in the low-to-mid eighties, with sixth-grade math performing strongest. Eighth-grade English proficiency is solid in the low eighties, though eighth-grade math and science results were suppressed due to very small tested cohorts, likely reflecting the school's enrollment structure. Across the subjects and grades where data is reported, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Queens County districts.

The school draws from a diverse student body. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating economic need in the enrollment. By race and ethnicity, the student population is predominantly Asian, with sizeable white and Hispanic shares and smaller Black enrollment. The school's total enrollment is modest for a middle school, with sixth grade notably larger than seventh and eighth grades. Data on students with individualized education plans and English learners was not available.

Bayside itself is a walkable, self-contained neighborhood anchored by the commercial spine of Bell Boulevard, which features globally diverse dining and retail. The LIRR Bayside station on the Port Washington Branch provides transit to Midtown in roughly twenty-five minutes. Extensive waterfront parks and greenway trails offer outdoor recreation. The neighborhood is heavily built out and has been down-zoned in recent years to preserve its one- and two-family residential character, though some larger multifamily projects have advanced in recent years. Housing values in the 11360 zip code run above both the state and national benchmarks, with annual appreciation in the mid-single digits. Rents also exceed state levels. This is an area where home purchase and rental costs are both elevated relative to broader New York state and national patterns.

At the district level, the most recent parent-relevant change is the 2024 mandated reading curriculum rollout to all District 25 elementary schools, requiring the use of a phonics-based, science-of-reading approach. Middle schools in the district resumed selective admissions screening in 2023 after a pandemic-era universal lottery, giving the superintendent discretion over academic screening criteria. The city's overhaul of gifted and talented admissions, completed earlier, now offers a local G&T option in every district, including District 25, with expanded eligibility through teacher nomination and a broader entry window.

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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
Math	94	93.0%
Social Studies	94	90.0%
Science	93	86.0%

Math

Grade 686%

School 86% · District 62% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 74% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 685%

School 85% · District 60% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 65% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 66% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #25, 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-income80%Higher-income88%9 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income78%Higher-income87%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income74%Higher-income88%14 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income84%Higher-income87%3 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income82%Higher-income84%3 pp gap