The top reported proficiency rate is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on John Adams High School
John Adams High School is a public high school in Ozone Park, Queens, serving grades nine through twelve. The school enrolls a substantial student body that is notably diverse by race and ethnicity, with a large share coming from families meeting free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility, indicating a student population with significant economic need.
The student composition reflects the neighborhood's demographics. Roughly half the enrollment identifies as Hispanic, with the next-largest groups Asian and Black. South Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American families who have anchored Ozone Park's commercial corridors over recent decades form a visible part of the school community.
The school's academic standing presents a significant challenge. State testing data for the school shows zero proficiency across math, English language arts, and science at the tested grade level, placing the school in the bottom quartile of districts across Queens County on overall proficiency. No graduation rate data was available, so a parent would want to look into that with the school directly. The school does offer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs, suggesting pathways for students seeking more rigorous academics, though the proficiency numbers raise questions about how many students are prepared to access and succeed in such programs.
The school sits in a historic, walkable neighborhood of prewar rowhouses and two-family homes, with active commercial street life concentrated along Liberty Avenue beneath the A train and along 101st Avenue. The elevated transit spine connects Ozone Park to the rest of the city, making the area accessible and transit-rich. The neighborhood is solidly working- and lower-middle-class, with small family-owned businesses, roti shops, Caribbean markets, and South Asian jewelers defining the commercial strips. Housing values in the ZIP code are above the statewide average and have appreciated modestly in recent years, reflective of a stable, established community.
At the district level, two curriculum mandates will shape the academic experience going forward. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, all NYC high schools including John Adams must adopt the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum, a shift toward conceptual understanding and away from school-designed approaches. The NYC Reads mandate has already reshaped early literacy instruction across the district using a phonics-based science-of-reading approach. These are permanent changes that will define how core subjects are taught.
The district itself has experienced a significant decline in enrollment over the past decade and manages substantial excess classroom capacity, particularly at the middle school level. This structural under-enrollment shapes the district's use of school buildings and co-locations, which may affect which schools families can access or how the school itself operates.
A parent considering John Adams would need to weigh the proficiency data carefully against the school's enrollment size and demographic composition. The zero proficiency result is a serious signal that warrants direct conversation with school leadership about what that number reflects, what support systems exist for students, and how the school is working to improve. The presence of AP and IB offerings indicates the school serves a range of student aspirations, though the bottom-quartile proficiency suggests systemic challenges in core academics that a family would want to understand in depth before enrolling.
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