Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School

Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School, operating as Uncommon Williamsburg Middle School within the Uncommon Schools network, serves grades 5 through 8 in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood. The school sits on the fourth floor of a building on Wilson Street in a dense, walkable part of Brooklyn with strong transit access and one of the borough's most active mixed-use neighborhoods.

The enrollment is small, with about a third of students in grade 5 and the cohorts growing slightly larger in grades 6, 7, and 8. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhood. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with a meaningful share identifying as Black, and very small numbers of Asian, white, and multiracial students. The school does not report data on students with disabilities or English learners, so parents may want to look into the school's support structures and enrollment practices for those populations directly with the school.

In math, proficiency rose noticeably across grades. Fifth grade sits at around the midpoint of proficiency, sixth grade moves to the mid-to-upper range, seventh grade holds in the mid-range, and eighth grade reaches strong proficiency. English/language arts shows a similar pattern: fifth and sixth grades are in the mid-range, seventh grade dips slightly, and eighth grade rises sharply. Science proficiency in fifth grade is solid; eighth grade science testing did not occur, so the school's performance in that subject in the upper grades is not available. Test participation rates hovered around the mid-range, except for an unusually low participation rate in eighth grade math, which a parent may want to clarify with the school.

When positioned against other charter and district schools in Kings County, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quarter of the county's schools, a genuine strength. No graduation rate is available because the school serves only middle grades and does not yet serve ninth through twelfth grade (though an Uncommon high school exists as a separate entity for students who transition after eighth grade).

A significant structural change took effect in 2023: Uncommon Schools opened a feeder K-4 elementary school on Montrose Avenue, creating what the organization calls a guaranteed pathway from kindergarten through twelfth grade. Families who enroll their child in the elementary school are assured continued enrollment through this middle school and an affiliated high school, eliminating the need to re-enter a lottery. This is a major draw for families building a long-term educational plan in the neighborhood.

The school is located in Williamsburg, a neighborhood undergoing substantial residential growth with new mixed-use development and a strong cultural presence. Housing values in the 11211 zip code are high, reflecting both the gentrification trajectory and the scarcity of housing in central Brooklyn. Walkability is excellent, with dense retail and food corridors, extensive subway access, and an active street life. Williamsburg also has notable arts, dining, and nightlife scenes, characteristics that shape the neighborhood's social composition and draw.

Parents considering this school should understand that it is a charter school serving a small middle-grade band in an urban setting with a high-poverty student population and a structured college-preparatory approach within the Uncommon network. The academic trajectory by grade suggests that instruction strengthens or students consolidate learning as they progress, particularly visible in the jump to eighth grade. For families with younger children or who value the guaranteed K-12 pathway, the arrival of the feeder elementary school is a material change that simplifies long-term planning.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 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
Science	67	69.0%
Math	48	100.0%

Math

Grade 558%

School 58% · district not reported

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

Grade 670%

School 70% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 765%

School 65% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 888%

School 88% · district not reported

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 554%

School 54% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · district not reported

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 758%

School 58% · district not reported

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

Grade 879%

School 79% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 567%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 586%

School 86% · district not reported

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 891%

School 91% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 48 pts above county median

This schoolDistrict average, 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 7Lower-income57%Higher-income71%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income79%Higher-income80%1 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income62%Higher-income88%25 pp gap