Ps 209 Margaret Mead, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Ps 209 Margaret Mead

PS 209 Margaret Mead is a traditional public elementary and middle school in the Sheepshead Bay area of Brooklyn, serving kindergarten through eighth grade with a student population drawn from the surrounding neighborhood. The school enrolls a substantial number of students and serves a population with meaningful economic hardship, as most qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with students from Asian, Hispanic, white, and Black backgrounds, reflecting the demographic mix of the residential area.

The school operates within New York City Geographic District 21 and is subject to the district's curriculum mandates. Beginning in 2024-25, all elementary schools in the district, including PS 209, are required to use one of three city-approved reading programs aligned with the science of reading. All middle schools in the district are transitioning to a standardized math curriculum (NYC Solves) by 2027-28. These changes mean instruction in literacy and mathematics follows city guidance rather than school-level choice, a shift that families should understand when evaluating the school's approach to core subjects.

State testing data from the current school year shows mixed academic results across grade levels. In mathematics, proficiency varies considerably. Students in grade four and seven show stronger performance, while grade six shows notably lower proficiency. In English language arts, performance is similarly mixed, with grade eight and fourth grade performing somewhat stronger and grade three showing lower results. Science testing at grade five shows lower proficiency, and grade eight science results come from a very small tested group, so interpreting that result requires caution. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among district schools in Kings County, a meaningful strength that reflects its pattern of mixed but generally adequate-to-decent performance across the tested grades.

One area worth noting: science participation at grade eight is very low, with only a small portion of eighth graders tested. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand how science is being delivered or scheduled at that grade level.

The school sits in Brooklyn's Sheepshead Bay neighborhood, a densely populated residential area in the southern part of the borough. Like much of Brooklyn, the area is walkable with local retail and food options within a short distance. The neighborhood has good public transportation connections, and housing in the area, while moderately priced for Brooklyn, reflects the borough's broader real estate strength. Brooklyn as a whole is experiencing robust development and population growth, particularly in Downtown Brooklyn and other neighborhoods, though the school's immediate area is an established residential community rather than a development hotspot.

School discipline data, staffing information, and enrollment trends over time were not available in the data provided, so interested families may want to request that information directly from the school or the district office. The school's website would also provide additional detail about specific programs, extracurricular activities, and how teachers approach instruction within the city's new curriculum requirements.

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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
Math	29	100.0%
Science	28	68.0%

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 67% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 63% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 61% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 64% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 777%

School 77% · District 74% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 880%

School 80% · District 70% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 59% · ▼ 8 pts below district

even with state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 460%

School 60% · District 57% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 558%

School 58% · District 61% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 64% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 66% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 868%

School 68% · District 64% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 46% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 54% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 572%

School 72% · district not reported

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 853%

School 53% · district not reported

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

This schoolNEW YORK CITY GEOGRAPHIC DISTRICT #21, 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 3Lower-income43%Higher-income72%29 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income50%Higher-income90%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income54%Higher-income68%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income58%Higher-income69%12 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income57%Higher-income77%20 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income63%Higher-income83%20 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income70%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income62%Higher-income90%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income50%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income60%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income78%Higher-income75%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income78%Higher-income85%7 pp gap