Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Is 281 Joseph B Cavallaro

IS 281 Joseph B. Cavallaro is a public middle school serving grades six through eight in the Bensonhurst area of Brooklyn, part of NYC Geographic District #21. The school enrolls a student body that is roughly balanced between Asian students and other populations, with substantial Hispanic and White enrollment as well. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the neighborhood.

The school's academic performance shows mixed results across subjects and grades. In mathematics, proficiency climbs from roughly half of sixth graders meeting the state's proficiency standard to roughly seven in ten students proficient in grades seven and eight. English language arts follows a similar pattern, with about half of sixth graders proficient in reading, rising to roughly six in ten seventh graders and dropping slightly to roughly half of eighth graders. Eighth-grade science proficiency sits at roughly half. Performance in ELA and science is somewhat lower than in math overall. The school's overall proficiency rate across tested grades and subjects falls below the midpoint when compared to other schools in Kings County. School participation rates in state testing are high, typically in the low to mid-nineties, suggesting that most students sat for assessments.

The sixth-grade testing data shows no proficiency figures for math or English language arts, which reflects the fact that Grade 5 is the entry point for state testing in New York; the school serves grades six and up, so sixth graders were not yet enrolled when Grade 5 testing occurred. Grade-level proficiency generally strengthens as students move from sixth to seventh grade and stabilizes at seventh and eighth grades in math, while reading proficiency fluctuates slightly across middle grades.

Enrollment is stable at roughly thirteen hundred students across the three grades, with roughly three hundred ninety students in each of grades six and seven, and a somewhat larger eighth-grade cohort. The school draws from a densely populated neighborhood in Southwest Brooklyn with active street life and good transit access. Housing costs in the 11214 zip code are above the state benchmark for New York, and rents have climbed modestly. The neighborhood encompasses traditional residential blocks mixed with commercial corridors along major avenues.

Brooklyn as a whole is in a strong growth phase, with significant new housing development reshaping neighborhoods like Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg. Much of the borough is highly walkable with dense retail and food service, though some outlying areas have weaker transit. Major employers include hospitals and SUNY Downstate, alongside emerging tech sectors.

At the district level, two significant curriculum mandates now shape instruction. NYC Reads, a literacy initiative requiring schools to use one of three city-approved, science-of-reading-aligned programs, has been implemented in elementary schools and is rolling into middle schools including District 21. NYC Solves, a parallel math initiative, will require all middle schools to use approved curricula by the 2027-28 school year. These shifts replace prior practice where schools chose their own curricula and signal a move toward standardization across the city. Additionally, the district runs competitive talent-test magnet programs like Mark Twain for the Gifted & Talented, where admission requires passing a competitive exam; this path exists alongside the general enrollment of non-screened schools like Cavallaro.

The school offers fine arts programming. For details on clubs, sports, electives, or specialized pathways beyond the core academics, families may want to consult the school's website or reach out directly. Data on enrollment in special education and English learner services was not available, so families with students needing those supports should inquire directly with the school about capacity and programming.

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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	149	100.0%
Science	149	74.0%

Math

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 61% · ▼ 61 pts below district

▼ 51 pts below state median · ▼ 58 pts below county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 64% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 772%

School 72% · District 74% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 70% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 32 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 61% · ▼ 61 pts below district

▼ 54 pts below state median · ▼ 62 pts below county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 64% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 759%

School 59% · District 66% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 854%

School 54% · District 64% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 50%

School 0% · District 46% · ▼ 46 pts below district

▼ 42 pts below state median · ▼ 40 pts below county median

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 54% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 864%

School 64% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▲ 21 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 6Lower-income54%Higher-income79%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income83%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income48%Higher-income81%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income54%Higher-income73%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income69%Higher-income83%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income69%Higher-income84%15 pp gap