John Dewey High School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on John Dewey High School

John Dewey High School sits in Sheepshead Bay, in south Brooklyn, part of New York City Geographic District 21. The school serves grades 9 through 12 and enrolls a substantial population of students, with enrollment distributed across the four grades. The student body reflects Brooklyn's demographic diversity: Asian students, Hispanic students, and white students each make up meaningful shares of enrollment, along with Black students and smaller populations of other backgrounds. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need in the school community.

State testing data for the school were not available in current reporting. This appears to reflect the nature of the data collection rather than a missing metric; the state assessment results reported in the system show no student participation recorded for this school in recent testing cycles. Without these results, a complete picture of the school's academic performance in core subjects cannot be drawn, and a parent may want to reach out directly to the school to understand current assessment results and how they fit the school's instructional priorities.

The school does offer dual enrollment, an opportunity for high school students to earn college credit while still in secondary school. This pathway can accelerate degree completion and reduce post-secondary costs, though prospective families should ask the school directly about which colleges partner with Dewey and which programs are available.

Brooklyn itself is a large and diverse place, with major employment in healthcare, higher education, and a growing tech sector. The neighborhood around John Dewey High School is residential and mixed-income, with access to public transit. Housing values in the Sheepshead Bay zip code are above the state median, and rents have risen noticeably. The borough as a whole is experiencing strong residential development, particularly in Downtown Brooklyn and Williamsburg, though this growth varies by neighborhood.

Families choosing John Dewey should understand that New York City public schools are subject to recent curriculum mandates. NYC Reads, a standardized literacy program, now governs reading instruction in all elementary and middle schools. NYC Solves, a standardized math curriculum, is being rolled out to middle schools through 2027-28. High schools already use a common Algebra 1 curriculum citywide. These mandates replace the prior approach of school and principal choice. For a parent or student weighing this school, direct conversation with Dewey staff about current test results, college-credit offerings, and how these curriculum changes affect instruction would be valuable next steps.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

79.0%Cohort of 562 students · Class of 2021

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

1,253 schools plotted. 14 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Advanced Placement & IB

23 subjects offered · 2023-24

Each card is one AP or IB subject. The headline number is the share of students scoring 3 or higher on the exam — the threshold for college credit at most universities. The bar below each rate shows the underlying distribution across performance levels.

Score:12· no credit345· extremely well qualified

Math and Computer Science

Calculus AB

44 tested · Grade 10

31.8%

scored 3 or higher

Calculus BC

3 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Computer Science A

22 tested

9.1%

scored 3 or higher

Computer Science Principles

10 tested

60.0%

scored 3 or higher

Sciences

Biology

19 tested · Grade 10

47.4%

scored 3 or higher

Chemistry

15 tested · Grade 10

26.7%

scored 3 or higher

Environmental Science

36 tested · Grade 10

38.9%

scored 3 or higher

Physics 1

11 tested

9.1%

scored 3 or higher

English

Seminar

6 tested

100.0%

scored 3 or higher

History and Social Sciences

Comparative Government and Politics

19 tested

47.4%

scored 3 or higher

European History

10 tested

90.0%

scored 3 or higher

Macroeconomics

30 tested

56.7%

scored 3 or higher

Psychology

52 tested · Grade 10

44.2%

scored 3 or higher

U.S. History

127 tested · Grade 10

69.3%

scored 3 or higher

World Languages and Cultures

Chinese Language and Culture

14 tested · Grade 10

85.7%

scored 3 or higher

Spanish Language and Culture

6 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Arts

Studio Art Drawing

20 tested

55.0%

scored 3 or higher

Other

Language and Comp

75 tested

48.0%

scored 3 or higher

Literature and Comp

22 tested · Grade 10

50.0%

scored 3 or higher

Studio Art 2d Design

11 tested

72.7%

scored 3 or higher

Studio Art 3d Design

1 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

U S Government and Politics

19 tested

47.4%

scored 3 or higher

World History

104 tested · Grade 10

58.7%

scored 3 or higher

New York Regents Exams

4 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
Ela	756	64.0%
Social Studies	459	83.0%
Science	240	51.0%
Math	142	20.0%

Math

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 70% · ▼ 70 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 64% · ▼ 64 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 56 pts below county median

Science

Grade 80%

School 0% · District 54% · ▼ 54 pts below district

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