Community Roots Charter School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Community Roots Charter School

Community Roots Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school located in Brooklyn, serving an enrollment of about mid-size for its grade band. The school draws a notably diverse student body: nearly half white, with substantial shares who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial. About one-third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school operates its own governance rather than within a traditional district structure.

State test results across grades three through eight show generally solid performance in English language arts and mixed results in mathematics and science. In ELA, students achieve proficiency at rates in the mid-to-high range through grade five, dipping slightly in grades six and seven before rebounding strongly in grade eight. Math performance is stronger in the elementary grades, where students reach proficiency at high rates, but softens notably in grades six and eight, where proficiency rates are considerably lower. Science testing is available for grades five and eight only; grade five science proficiency is below ELA and math, while grade eight science performance is moderately strong. Participation rates are generally good across subjects, though eighth-grade math participation is notably lower than other grades, which a parent may want to look into further with the school. The school sits in the top quartile among the county's districts for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades.

No data on special education enrollment, English learner enrollment, graduation rates, chronic absenteeism, or discipline were available; the absence of graduation data is expected because the school serves only through eighth grade and does not feed into high school graduation-rate measures.

The school website describes a "diverse by design" approach anchored in anti-bias education and community engagement. A parent-relevant recent development is the school's ongoing effort to secure public funding for its buildings. This work has already produced concrete facility improvements, including new bathrooms at the elementary school and auditorium upgrades at the middle school. The school's Facilities Committee conducted a community survey in the 2024-2025 school year to build support for the public-funding bid, signaling that facility investment is likely to continue.

Community Roots sits in Brooklyn's urban landscape, where the school's neighborhood benefits from high walkability, dense transit access, and proximity to civic anchors like Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library. The immediate area and broader Brooklyn are in active development, with new housing construction reshaping neighborhoods. Housing values in the zipcode are substantial and have appreciated significantly in recent years; rental costs are also high. For families considering this school, the choice connects to Brooklyn's ongoing residential growth and the school's position within a densely connected urban community.

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Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

1 course 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	24	100.0%

Math

Grade 380%

School 80% · district not reported

▲ 21 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 478%

School 78% · district not reported

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

Grade 579%

School 79% · district not reported

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 662%

School 62% · district not reported

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

Grade 782%

School 82% · district not reported

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

Grade 869%

School 69% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 386%

School 86% · district not reported

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

Grade 486%

School 86% · district not reported

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 581%

School 81% · district not reported

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

Grade 671%

School 71% · district not reported

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

Grade 778%

School 78% · district not reported

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 884%

School 84% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 569%

School 69% · district not reported

▲ 28 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 874%

School 74% · district not reported

▲ 41 pts above state median · ▲ 49 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 3Lower-income64%Higher-income95%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income63%Higher-income91%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income64%Higher-income87%23 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income88%49 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income87%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income96%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income54%Higher-income89%35 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income25%Higher-income88%63 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income43%Higher-income92%49 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income21%Higher-income79%57 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income42%Higher-income95%53 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income62%Higher-income75%14 pp gap