Success Academy Charter School-harlem 3, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Success Academy Charter School-harlem 3

Success Academy Charter School-Harlem 3 is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school in upper Manhattan's East Harlem neighborhood, part of the Success Academy network. The school serves a substantial and economically challenged population: most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, with the student body predominantly Black and Hispanic. The school operates in a dense, mixed-use urban setting with strong public transit access, walkable streets, and a neighborhood economy anchored by neighborhood retail, services, and increasing residential development.

The school's academic performance in math is exceptionally strong across the elementary and middle grades where it reports results. Third through seventh graders show proficiency rates ranging from the high eighties to perfect performance, with seventh graders reaching perfect proficiency on the state math test. Fourth and fifth grade proficiency in math dips slightly, but remains above the high eighties. The school does not report eighth grade math or English language arts results, which typically indicates an eighth grade cohort that either has not yet taken the exam or is very small in number. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: third graders achieve strong results in the low nineties, fourth graders about mid-eighties, fifth and sixth graders around ninety, and seventh graders nearly perfect. Again, no eighth grade ELA results are reported.

Science results present a different picture. The school reports fifth grade science proficiency at just above half, which represents a marked gap compared to math and ELA performance at the same grade level. No eighth grade science results are available.

A parent should understand that this school delivers consistently high math outcomes and strong English language arts results for its served grades. The science performance at fifth grade falls well below the proficiency ceiling the school maintains in literacy and numeracy, suggesting either a pedagogical emphasis, resource allocation, or instructional priority that leans away from science. A parent interested in science-rich instruction may want to explore this further with the school.

The school's enrollment is small to moderate for a charter serving kindergarten through eighth: about a third of students are in the elementary band and about two-thirds in the upper grades and middle school. The student body reflects the neighborhood's demographics closely. Free and reduced lunch rates are among the highest in the city, pointing to concentrated low-income enrollment. The school operates on the Success Academy model, which is publicly reported to emphasize direct instruction, discipline, and academic rigor. The network has been expanding rapidly citywide and announced in 2026 a new Bronx K-12 campus opening in the fall, which gives families a pathway from elementary through high school within the network without requiring a move or change in schools.

The school's high math and English proficiency rates position it well above the median performance for schools in its county, placing it in the top quartile by overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. This reflects consistent execution of the Success Academy instructional model. Families choosing this school should expect a structured, academically demanding environment with strong foundational skills in reading and math. The tradeoff is narrower breadth in science at least as measured by the fifth grade assessment, and no visibility into eighth grade outcomes in any subject. The school's location in East Harlem places it in a neighborhood with strong transit access, diverse food and retail, and ongoing residential growth. Housing costs in the neighborhood are well above the national median but below the state of New York median. For families seeking a tuition-free, academically intensive school with demonstrable math and literacy strength, Success Academy Charter School-Harlem 3 fits that profile. For families prioritizing science or seeking evidence of eighth grade outcomes, further inquiry with the school is warranted.

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Academic performance

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

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
Math	94	100.0%
Science	94	61.0%
Ela	93	94.0%
Social Studies	18	100.0%

Math

Grade 398%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 495%

School 95% · district not reported

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

Grade 593%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 699%

School 99% · district not reported

▲ 54 pts above state median · ▲ 54 pts above county median

Grade 7100%

School 100% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 394%

School 94% · district not reported

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

Grade 485%

School 85% · district not reported

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

Grade 589%

School 89% · district not reported

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

Grade 691%

School 91% · district not reported

▲ 46 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 798%

School 98% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 53 pts below county median

Science

Grade 551%

School 51% · district not reported

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

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below 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-income94%Higher-income93%1 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income81%Higher-income100%19 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income89%Higher-income92%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income91%Higher-income93%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income97%Higher-income100%3 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income98%Higher-income100%2 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income97%Higher-income100%3 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income94%Higher-income100%6 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income93%Higher-income92%1 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income99%Higher-income100%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income100%Higher-income100%0 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income84%Higher-income82%2 pp gap