The top reported proficiency rate is 72% in English language arts. The lowest is 20% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Excellence Girls Charter School
Excellence Girls Charter School operates as a kindergarten-through-twelfth-grade academy in Brooklyn, serving a student body that is predominantly Black, with substantial portions of Hispanic students and smaller enrollments of Asian and other groups. The school is part of the Uncommon Schools network and was formally rebranded as Uncommon Excellence Girls Charter School NYC, reflecting its integration into a larger educational ecosystem. The student population is economically disadvantaged, with a substantial majority qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
The school's academic profile shows uneven performance across grades and subjects. In the elementary grades, proficiency rates are stronger: third and fourth graders score solidly in both English language arts and math, with particularly strong math results in grade three. By fifth grade, performance drops notably, especially in math and science, where less than half of students test proficient. Performance stabilizes somewhat in the middle grades, with sixth and seventh graders showing middling results in math and stronger outcomes in English language arts by eighth grade. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among districts in Kings County, but this aggregate strength masks a pattern of decline from lower to upper elementary and the beginning of middle school, suggesting possible gaps in instructional continuity or student support during those transition years. Science testing is sparse: only fifth grade was tested, showing below-average proficiency; no eighth-grade science data was reported.
The enrollment pattern across grades indicates the school grows substantially in the high school years, with ninth grade carrying a notably larger cohort than earlier grades. This structure reflects the school's design as a girls' academy through eighth grade feeding into Uncommon high schools, which means families enrolling in the elementary and middle school are making a pathway commitment rather than a standalone school choice. SUNY's recent full-term charter renewal through 2026 confirms ongoing authorization, though the school indicated plans to adjust enrolled seats in the next charter term, a detail parents may want to clarify directly with the school regarding admission odds and seat availability.
The school's location in Brooklyn places it in a dense, highly walkable urban environment with strong public transit, diverse neighborhoods, and significant housing growth ongoing across the borough. Home values in the area are well above state and national medians, and rental costs reflect the broader Brooklyn market. For families without independent transportation, the dense street network and transit access make the school reachable, though the multi-building structure across Brooklyn adds logistical complexity for families with young children.
A parent evaluating this school should weigh the strong elementary performance in certain grades against the performance dip in upper elementary and early middle school, and consider whether the teaching and support systems address that transition effectively. The integration into the Uncommon network is neither a strength nor a weakness in itself, but a structural choice: it means the school does not operate as an independent entity, so questions about educational direction, enrollment stability, or continuity are best directed to Uncommon leadership as well as school staff. The school's charter renewal is stable, though enrollment adjustments are planned. For families seeking a single-site K-12 school, Excellence Girls' multi-building, K-8-then-high-school structure is worth understanding upfront.
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