Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on Democracy Prep Harlem Charter School

Democracy Prep Harlem is a SUNY-chartered K-12 school serving a community in upper Manhattan, located at West 133rd Street. It operates as an independent charter school rather than within the traditional district system. The school is small to mid-sized for a K-12 program, with roughly equal distributions across elementary, middle, and high school grades.

The student body is predominantly low-income, with a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment is overwhelmingly Black and Latino, reflecting the demographics of central Harlem. The school does not report separate enrollment figures for students with disabilities or English learners, so no direct count is available for those populations.

On state assessments in math and English language arts, the school's proficiency rates are noticeably below the state median. In elementary grades (3-5), students reached proficiency in ELA at rates ranging from about half in grade 3 to somewhat lower rates by grade 4 and 5, with math proficiency considerably lower across that band. By middle school (grades 6-8), proficiency in both subjects drops further, with math holding steadier around mid-range and ELA falling to roughly a third of students meeting the standard by grade 7, though recovering slightly in grade 8. Science proficiency (tested in grades 5 and 8) falls near math levels. When proficiency is averaged across all tested subjects and grades, the school sits in the bottom quartile among the county's districts. Participation rates in testing are quite high, suggesting the results reflect actual learning rather than test absences.

A critical gap: the school has not reported a four-year graduation rate or chronic absenteeism data, so the pathway through grades 9-12 cannot be evaluated on those measures. This is information a parent should ask the school directly about, particularly if considering the school's multi-year K-12 model.

The charter was renewed in January 2024 for a full five-year term through July 31, 2029, which means the school has secured operational authorization and families can expect continuity. Beginning in the 2025-26 school year, the school is subject to New York's statewide bell-to-bell ban on student cell phones and personal electronic devices during the entire school day, a change that affects the daily classroom environment.

New York City's labor market favors students who graduate with college-ready credentials and job-market skills, given the city's concentration in finance, tech, professional services, and hospitality. The school's current proficiency levels suggest students will need intensive support to reach the literacy and numeracy benchmarks colleges and employers expect. A parent considering Democracy Prep Harlem should seek clarity from the school on remediation strategies, the high school curriculum and any dual-credit or career pathway options, and current graduation and college-going data that the state assessments do not show.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

65-69%Cohort of 63 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

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.

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	217	43.0%
Ela	139	47.0%
Social Studies	124	68.0%
Science	120	29.0%

Math

Grade 336%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 437%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · district not reported

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 642%

School 42% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 80%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 462%

School 62% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 553%

School 53% · district not reported

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 646%

School 46% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 733%

School 33% · district not reported

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · district not reported

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · district not reported

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 835%

School 35% · district not reported

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 27 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-income51%Higher-income60%9 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income43%Higher-income80%37 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income78%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income60%27 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income39%Higher-income80%41 pp gap