East Harlem Scholars Academy Charter School Ii, New York NY

Original Research by School Decision on East Harlem Scholars Academy Charter School Ii

East Harlem Scholars Academy Charter School II serves kindergarten through eighth grade on Madison Avenue in East Harlem, in a dense, mixed-use neighborhood where schools are woven into the street grid alongside residential buildings, small businesses, and pedestrian traffic. The school is a charter school, which means it operates under a state authorization separate from the traditional public school system.

The enrollment is roughly a typical mid-sized school for its grade band, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and Black, and a substantial majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school draws from families for whom charter enrollment represents an active choice within the city's education landscape.

Academic performance across tested grades shows mixed results. In the lower elementary grades tested, around two-thirds of third and fourth graders meet state proficiency benchmarks in math, which is a solid anchor. By fifth grade, however, proficiency drops to roughly one-third in math and somewhat below two-fifths in English language arts. Sixth grade shows the steepest challenge, with about one-third meeting the math standard and just under half meeting the ELA standard. Performance rebounds somewhat in seventh and eighth grades, particularly in ELA where eighth graders achieve roughly two-thirds proficiency. Science proficiency is notably low in the tested grades: only about one-fifth of fifth graders and less than half of eighth graders meet standards.

Compared to other charter and traditional public schools in New York County, this school's overall proficiency rate sits below the midpoint, suggesting its performance is not among the county's highest-performing schools. The pattern of stronger performance in the early tested grades and significant drops in the upper elementary and lower middle grades is a real finding a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially to understand what academic supports are in place for students in grades five and six.

The charter network is undergoing growth. A reorganization being considered would consolidate all K-8 enrollment under this school, raising its authorized size, while the original East Harlem Scholars Academy would serve grades nine through twelve in a newly completed high school building that opened in fall 2024. This building represents the first new public high school in East Harlem in decades and includes full science labs and a college-access suite. For families considering enrollment now, this change means their child would eventually have a pipeline to a purpose-built, college-focused high school destination within the same network.

Beginning in 2025, the school, like all New York schools, must enforce the state's Distraction-Free Schools law, which prohibits students from using personal internet-connected devices during the school day. This is a material change to the daily classroom environment that families should be aware of.

The housing market in the surrounding zip code is moderately priced relative to much of Manhattan, with homeownership costs substantially above the national benchmark but below the New York State average. Rents have risen modestly over the past year. The neighborhood itself is highly walkable with access to public transit, parks, and diverse neighborhood amenities typical of urban Manhattan.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 367%

School 67% · district not reported

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

Grade 463%

School 63% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 535%

School 35% · district not reported

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

Grade 632%

School 32% · district not reported

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

Grade 761%

School 61% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 43 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · district not reported

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

Grade 541%

School 41% · district not reported

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

Grade 646%

School 46% · district not reported

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

Grade 758%

School 58% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 867%

School 67% · district not reported

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · district not reported

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

Grade 844%

School 44% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 35 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 7Lower-income57%Higher-income67%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income70%Higher-income40%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income58%Higher-income83%25 pp gap