Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn

Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn is a grades 6-12 charter school in central Brooklyn serving about half a thousand students, most of them from low-income households. The school is housed in Williamsburg (Monroe Street near the border with Bed-Stuy), though the broader school community reflects central Brooklyn's demographics and geography.

The school's recent charter history matters to families considering it. In May 2023, the New York State Board of Regents granted the school a four-year renewal through June 2027, confirming its continued operation, though the state declined the school's request to expand downward into elementary grades, keeping it as a 6-12 program. In early 2024, the school revised its authorized enrollment downward, signaling a deliberate reduction in total capacity that affects how many seats are available to incoming families.

On academics, Unity Prep's state test results in grades 6 and 8 are more solid than in grade 7. In sixth-grade ELA, about seven in ten students met or exceeded proficiency; in math, just over half did. Eighth-grade results are stronger across subjects: near two-thirds of students reached proficiency in ELA and science, and just over six in ten did in math. Seventh-grade results dip noticeably in both subjects, falling to roughly half in ELA and lower in math. The school does have a notable participation drop in eighth-grade math (below nine in ten students tested), which a parent may want to look into further with the school. Across all tested grades and subjects, proficiency sits above the median among the county's charter and district schools, placing the school in the top quartile by that measure. The school's participation rates are generally strong in ELA and science, though math in grade 8 is an exception worth understanding.

The student body is predominantly Black, with a substantial Hispanic minority, reflecting the neighborhoods the school draws from. About four in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Special-population enrollment data (IEP and English learner counts) was not available. The school's enrollment spans grades 6 through 12, with roughly balanced class sizes at the middle grades and slightly smaller cohorts in high school.

A graduation rate and college-readiness data were not provided, so prospective families cannot assess high school outcomes directly from available metrics. The school's website may carry additional information on diploma pathways, course offerings, and postsecondary planning, which would be worth exploring if college or career readiness is a priority.

In Brooklyn's housing market, the 11221 zip code (where the school sits) shows home values well above both state and national medians, with rents rising modestly year over year. The broader borough mixes dense residential neighborhoods, commercial corridors, major parks, and extensive transit. Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library's library system anchor civic life; employment is concentrated in healthcare, higher education, and an expanding tech sector. If your family is choosing based on neighborhood character, the Williamsburg-Bed-Stuy border offers walkable streets with retail and services, though school proximity to two neighborhoods means the commute calculus depends on where you live.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 83 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
Ela	164	38.0%
Math	112	38.0%
Science	62	60.0%
Social Studies	53	30.0%

Math

Grade 653%

School 53% · district not reported

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

Grade 745%

School 45% · district not reported

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

Grade 863%

School 63% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 669%

School 69% · district not reported

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

Grade 748%

School 48% · district not reported

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

Grade 866%

School 66% · district not reported

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Science

Grade 861%

School 61% · district not reported

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 36 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 6Lower-income69%Higher-income70%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income47%Higher-income57%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income64%Higher-income74%10 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income51%Higher-income70%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income43%Higher-income57%14 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income63%Higher-income60%3 pp gap