Canarsie Ascend Charter School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Canarsie Ascend Charter School

Canarsie Ascend Charter School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school serving a neighborhood in Brooklyn's southeastern corner. The school enrolls a student body that is substantially African American, with a modest share of Hispanic students and very small numbers of other groups. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a community with significant economic need.

On state assessments in math and English language arts, the school's results show a pattern of moderate to strong proficiency across grades, with notable variation. In ELA, seventh-grade students show particularly strong results, while results dip slightly in fourth grade. Math proficiency is stronger in grades three, six, and seven; fifth-grade math is notably weaker, falling below the median for the county's districts. Science results are available for grades five and eight; eighth-grade performance is solid, but fifth-grade science shows a softer outcome. Across all tested grades, student participation in assessments is high, indicating full engagement in the testing process. When proficiency across tested subjects and grades is averaged together, the school's overall index places it in the top quartile among the county's districts, a strength that reflects genuine gains particularly in the upper grades.

The school is part of Ascend Public Charter Schools, a network that beginning in 2023-24 rolled out new research-based math and literacy curriculum across its Brooklyn schools. The change included adoption of a Science of Reading approach to phonics and comprehension, new classroom libraries, and teacher training. This curriculum shift means families should expect an evolving academic program, with the new instructional methods still settling in.

The Canarsie neighborhood where the school sits blends residential blocks with commercial strips typical of outer Brooklyn. Brooklyn itself is a large, dense borough with high walkability in most areas, major civic anchors including Prospect Park and the Brooklyn Public Library, and strong transit access. The borough is in active growth and development, with significant new housing construction. Housing values in the area are elevated relative to national benchmarks and growing. The school serves a neighborhood where the built environment supports walking, where transit is accessible, and where the broader community context includes major healthcare employers and growing tech sector activity alongside traditional institutional anchors.

Canarsie Ascend does not report data on enrollment by program type, advanced coursework, career pathways, discipline, attendance, staffing, or special education and English learner services. A parent may want to look into these areas further with the school to understand the full scope of what is offered and how the school supports students with different needs. The school's lack of reported graduation rate and high school grades reflects that it serves only K-8; high school readiness and transition planning would be relevant questions for families whose children will move on to ninth grade.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 377%

School 77% · district not reported

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

Grade 464%

School 64% · district not reported

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 549%

School 49% · district not reported

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

Grade 678%

School 78% · district not reported

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 781%

School 81% · district not reported

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

Grade 863%

School 63% · district not reported

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

English language arts

Grade 366%

School 66% · district not reported

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

Grade 467%

School 67% · district not reported

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

Grade 576%

School 76% · district not reported

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

Grade 676%

School 76% · district not reported

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

Grade 787%

School 87% · district not reported

▲ 40 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 880%

School 80% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 553%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · district not reported

▲ 39 pts above state median · ▲ 48 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-income65%Higher-income71%7 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income67%Higher-income67%0 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income72%Higher-income92%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income73%Higher-income87%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income84%Higher-income100%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income77%Higher-income93%16 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income75%Higher-income81%6 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income61%Higher-income69%8 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income44%Higher-income75%31 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income75%Higher-income93%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income78%Higher-income94%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income58%Higher-income86%28 pp gap