Leep Dual Language Academy Charter School, Brooklyn NY

Original Research by School Decision on Leep Dual Language Academy Charter School

LEEP Dual Language Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, that focuses on dual-language instruction. The school has recently secured significant stability: it obtained its first charter renewal from the state in mid-2024, and in 2025 signed a long-term lease expansion at its Fifth Avenue location, nearly tripling its physical footprint. The school has also grown from its initial phase-in to a full K-5program, which means families can now enroll a child and keep them through elementary without worrying about a transition point.

The school serves a small enrollment of roughly four hundred students, drawn almost entirely from the neighborhood and surrounding area. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, and a very large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of this part of Sunset Park. Specific data on the percentage of English learners and students with IEPs was not available, though these are typically meaningful populations in dual-language schools and would be worth asking about directly.

On state testing, LEEP's proficiency results paint a mixed picture across grades and subjects. In third grade math, proficiency is in the upper range for the district comparison group. By fourth and fifth grade, math proficiency declines notably. In English language arts, third-grade proficiency is around the middle, fourth grade dips below that, and fifth grade rebounds to a stronger level. Science proficiency in fifth grade, the only grade tested in that subject, sits in the lower range. Overall, the school's proficiency index across tested subjects and grades places it in the top quartile relative to other schools in Kings County, though with notable subject and grade-level variation. A parent may want to discuss with the school what accounts for the grade-by-grade shifts, particularly the dip in grades four and five, and how the dual-language model affects the transition to testing in English.

The school's location in Sunset Park positions it within one of Brooklyn's bustling commercial and residential neighborhoods. The area blends dense housing with active retail and dining corridors along Fifth and Eighth Avenues. Transit access is strong, and the neighborhood is highly walkable. The broader Sunset Park and Southwest Brooklyn area offers a mix of community spaces and is relatively affordable compared to many other Brooklyn neighborhoods, though housing costs overall in the zip code remain substantial and have been rising. The school serves families for whom a Spanish-English dual-language pathway is a priority, and its charter status means it operates outside the traditional district system, which appeals to some families and requires others to actively choose enrollment.

The school's recent expansions and charter renewal suggest organizational stability and a commitment to serving this community long-term. For families seeking a small, neighborhood-based elementary school with a dual-language focus in Sunset Park, LEEP offers a documented program with improving space and a full K-5 pathway. The state testing results warrant direct conversation with the school about curriculum, instruction, and how proficiency is tracked across languages and grade levels.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 376%

School 76% · district not reported

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

Grade 462%

School 62% · district not reported

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 559%

School 59% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 358%

School 58% · district not reported

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

Grade 451%

School 51% · district not reported

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

Grade 571%

School 71% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 542%

School 42% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 2 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 4Lower-income46%Higher-income89%43 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income70%Higher-income83%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 4Lower-income59%Higher-income89%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income60%Higher-income50%10 pp gap