Marva J Daniel Futures Preparatory School, Buffalo NY

Original Research by School Decision on Marva J Daniel Futures Preparatory School

Marva J Daniel Futures Preparatory School is a public elementary and middle school in Buffalo serving students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. With an enrollment spanning ten grades, the school serves a heavily economically disadvantaged student body: most students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the population is predominantly Black, with smaller shares of Asian, Hispanic, and white students. The school is located on Buffalo's East Side, in a city marked by historic neighborhoods, walkable commercial avenues, and ongoing downtown redevelopment anchored by healthcare, government, and finance.

The academic picture requires direct attention. State test results from 2024-25 show proficiency rates that are well below the state standard across all tested grades and subjects. In mathematics, proficiency ranges from single digits in grades four, six, and seven to roughly one-third in grade five. In English language arts, the pattern is similar: proficiency rates in grades four and six fall below ten percent, while grade five reaches roughly one-third and grade seven reaches roughly one-fourth. Science testing, conducted in grades five and eight, shows proficiency near one-sixth in grade five and roughly one-fifth in grade eight. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile of school-based comparison within Erie County, where districts vary widely in performance.

Performance is uneven by grade level. The fifth-grade cohort stands out as the strongest performer across literacy and mathematics, reaching proficiency rates in the mid-30s in both subjects and one-sixth in science. Grades six, seven, and eight show markedly lower attainment, particularly in mathematics, where grades six and seven each show proficiency near one-tenth or lower. Grade four shows very low results in both subjects, suggesting a possible point of particular academic struggle. A parent may want to look into how the school diagnoses and addresses the performance pattern across grade levels and what interventions are in place for younger upper-elementary students.

The Buffalo City School District has undertaken a significant curriculum shift toward science-of-reading and phonics-based literacy methods, with substantial teacher investment through Orton-Gillingham training. This change reaches every elementary family districtwide. The school's current literacy results suggest that implementation may still be underway or that other factors—such as student mobility, staffing continuity, or resource constraints—affect outcomes. Starting in 2025-26, all students receive free meals with no application required, removing a financial barrier for families. However, the district faces sustained fiscal pressure, with a multiyear structural deficit and ongoing consideration of potential school consolidations and staffing reductions, a context that can affect school stability and resource availability.

The school is not selective; it draws from the neighborhood and serves students with substantial economic need. The enrollment of roughly four hundred spans the full age range from early childhood through early adolescence, a grade span that requires schools to manage distinct developmental stages and transitions. Data on students with disabilities and English learners were not available; this may merit a conversation with the school about services and support.

Housing near the school is affordable relative to state and national medians. The ZIP code shows median home values in the mid-range for the region and monthly rents near the regional average, reflecting the affordability Buffalo has maintained as an older industrial city. The neighborhood sits within the broader context of city redevelopment, with new affordable housing coming online nearby and transit options through the bus and light-rail system.

For a family considering this school, the key question is whether the current academic profile and the school's pathway to improvement align with their child's learning needs. The substantial gap between current proficiency and state standards is real and worth examining closely with school staff. Conversations about specific reading interventions, how the school tracks student progress during the year, what supports exist for students below grade level, and how the school works with families on literacy at home would help ground the decision. For upper-elementary and middle-grade students, understanding how the school addresses the apparent performance dips in grades four and six would also be important.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 34% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 26% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 23% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 25% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 37 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 77%

School 7% · District 24% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 811%

School 11% · District 18% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 32% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 45%

School 5% · District 23% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 26% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 65%

School 5% · District 27% · ▼ 21 pts below district

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

Grade 728%

School 28% · District 26% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 825%

School 25% · District 31% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 516%

School 16% · District 20% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 17% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 529%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 62 pts below state median · ▼ 64 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · district not reported

▼ 73 pts below state median · ▼ 69 pts below county median

This schoolBUFFALO CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, 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.