The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Science. The lowest is 0% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Ziccolella Elementary School
Ziccolella Elementary School is a special education school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Hastings-on-Hudson, part of the Greenburgh-Graham Union Free School District. The school's primary role is to serve students with disabilities placed through Committee on Special Education decisions, delivering therapeutic day programming rather than residential services. In 2020, the district transitioned to a day-only model after closing on-campus residential cottages that had previously been available for students requiring more intensive support, a structural change that continues to shape who can be served here.
The enrollment is small, with a total of about two dozen students spread unevenly across grades. About half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. The student population is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a very small white enrollment and a handful of students identifying as two or more races. Data on the proportion of students with IEPs or English learners was not available, though the special education designation of the school indicates the full cohort is placed through the CSE process.
State testing data from 2013-14 offers the only available window into academic performance, though it comes with limitations. Grade eight students took the state math assessment, with proficiency results near zero; results in English language arts showed minimal proficiency as well. In science, about one-third of tested eighth-graders met proficiency. Grade six and seven results for math and English were too small in number to report. Social studies data from 2009-10 showed low proficiency. The small cohorts taking state tests reflect the school's tiny enrollment and the nature of special education populations, which may include students with significant cognitive disabilities who are assessed on modified or alternate standards. For context, when proficiency is averaged across these tested subjects and grades, the school sits in the bottom quartile among Westchester County districts. Parents should understand that state testing in a special education setting with small numbers and students working from individualized plans often yields low aggregate proficiency numbers and should be read carefully with the school's therapeutic mission in mind.
No recent data on graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, staffing, or detailed course offerings was available. The school's website and district communications would clarify current program structure, the types of disabilities and ages served, whether assessment is modified or alternate, special services available, and how academic and behavioral support are organized.
Hastings-on-Hudson itself is a small, artsy Hudson River village known for its locally owned downtown, concentration of artists and remote workers, walkable compact core, and extensive parks and riverside recreation. The village is undergoing long-delayed cleanup and redevelopment of its abandoned industrial waterfront. Schools are embedded in the village rather than on isolated campuses. The housing market is affluent; median home values are well above the state benchmark, and rents are likewise elevated. This is not a neighborhood where families move to access a particular school district; rather, Ziccolella serves students with identified disabilities who are placed here through special education evaluation and Committee decisions, coming from across the district and surrounding areas.
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