School of the Arts, Rochester NY

Original Research by School Decision on School of the Arts

School of the Arts serves grades seven through twelve in Rochester, drawing from a student body that is economically disadvantaged and diverse. About two-thirds of the roughly thousand students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is roughly evenly split between Black and Hispanic students, with a smaller White enrollment and minimal representation of Asian, Native Hawaiian, and American Indian students.

The school sits in a city undergoing downtown revitalization after decades of decline, anchored by an Olmsted-designed park system, a central library, and regional transit. Rochester's economy rests on healthcare, higher education, and advanced manufacturing. Housing values in the area are moderate, with a median home listing price somewhat below the state benchmark, though home values have risen modestly over the past year. Rent remains affordable relative to income.

Testing data shows that School of the Arts faces academic headwinds. In seventh-grade English language arts, about half of tested students met proficiency; seventh-grade math proficiency was lower, around four in ten. By eighth grade, results weakened. Math proficiency dropped sharply to roughly one in six, while science proficiency at that level sat around one in five. English language arts held somewhat steadier, with about half of eighth graders meeting proficiency. Participation rates in eighth-grade math and science were notably lower, under sixty percent, which a parent may want to look into further with the school.

When placed against other districts in Monroe County on overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, School of the Arts ranks in the bottom quartile. The school belongs to Rochester City School District, which is in the midst of major restructuring. The district closed eleven schools and reconfigured grade levels beginning in the 2024-25 school year, its most significant overhaul in decades. Federal COVID-relief funding ended, triggering a substantial budget cut and the loss of staff positions as enrollment continues to decline. These shifts mean the school operates within a contracting system navigating structural change.

State testing data for high school grades was not available. The school's website location and program details including course offerings, graduation rate, and specialized pathways were not in the data provided, so prospective families should consult the school directly about those dimensions of the student experience.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 174 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.

Advanced Placement & IB

16 subjects offered · 2023-24

Each card is one AP or IB subject. The headline number is the share of students scoring 3 or higher on the exam — the threshold for college credit at most universities. The bar below each rate shows the underlying distribution across performance levels.

Score:12· no credit345· extremely well qualified

Math and Computer Science

Calculus AB

10 tested

70.0%

scored 3 or higher

Computer Science A

4 tested · Grade 10

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Computer Science Principles

2 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Sciences

Biology

31 tested

61.3%

scored 3 or higher

Chemistry

4 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Physics 1

18 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

English

Seminar

38 tested · Grade 10

84.2%

scored 3 or higher

History and Social Sciences

Psychology

17 tested · Grade 10

17.6%

scored 3 or higher

U.S. History

30 tested

80.0%

scored 3 or higher

World Languages and Cultures

Spanish Language and Culture

1 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Arts

Art History

3 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Music Theory

9 tested · Grade 10

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

Other

Language and Comp

59 tested

50.8%

scored 3 or higher

Literature and Comp

1 tested

0.0%

scored 3 or higher

U S Government and Politics

30 tested

73.3%

scored 3 or higher

World History

36 tested · Grade 10

44.4%

scored 3 or higher

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
Social Studies	178	58.0%
Ela	176	81.0%
Science	26	31.0%
Math	18	22.0%

Math

Grade 738%

School 38% · District 15% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 4% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 17% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 849%

School 49% · District 19% · ▲ 30 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 819%

School 19% · District 10% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolROCHESTER 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 7Lower-income34%Higher-income76%42 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income76%39 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income30%Higher-income63%33 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income15%Higher-income21%7 pp gap