Lincoln Middle School, Syracuse NY

Original Research by School Decision on Lincoln Middle School

Lincoln Middle School serves a peer group that is predominantly low-income and, by race and ethnicity, majority Black, with smaller shares of Asian, white, and multiracial students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school sits in central Syracuse at James Street and enrolls students across grades six through eight, with enrollment distributed across the three grades.

Academic performance at Lincoln is notably low across tested subjects. In mathematics, proficiency rates decline steeply across grades: sixth grade shows modest performance, seventh grade drops sharply, and eighth grade falls to a minimal level. English language arts proficiency is similarly weak, though eighth grade performance improves somewhat compared to sixth and seventh. Science testing, available only for eighth grade, also shows low proficiency. The school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among districts in Onondaga County. These results reflect a student body facing substantial academic challenge, and a parent may want to look into further detail with the school about the supports available, the curriculum structure, and any targeted interventions in place.

State testing participation is generally strong, with eighth grade participation rates slightly lower than sixth and seventh grade, though still substantial. The school is part of the Syracuse City School District, which has recently undergone significant strategic shifts. The district opened Syracuse STEAM High School in fall 2025, a new regional technical high school offering concentrations in semiconductor technology, robotics, animation, and construction management, providing a concrete pipeline option for students moving to high school. The district also observes Eid al-Fitr as a school holiday and is undergoing a multi-phase facility renovation program with substantial state reimbursement, meaning gradual improvements to school buildings across the system.

The broader Syracuse landscape is entering a growth phase driven by Micron Technology's planned semiconductor campus in the nearby town of Clay. This regional development is triggering new housing construction and workforce preparation initiatives across the city, including the major redevelopment of the former Syracuse Developmental Center into mixed-income housing. Housing values in the zip code are modest compared to state and national benchmarks. The city itself has uneven walkability, with downtown and distinct neighborhoods offering walkable amenities and parks, though some sections are less pedestrian-oriented. Major employers include the university and health systems, with Micron representing a new regional anchor.

Lincoln Middle School is a neighborhood school serving a community with high economic need. The academic performance data makes clear this is a school where students arrive with substantial gaps and are not yet closing them at pace. For families considering this school or living in its zone, the critical question is what instructional approaches and support systems the school has in place to accelerate learning, and whether those match what their child needs.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

New York Regents Exams

2 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
Math	30	70.0%
Science	28	61.0%

Math

Grade 614%

School 14% · District 13% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 77%

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

▼ 46 pts below state median · ▼ 47 pts below county median

Grade 84%

School 4% · District 8% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 19% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 21 pts below county median

Grade 714%

School 14% · District 22% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 25% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Science

Grade 814%

School 14% · District 15% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 831%

School 31% · district not reported

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 52 pts below county median

This schoolSYRACUSE 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-income12%Higher-income40%28 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income20%Higher-income64%43 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 7Lower-income7%Higher-income9%2 pp gap