Brooklyn’s High-Performing Majority Black and Open Enrollment Public Schools

Written By Mia Howard

This is a starting list, not a ranking or a guarantee of admission. Alongside academic results, explore school culture and climate, teacher satisfaction and quality, student attrition, special-education services, and alumni experiences. Confirm current grade offerings, campus locations, admissions priorities and seat availability directly with each school.

Bedford-Stuyvesant

Elementary schools

  • Brooklyn Charter School — K–5. An arts-focused public charter. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 78.3% ELA and 81.2% math. The testing groups were small: 23 students in ELA and 16 in math.

  • P.S. 21 Crispus Attucks — 3K–5. A neighborhood district elementary school worth exploring for its fifth-grade results: 80.4% ELA and 69.6% math proficiency among Black test-takers.

  • P.S. 40 George W. Carver — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade test-takers reached 50% ELA and 62.5% math proficiency, placing the school on this starting list of options to investigate.

Elementary entry campus / broader charter reporting unit

  • Success Academy Bed-Stuy 1. Its network incorporates arts, chess and sports into the curriculum. The state reporting unit’s Black fifth-grade results were 95.5% ELA and 100% math proficiency. Confirm the campus serving the grade you need; the reporting unit covers more than an elementary campus.

Elementary and middle school campuses

Middle schools

  • M.S. 35 Stephen Decatur — 6–8. Its magnet model combines leadership, project-based learning and the arts. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 90.7% ELA and 63.2% math.

  • M.S. 267 Math, Science & Technology — 6–8. Its approach emphasizes student debate, collaborative projects and individual conferences. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 50% ELA and 80% math, based on just 16 and 10 test-takers, respectively.

  • Uncommon Bed-Stuy East Charter School — middle campus, 5–8. Part of Uncommon’s college-preparatory network. Black-student proficiency was 60% ELA/55.6% math in fifth grade and 70.5%/76.9% in eighth grade. Fifth-grade math included 18 test-takers.

Middle and high school

  • Unity Preparatory Charter School of Brooklyn — 6–12; middle school in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Its model combines liberal arts and sciences with personalized academic support. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 71.7% ELA and 60% math. Confirm the high-school campus separately.

Bergen Beach

Elementary entry campus / broader charter reporting unit

  • Success Academy Bergen Beach — local elementary campus, K–4. Its network integrates arts, chess and sports into the curriculum. The broader reporting unit’s Black fifth-grade proficiency was 79.2% ELA and 86.8% math; those fifth-grade results should not be treated as results from the K–4 campus itself.

Brownsville

Elementary and middle school campuses

  • Brownsville Ascend Charter School — K–8 campuses. Its network emphasizes consistent routines, student independence and family partnership. The middle school also offers art and computer science. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 52.9% ELA and 58.2% math.

  • Uncommon Brownsville North Charter School — elementary and middle campuses; linked middle campus serves 5–8. Part of Uncommon’s college-preparatory network. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 68.6% ELA and 56.5% math.

  • Uncommon Brownsville South Charter School — elementary and middle campuses; linked middle campus serves 5–8. A college-preparatory public charter option. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 51% ELA and 63.3% math.

Elementary, middle and high school campuses

  • Brooklyn Ascend Charter School — K–12 across campuses. Its network emphasizes structured routines, independence and family partnership; middle-school offerings include computer science and performing arts. Black-student proficiency was 77.5% ELA/63.8% math in fifth grade and 79.7%/69.9% in eighth grade.

Canarsie

Elementary schools

  • P.S. 114 Ryder Elementary — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade test-takers reached 75% ELA and 83.3% math proficiency, making this district school a useful addition to a Canarsie shortlist.

  • P.S. 115 Daniel Mucatel School† — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 58.3% ELA and 57.3% math. Mixed admissions mean these results combine programs.

  • P.S. 276 Louis Marshall — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 64.5% ELA and 73.1% math. Families can use those results as a starting point for examining classroom instruction and school climate.

  • P.S. 279 Herman Schreiber — 3K–5. This Canarsie district elementary school recorded 72.4% ELA and 79.3% math proficiency among Black fifth-grade test-takers.

Elementary and middle schools

  • P.S. 66 — 3K–8. Offers continuity from early childhood through middle school. Black-student proficiency was 53.8% ELA/71.4% math in fifth grade and 71.4%/53.3% in eighth grade.

  • Canarsie Ascend Charter School — K–8 campuses. Its network emphasizes consistent routines, student independence and family partnership. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 76.7% ELA and 50.8% math.

  • Explore Excel Charter School — K–8, lower and upper campuses. Explore’s model includes K–5 co-teaching, enrichment and preparation for high school. Black-student proficiency was 66.2% ELA/56.1% math in fifth grade and 62.7% in both subjects in eighth grade.

  • Uncommon Canarsie Charter School — elementary and middle campuses; linked middle campus serves 5–8. Part of Uncommon’s college-preparatory network. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 60% ELA and 57.5% math.

Middle school

Clinton Hill

Elementary school

  • P.S. 11 Purvis J. Behan — pre-K–5. Its PTA-supported after-school offerings include arts, languages, sports and science. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 92.5% ELA and 94.3% math. Families should check enrichment costs and financial assistance separately.

Elementary and middle schools

  • Achievement First Endeavor Charter School — K–8. Black-student proficiency was 53.2% ELA/51.6% math in fifth grade and 71.2%/63.2% in eighth grade. The grade-specific differences offer useful questions for a school visit.

  • Community Partnership Charter School — elementary and middle campuses in Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Its curriculum connects core subjects through themes, alongside arts and technology. Black-student proficiency was 64.3% ELA/51.9% math in fifth grade and 88.9%/93.5% in eighth grade.

Crown Heights

Elementary schools

  • New Bridges Elementary — 3K–5. Its community-school approach integrates music, drama, dance and social-emotional learning. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 76.5% ELA and 61.8% math.

  • P.S. 241 Emma L. Johnston — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade test-takers reached 66.7% ELA and 58.5% math proficiency at this Crown Heights district elementary school.

  • P.S. 316 Elijah Stroud† — pre-K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 91.1% ELA and 82.2% math. Mixed admissions mean those figures cannot be attributed solely to the open-admission program.

  • P.S. 335 Granville T. Woods — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 66.7% ELA and 58.8% math. Interpret these percentages alongside the small testing groups: 18 students in ELA and 17 in math.

  • P.S. 375 Jackie Robinson School — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 61.9% ELA and 57.1% math. Its substantial special-education enrollment makes the details of classroom supports particularly worth exploring.

Elementary entry campus / broader charter reporting unit

  • Success Academy Crown Heights — local elementary campus, K–4. Its network incorporates arts, chess and sports into the curriculum. The broader reporting unit’s Black fifth-grade proficiency was 99% ELA and 100% math; the tested grade is beyond the local elementary campus’s span.

Elementary and middle schools

  • P.S. 138 Brooklyn‡ — 3K–8. Black-student proficiency was 82.6% ELA/95.8% math in fifth grade and 71%/67.7% in eighth grade. Published program descriptions include selective pathways, so confirm which program a child could enter.

  • Explore Empower Charter School — K–8. Its network combines K–5 co-teaching with enrichment and high-school preparation. Black-student proficiency was 69.8% ELA/63.6% math in fifth grade and 65.2%/62.1% in eighth grade.

  • KIPP AMP Charter School — K–8 campuses. AMP combines academics with music, including a jazz program, and community-building activities. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 71.1% ELA and 64.3% math.

Middle school campuses

  • The School of Integrated Learning† — 6–8. Its model brings together STEM, the arts and service learning. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 83.3% ELA and 73.5% math. Results combine open and selective programs.

  • Uncommon Excellence Girls Charter School — Crown Heights middle campus, 5–8; elementary campus in Bedford-Stuyvesant. Part of Uncommon’s college-preparatory network. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 74.2% ELA and 60% math, with 31 ELA and 15 math test-takers.

Middle school, with an expanding high-school pathway

  • Launch Expeditionary Learning Charter School — middle grades 6–8; high school expanding toward 9–12. Its middle-school program uses Expeditionary Learning and targeted reading support. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 56.1% ELA and 60.4% math. Confirm current high-school grades and location separately.

Downtown Brooklyn

Middle school

  • Edmund W. Gordon Brooklyn Laboratory Charter School. The qualifying entry is Brooklyn Lab’s middle-school reporting unit. Lab has used intensive small-group tutoring as an academic support. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 61.5% ELA and 63.5% math. Its broader organization also operates a high school.

High school

  • Science Skills Center High School† — 9–12. Its early-college model connects science, engineering, technology and the arts. Among Black Regents test-takers, 65.8% scored 65+ in ELA and 55.6% in Algebra I. Mixed-admissions results combine programs.

East Flatbush

Elementary and middle school campuses

  • Central Brooklyn Ascend Charter School — K–8 campuses. Its network emphasizes structured routines, independence and family partnership. Black-student proficiency was 89.7% ELA/57.9% math in fifth grade and 89.9%/89.7% in eighth grade.

  • Uncommon Kings Charter School — elementary and middle campuses; linked middle campus serves 5–8. Part of Uncommon’s college-preparatory network. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 60.7% ELA and 59.5% math.

  • P.S. 235 Janice Marie Knight School‡ — elementary and middle-school programs across East Flatbush and Canarsie. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 68.1% ELA and 59.7% math. Selective-program concerns mean families should verify the specific campus and admissions pathway.

Middle schools

  • Brooklyn Science and Engineering Academy — 6–8. Its STEAM program includes coding, robotics and engineering design. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 66.7% ELA and 63.6% math.

  • I.S. 285 Meyer Levin — 6–8. Its program connects academics with performing arts, athletics and social activism. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 54.1% ELA and 57.1% math, but math included only seven test-takers, compared with 133 in ELA.

East New York

Elementary schools

  • P.S. 306 Ethan Allen — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 77.8% ELA and 70.4% math, offering families another district elementary school to investigate.

  • P.S. 346 Abe Stark — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade test-takers reached 59% ELA and 76.3% math proficiency. Families can explore how the school supports students across both subjects.

  • The Fresh Creek School — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 92.9% ELA and 57.1% math. Both figures represent small groups of 14 test-takers.

Elementary and middle schools

  • Achievement First Linden Charter School — K–8. Its middle-school enrichment includes dance, theater and sports. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 61.1% ELA and 50% math.

  • Brooklyn Scholars Charter School — K–8. Its network pairs academics with “Moral Focus” character education. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 69.2% ELA and 63.2% math.

  • Imagine Me Leadership Charter School — pre-K–8 advertised for current enrollment. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 75% ELA and 88.5% math. The school now advertises enrollment for both boys and girls.

Elementary, middle and high school campuses

  • Achievement First Aspire Charter School — K–12; campuses associated with East New York and Bushwick. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 59.6% ELA and 56.1% math. Its reporting unit, including Ujima High School, recorded 53.2% scoring 65+ in Regents ELA and 59.5% in Algebra I.

High school

Flatbush

This grouping follows the neighborhood labels in the existing dataset; families should check the address and commute, particularly near East Flatbush’s boundaries.

Elementary schools

  • P.S. 198 Brooklyn — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 66.7% ELA and 56.7% math, placing this district elementary school on the research shortlist.

  • P.S. 208 Elsa Ebeling — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade test-takers reached 82.8% ELA and 60.7% math proficiency.

  • P.S. 233 Langston Hughes — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 68.2% ELA and 77.3% math. A school visit can help families examine the instruction and supports behind those results.

  • P.S. 244 Richard R. Green — pre-K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 76.7% ELA and 71.4% math.

  • P.S. 268 Emma Lazarus — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 78.9% ELA and 73.7% math. Each subject included 19 test-takers, so year-to-year results deserve attention.

Elementary and middle schools

  • Explore Charter School — K–8. Its network pairs K–5 co-teaching with enrichment and high-school preparation. Black-student proficiency was 83.7% ELA/71.4% math in fifth grade and 72% in both subjects in eighth grade.

  • Flatbush Ascend Charter School — K–8 campuses. Its network emphasizes consistent classroom routines, student independence and family partnership. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 60.9% ELA and 59.4% math.

Middle and high school

Flatlands

Elementary school

  • P.S. 203 Floyd Bennett School — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 85% ELA and 77.3% math, making this district elementary school worth including in a neighborhood search.

Mill Basin

Elementary and middle school

Ocean Hill / Brownsville border

Elementary school

  • Brooklyn Landmark Elementary School — 3K–5, Ocean Hill. Arts partnerships bring music instruction and teaching artists into the school. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 89.7% ELA and 89.5% math.

Middle and high school

  • Eagle Academy for Young Men II — 6–12, Ocean Hill. Its model for young men emphasizes brotherhood, relationships and culturally responsive learning. Among Black Regents test-takers, 61.7% scored 65+ in ELA and 76.4% in Algebra I.

Elementary, middle and high school reporting unit

  • Achievement First Brownsville Charter School — K–12 reporting unit; linked middle campus serves 5–8 near Ocean Hill–Brownsville. Middle-school enrichment includes music, financial literacy and yoga. Black eighth-grade proficiency was 68.8% ELA and 62.5% math. Confirm locations for other grade levels separately.

Prospect-Lefferts Gardens

Elementary school

  • P.S. 91 The Albany Avenue School — 3K–5. Black fifth-grade proficiency was 76.9% ELA and 53.8% math. Both figures represent 13 test-takers, making several years of results especially useful when evaluating the school.

Mia Howard
Next

Black Families Deserve Good Schools—and Reasons for Hope