How do the public middle schools in New York City stack up?

We analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — including comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to find out how schools in your area are performing and which have made the biggest leaps over the past year.

Community Action School - M.S. 258's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in New York City, rising from a B to an A-, according to data from Niche.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 154 W. 93rd St., enrolls 217 students. Community Action School - M.S. 258 serves a diverse population: 45% of students identify as black and 43% identify as Hispanic. Niche graded the school a B+ for academics (on an A-D scale).

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 42% of Community Action School - M.S. 258's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 47% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 40% in math and 45% in reading.

It's not the only school that's climbed Niche's rankings this year. Isaac Newton Middle School for Math & Science saw its overall rating go from a C to a B-. The school is located at 260 Pleasant Ave. and currently serves 196 students, of whom 64% identify as Hispanic and 27% identify as black.

Niche graded Isaac Newton Middle School for Math & Science a C+ for academics on an A-D scale. The school's latest math proficiency was at 22%, and reading proficiency was 22%. Its upswing is notable in that it serves a less-affluent population, with 91% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, 27% more than the city average.

M.S. 256 - Academic & Athletic Excellence also improved, from C+ to B. The school is located at 154 W. 93rd St. and has 148 students currently enrolled, of whom 53% identify as black, 33% identify as Hispanic and 11% identify as white.

Niche graded M.S. 256 - Academic & Athletic Excellence a B- for academics on an A-D scale. Its latest math proficiency was at 22%, and reading proficiency was 27%. The school also serves a less-affluent community, with 74% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

While some public middle schools in New York City are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

• J.H.S. 167 - Robert F. Wagner, with an overall rating of A.
• J.H.S. 104 - Simon Baruch, with an A rating overall.
• J.H.S. 54 - Booker T. Washington, rated A overall.

Want more of the latest intel on New York City schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's public elementary schools.

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This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.