All topics / Building Human Potential / Department of Education
Students in grades 3 to 8 meeting or exceeding standards – English Language Arts (%)
Educate New York City’s children to become productive, engaged adults. — Improve academic achievement.
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
View as table
| Fiscal year | Actual | Target |
|---|---|---|
| FY22 | 49% | 52.8% |
| FY23 | 51.7% | 49.4% |
| FY24 | 49.1% | 55% |
| FY25 | 56.3% | 59% |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available | 57.3% |
56.3% in FY25 — missed the City's own target for this indicator (2.7% below the 59% target), though it has trended toward improvement over the past 3 years of reported data.
Why this is tracked
New York's system of free public education began with the 1805 charter of the Free School Society, a group founded with backing from DeWitt Clinton to educate poor children not served by religious schools. New York State's first compulsory school-attendance law followed in 1874, though it was only unevenly enforced for decades afterward. Today's DOE, the largest school system in the country, continues that basic premise established over two centuries ago: that educating the city's children is a shared civic obligation, not just a private family matter.
Untapped New York - New York Launches the Public School System (1805), Encyclopedia.com - New York Free School Society, 1805
Source: New York State Department of Education (NYSED); New York City Public Schools Office of Policy and Evaluation (OPE) — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported annually.
Definition: The percent of general and special education students who meet the learning standard in English Language Arts (ELA) for their grade by performing at Level 3 (Proficient) or higher. Scores are on a scale ranging from Level 1, below basic proficiency level, through Level 4, the advanced level.