7 Bayside K-8 Public Schools Named Best In State: U.S. News

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Seven elementary and middle schools in Bayside were named among the best in New York, according to a first-of-its-kind ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News and World Report.

For the inaugural list, U.S. News published rankings and data on more than 80,000 public elementary and middle schools across the United States — over 1,220 of which are a part of the New York City Public School system.

Seven elementary and middle schools in Bayside appeared in the top 50 ranking of the city's best public K-8 schools, and all were ranked among the state's 100 best schools.

Ps 203 Oakland Gardens, an K-5 school in Bayside Hills, ranked the highest among Northeast Queens' elementary schools on the list, coming in 15th place in the city and 27th place in the state.

As for middle schools, JHS 74 Nathaniel Hawthorne was the highest ranked in Bayside, coming in 30th in the district and 46th in New York state.

Here's a complete look at the Northeast Queens public schools that ranked among the top 50 of either the best elementary or middle schools in New York City. We included each school's state ranking, too.

Northeast Queens elementary schools

• Ps 203 Oakland Gardens: No. 15 in NYC and No. 27 in New York State
• The Active Learning Elementary School: No. 21 in NYC and No. 34 in New York State
• Ps 41 Crocheron: No. 27 in NYC and No. 45 in New York State
• Ps 94 David D Porter: No. 31 in NYC and No. 52 in New York State
• Ps 205 Alexander Graham Bell: No. 33 in NYC and No. 55 in New York State
• The Ps 98 Douglaston School: No. 41 in NYC and No. 74 in New York State
• Ps 130: No. 44 in NYC and No. 80 in New York State
• The James J Ambrose School: No. 48 in NYC and No. 89 in New York State

Northeast Queens middle schools

• The Queens College School for Math Science & Technology: No. 26 in NYC and No. 37 in New York State
• JHS 67 Louis Pasteur: No. 27 in NYC and No. 38 in New York State
• JHS 74 Nathaniel Hawthorne: No. 30 in NYC and No. 46 in New York State
• JHS 216 George J Ryan: No. 34 in NYC and No. 53 in New York State
• East-West School of International Studies: No. 44 in NYC and No. 73 in New York State
• Ms 158 Marie Curie: No. 45 in NYC and No. 74 in New York State
• Bell Academy: No. 46 in NYC and No. 76 in New York State

All told, 27 schools in Queens ranked among the top 50 elementary and middle schools in the city, U.S. News found. Among those top schools, more than half are located in Northeast Queens, a part of the borough that's wealthier and whiter than other parts of the World's Borough.

Patch mapped the top schools here (schools in Northeast Queens are in blue, schools in Central Queens are in green, schools in Northwest Queens are in yellow, schools in Southeast Queens are in red):

To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze math and reading proficiency and performance. Proficiency was based on how well students did on state assessments, and performance was assessed by how well they did compared with school expectations.

The state assessment data used in the rankings is from the 2018-19 school year and, therefore, predates any effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on test-taking.

Nationally, California has 5,534 ranked elementary schools — the most of any state — followed by Texas at 4,446; New York at 2,211; Florida at 2,128; and Illinois at 2,038 schools.

California also has the most ranked middle schools with 2,319, followed by Texas at 1,942; Illinois at 1,243; New York at 1,219; and Florida at 997.

This isn't the first time that educational institutions in Queens have topped U.S. News' school rankings: In April, a Kew Gardens Hills high school was named the best in New York State, and the 12th best nationally, in the outlet's annual high school ranking report.

Schools in Northeast Queens have also been singled out for accolades in the recent past: Last month, The St. Francis Preparatory School, located in Fresh Meadows on the border of Bayside, was named among the best private high schools in Queens.

Find the complete list of 2021's Best K-8 Schools here.