4 Harlem K-8 Public Schools Ranked Among Best In State: U.S. News

HARLEM, NY — Several elementary and middle schools in Harlem 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.

Four elementary and middle schools in Harlem 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.

Most notably, Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars in East Harlem came in near the top of both lists, ranked third in the state among elementary schools and 13th for middle schools.

Here are the Harlem schools that cracked the top 150 statewide.

Harlem elementary schools:

• Tag Young Scholars: No. 3 in NYC and No. 3 in New York State
• P.S. 171 Patrick Henry: No. 59 in NYC and No. 116 in New York State

Harlem middle schools:

• Tag Young Scholars: No. 13 in NYC and No. 13 in New York State
• Columbia Secondary School: No. 14 in NYC and No. 14 in New York State
• The Mott Hall School: No. 24 in NYC and No. 34 in New York State
• P.S. 171 Patrick Henry: No. 49 in NYC and No. 83 in New York State

To determine the rankings, U.S. News used data from the U.S. Department of Education to analyze two areas at each school:

• Math and reading proficiency — or how well students perform on state assessments.
• Math and reading performance — or how well they perform compared with 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.

New York had the third-most elementary schools in the new ranking, trailing only Texas and California. Among middle schools, it came in fourth place, behind Illinois, Texas and California.

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

Related coverage: NYC's Top K-8 Schools Are Best In State, US News Finds