Full Breakdown
NYC Public Schools Report Highlights Widespread Failure Amid Grade Inflation and Funding Controversies
7/7/2026, 9:44:02 PM
Report Findings on School Performance
A study commissioned by the Success Academy Charter Schools network and released on July 7, 2026 examined 906 New York City public schools. It concluded that fewer than half of the city’s ? 912,000 students passed state math or reading exams in 2025, and that 43 percent attend schools where the majority of students fail both subjects. The analysis identified 503 schools in which most students failed both tests and noted that many of these schools have appeared on state “accountability” lists since 2012.
Policy Background and Funding Context
In 2024 the city allocated $40 billion to public education—$36,293 per pupil, roughly double the national average. Despite this spending, the report argues that state and city policies have insulated low-performing schools. A 2014 policy change under former Mayor Bill de Blasio removed state exam scores from student grades, emphasizing effort, participation and attendance instead. The same framework prevents the use of test scores in teacher evaluations, resulting in 98 percent of teachers receiving “effective” ratings. Additionally, a class-size reduction law championed by United Federation Teachers President Michael Mulgrew and signed by Governor Kathy Hochul mandates caps despite a 123,000-student enrollment decline since 2020.
Key Data and Statistics
- 906 schools analyzed; 503 with majority failing both math and reading.
- 34 % of elementary, 49 % of middle, and 62 % of high-school students attend failing schools.
- ? 800 of the city’s 1,800 schools have fewer than 400 students; 241 have under 200 students.
- Funding per student in failing schools exceeds $40,000.
- State test-score benchmarks have been repeatedly lowered, while NAEP results show substantially lower performance.
Official Statements from the New York State Education Department
The New York State Education Department (SED) rejected the report’s conclusions, describing it as “a vehicle to detract from its attempts to circumvent the New York City charter cap and promote its academic achievements by comparing one limited data sample to another.” The department emphasized that assessment data are publicly accessible through the NYSED school report card, which it says has been continually improved for usability. SED also noted that the pandemic eliminated assessment data in 2020 and limited it in 2021, factors the report allegedly overlooks.
Criticism of Current Accountability and Funding Practices
The Success Academy analysis contends that grade-inflation policies shield poor performance, that teacher evaluations are decoupled from student outcomes, and that the class-size mandate “will spend billions more on schools where class size is already low—and where it has demonstrably not helped.” It further argues that maintaining full funding for under-enrolled schools “drains the budget for no return.”
Conflicting Reports and Data Gaps
SED asserts that its data are transparent, yet the report claims the state no longer publishes comparative results for traditional public versus charter schools. The report also highlights a lack of 2020 data and limited 2021 data, creating uncertainty about longitudinal performance trends.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These are not accidents. They are the product of a system that has chosen, year after year, to protect itself rather than serve its students,” — Success Academy report, 2026
- “98% of teachers [rated] effective. 43% of students failing. The math doesn’t add up.” — Success Academy report, 2026
- “The class size mandate will spend billions more on schools where class size is already low — and where it has demonstrably not helped,” — Success Academy report, 2026
- “Success Academy’s report is a vehicle to detract from its attempts to circumvent the New York City charter cap and promote its academic achievements by comparing one limited data sample to another.” — SED spokesperson, 2026
Potential Next Steps
The report recommends that the state: (1) make standardized test data more readily available; (2) tie teacher and school evaluations to student outcomes; (3) cease manipulation of state test benchmarks; and (4) curtail spending on under-enrolled schools. SED’s rebuttal suggests continued reliance on existing reporting tools while acknowledging pandemic-related data gaps, indicating that policy debate over accountability and funding is likely to persist.
