Year-over-year moversFull briefing
The 25 schools improving fastest right now
The longer form of the briefing for this story: the original thesis, the supporting findings the data team flagged, and the reporting directions a journalist could follow. For the short version and the data analysis, see the main story page.
Thesis
Look just at 2023-24 → 2024-25 — the most recent year of change. Which schools jumped the most on grade-5 math or ELA, controlling for the citywide test-recalibration baseline? They're the freshest stories.
Supporting findings
- Pull single-year deltas (2023-24 → 2024-25) for grade-5 math + ELA, sort by largest gain.
- Subtract the citywide change (the recalibration effect) — gains beyond the city baseline.
- Top 25 schools — distribution by borough, grade band, admission, proclivity.
- Recent improvers are often newer schools or schools with recent principal changes.
- Cross-reference with NYC DOE Quality Reviews — did 'Renewal Schools 2.0' (Comprehensive Support And Improvement) move the needle?
- Some recent gains will be regression to mean — schools that crashed in 2022-23 bouncing back. Distinguish from genuine improvement.
- Compare top-25 single-year improvers vs top-25 5-year improvers — different schools, different stories.
- Story angle 1: who's improving fastest. Story angle 2: what they're doing.
- Profile 3 schools with the steepest single-year gain.
- Frame: 'The freshest signal in NYC school data is single-year change. Here's what it's saying.'
Reporting directions
- Use our movers UI to surface top single-year deltas.
- Profile 3 schools — visit, interview principal.
- Compare with NYSED 'Hill Climber' or NYC DOE 'School Renewal Performance Award' lists.
- Build a sustained-improvement vs single-year-bounce filter.