Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School

Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School is a public alternative school serving grades PK-12 in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, with 966 students and a student-teacher ratio of 12.7. While the school has relatively high per-student spending, it is significantly underperforming compared to nearby charter schools and the district and state averages across a range of key metrics.

The school's 4-year graduation rates have ranged from 75.1% to 87.7% in recent years, lower than the New York City Geographic District #6 average of 46.79% to 53.56% and the statewide average of 54.07% to 56.61%. Additionally, the school has had dropout rates ranging from 3.2% to 5.1%, which are higher than the district and state averages. Chronic absenteeism is also a significant issue, with rates ranging from 31.5% to 55.2%, well above the district and state averages.

Academically, the school's proficiency rates on state assessments and Regents exams are generally lower than the district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd grade ELA proficiency was 31.25% compared to 46.79% for the district and 54.15% statewide. The school also serves a predominantly low-income population, with 81.85% to 85.79% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Addressing the school's high chronic absenteeism, dropout rates, and resource challenges should be priorities to improve student outcomes.