Is Special Music School a good school?

Yes! Special Music School is one of the best alternative schools in the state. It ranks 1 st of 2445 New York alternative schools.

How many students attend Special Music School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 299 students attended Special Music School.

What is the racial makeup of Special Music School?

Students at Special Music School are 41% White, 21% Asian, 17% Hispanic, 13% Two or more races, 7% African American.

Special Music School

Summary:

The Special Music School is a public magnet school located in New York City's District 3, serving 295 students from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school is known for its exceptional academic performance and strong focus on music education.

The Special Music School stands out for its consistently high proficiency rates, with 100% of students meeting or exceeding standards in English Language Arts and Math across all grade levels, significantly outperforming the district and state averages. The school's students also achieve exceptional results on Regents exams, often exceeding 90% proficiency in subjects like Common Core English Language Arts, Global History and Geography, and U.S. History and Government. Additionally, the school maintains a high four-year graduation rate, ranging from 84.3% to 100% in recent years, and low dropout rates, outpacing the district and state averages.

Interestingly, the Special Music School serves a relatively diverse student population, with a lower percentage of free and reduced-price lunch recipients compared to many nearby schools, suggesting a more socioeconomically diverse student body. The school also manages its resources efficiently, with per-student spending lower than the district and state averages, and a relatively low student-teacher ratio, which likely contributes to the school's strong academic outcomes. Overall, the Special Music School's exceptional performance, commitment to music education, and efficient resource allocation make it a model for other schools to emulate.

Detail:

Public, Magnet, Alternative K-12

129 W 67th St
New York, NY 10023

(212) 501-3318

District: New York City Geographic District # 3

SchoolDigger Rank:
1^st of 2,445 New York Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $16,803

Student/teacher ratio: 10.4

Number of students: 299

Racial breakdown:

White:

40.8%

Asian:

21.1%

Hispanic:

17.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 26.1%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Special Music School to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Special Music School ranks better than 100% of elementary schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.04. (See more...)

Compare Details Special Music School ranks better than 99.9% of middle schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 99.12. (See more...)

Compare Details Special Music School ranks better than 87% of high schools in New York. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 78.4. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Special Music School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Special Music School is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (40.8%), Asian (21.1%), Hispanic (17.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 26.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Special Music School is 10.4. (See more...)

Compare Special Music School employs 28.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Special Music School is $16,803.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Special Music School:

SchoolDigger ranks Special Music School 1^st of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Special Music School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Special Music School 2^nd of 1504 New York public middle schools. (See Special Music School in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

SchoolDigger ranks Special Music School 161^st of 1242 New York public high schools. (See Special Music School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District # 3:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District # 3 494^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Special Music School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Special Music School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Special Music School

Compare

Rank History for all elementary school students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2011	95.93	2^nd	2286	99.9%
2012	95.62	2^nd	2320	99.9%
2013	97.54	4^th	2325	99.8%
2014	97.95	3^rd	2345	99.9%
2015	97.45	4^th	2352	99.8%
2016	97.09	5^th	2366	99.8%
2017	97.62	6^th	2386	99.7%
2018	97.28	4^th	2395	99.8%
2019	98.77	12^th	2413	99.5%
2021	96.03	8^th	2201	99.6%
2022	97.76	11^th	2434	99.5%
2023	98.54	6^th	2439	99.8%
2024	99.04	1^st	2445	100.0%

See the entire list of New York Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	96.42	6^th	2338	99.7%
2022	96.30	25^th	2401	99.0%
2023	97.23	18^th	2403	99.3%
2024	98.77	2^nd	2413	99.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	97.33	2^nd	2340	99.9%
2022	97.22	13^th	2400	99.5%
2023	98.59	4^th	2400	99.8%
2024	98.77	2^nd	2411	99.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school White students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	92.17	19^th	1408	98.7%
2022	94.65	16^th	1399	98.9%
2023	97.50	1^st	1337	99.9%
2024	96.93	12^th	1392	99.1%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Special Music School

Compare

Rank History for all middle school students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile
2011	96.66	6^th	1295	99.5%
2012	96.07	8^th	1337	99.4%
2013	98.75	9^th	1373	99.3%
2014	98.92	11^th	1401	99.2%
2015	98.65	14^th	1407	99.0%
2016	98.72	15^th	1429	99.0%
2017	98.96	16^th	1455	98.9%
2018	98.83	15^th	1438	99.0%
2019	99.24	13^th	1439	99.1%
2022	99.53	2^nd	1479	99.9%
2023	99.33	1^st	1500	99.9%
2024	99.12	2^nd	1504	99.9%

See the entire list of New York Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	97.69	23^rd	1353	98.3%
2024	98.61	2^nd	1465	99.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	98.42	22^nd	1352	98.4%
2024	98.91	10^th	1464	99.3%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	96.54	17^th	763	97.8%
2024	97.32	5^th	778	99.4%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Special Music School

Compare

Rank History for all high school students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2014	67.70	314^th	1237	74.6%
2015	64.21	362^nd	1255	71.2%
2016	51.66	618^th	1255	50.8%
2017	56.58	541^st	1221	55.7%
2018	60.51	519^th	1210	57.1%
2019	66.28	415^th	1207	65.6%
2022	76.59	175^th	1190	85.3%
2023	78.28	146^th	1228	88.1%
2024	78.40	161^st	1242	87.0%

See the entire list of New York Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Multi-racial students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	38.22	108^th	157	31.2%
2019	58.39	72^nd	165	56.4%
2023	72.06	60^th	272	77.9%
2024	52.74	144^th	306	52.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	78.09	162^nd	1095	85.2%
2019	89.54	56^th	1132	95.1%
2022	78.78	126^th	1038	87.9%
2023	89.56	51^st	1130	95.5%
2024	86.43	84^th	1144	92.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	60.33	396^th	1154	65.7%
2019	65.95	304^th	1179	74.2%
2022	85.36	29^th	1101	97.4%
2023	75.93	124^th	1155	89.3%
2024	75.10	142^nd	1170	87.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Female students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	49.81	653^rd	1176	44.5%
2019	63.62	467^th	1193	60.9%
2022	77.46	157^th	1155	86.4%
2023	76.54	201^st	1197	83.2%
2024	76.67	198^th	1219	83.8%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	71.23	268^th	1176	77.2%
2019	67.19	358^th	1190	69.9%
2022	79.57	104^th	1154	91.0%
2023	79.58	118^th	1191	90.1%
2024	77.91	159^th	1211	86.9%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Asian students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	56.76	210^th	426	50.7%
2019	62.64	193^rd	447	56.8%
2023	59.53	187^th	424	55.9%
2024	73.94	83^rd	426	80.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for high school African American students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.92	190^th	679	72.0%
2024	70.69	142^nd	690	79.4%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	66.29	221^st	791	72.1%
2019	84.09	53^rd	815	93.5%
2022	70.95	170^th	760	77.6%
2023	79.14	109^th	851	87.2%
2024	83.55	67^th	865	92.3%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Special Music School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	55.34	351^st	765	54.1%
2019	57.31	332^nd	793	58.1%
2022	77.26	61^st	738	91.7%
2023	72.95	121^st	776	84.4%
2024	70.45	152^nd	781	80.5%

See the entire list of Best New York Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Saturday, September 29, 2018

This school is a gem. Not only due to the fact that the kids get the unique opportunity to learn an instrument but also because of its diverse wonderful community: staff, faculty, teachers, principal, parents and students are all just incredible! Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, April 7, 2017

A jewel in the NYC public school system! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Special Music School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2010	78	11	31	13	1	n/a	n/a	134
2011	84	10	29	10	1	0	0	134
2012	76	11	35	12	1	2	1	138
2013	74	16	26	11	0	0	10	137
2014	91	28	34	17	0	0	21	191
2015	102	33	40	28	0	0	25	228
2016	122	37	44	39	0	0	35	277
2017	134	43	49	42	1	1	44	314
2018	137	37	45	47	2	0	45	313
2019	144	31	45	44	3	0	46	313
2020	138	22	43	47	3	0	52	305
2021	138	22	43	50	3	0	42	298
2022	116	24	50	52	1	0	51	294
2023	102	24	61	50	1	1	56	295
2024	122	21	63	51	1	1	40	299

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Special Music School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	134	10.0	13.4	n/a
2011	134	8.0	16.7	6
2012	138	11.9	11.5	7.2
2013	137	12.0	11.4	9.5
2014	191	15.0	12.7	13.1
2015	228	17.0	13.4	16.2
2016	277	22.0	12.5	18.4
2017	314	22.8	13.7	18.2
2018	313	24.0	13.0	21.4
2019	313	24.0	13.0	22
2020	305	28.6	10.6	17.4
2021	298	27.3	10.9	24.8
2022	294	28.4	10.3	22.1
2023	295	27.8	10.5	24.1
2024	299	28.6	10.4	26.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Special Music School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2010	134	10.0	13.4	n/a
2011	134	8.0	16.7	6
2012	138	11.9	11.5	7.2
2013	137	12.0	11.4	9.5
2014	191	15.0	12.7	13.1
2015	228	17.0	13.4	16.2
2016	277	22.0	12.5	18.4
2017	314	22.8	13.7	18.2
2018	313	24.0	13.0	21.4
2019	313	24.0	13.0	22
2020	305	28.6	10.6	17.4
2021	298	27.3	10.9	24.8
2022	294	28.4	10.3	22.1
2023	295	27.8	10.5	24.1
2024	299	28.6	10.4	26.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Immunization Rates