P.S. 44 Thomas C. Brown
Basic Information
Location: 80 Maple Parkway Staten Island, NY 10303
Contact Information: 718-442-0433
Website: http://schools.nyc.gov/schoolportals/31/r044/default.htm
Grades: K, 0K, 01, 02, 03, 04, 05, SE
School Population Size: 924
http://schools.nyc.gov/schoolportals/31/r044/default.htm
P.S. 044 Thomas C. Brown is an Elementary school comprised of 902 students ranging from pre-kindergarten through grade 5. The school is located on Maple Parkway on the North Shore of Staten Island. The school population comprises of 43.0% Black, 48.0% Hispanic, 3.0% White, and 2.0% Asian students. The student body includes 9.0% English language learners and 24.0% special education students. Boys account for 49.0% of the students enrolled and girls account for 51.0%. The average attendance rate for the school year 2011 – 2012 was 91.1%
The neighborhood that Thomas C. Brown is located in has a quite different population than the school does. The area surrounding P.S. 44 has a population of 23,755 people. Of those people 32% are Black, 29% are White, 30% are Hispanic, 7% are Asian, 1.6% are Hawaiian and 1.4% are Native American. The neighborhood has an average household of three people and an average household income of $50,137.
Comparatively there are several disparities between P.S. 44’s population and that of its surrounding area. The most glaring incongruity is the population of White students. The neighborhood has a large population of Whites at 29% whereas, the school has a shockingly low population of White students at 3%. This difference is massive. Statistically speaking the population of Hispanics and Whites in the neighborhood are near identical, whereas the population of Hispanics in the school is more than ten times that of Whites. This disparity raises numerous questions, specifically where are all the White students going to school? This could be answered with “White Flight”, the concept that White families send their students out of more racially diverse schools in poorer neighborhoods. It is likely that many of the White students are enrolled in private or religious schools. Another possible answer is that the White population in the area simply doesn’t have children in P.S. 44′ age range. These are all reasonable answers but the question still remains, why is there such a difference between the school and the area?
P.S. 44 received a B in its latest quality review by the Department of Education in 2013. This is an improvement as the school has been getting better and better scores over the last few years. Two evaluations ago the school had a C and it has been improving over time. P.S.44 also ranks lower than the citywide average, and its sister school, in ELA test scores, Math test scores, and safety. However, it ranks higher than the citywide average and it’s sister school in improvement on both test. This shows a pattern in P.S.44’s recent growth. The school is steadily improving and we can expect it to keep doing so in the upcoming years.
P.S. 44 has a 24% special education student population, which is a relatively high number compared to its peers. The total number of special education students is 211 with 124 of them being LRE or Less Restrictive Environment, allowing them to attend class normally with the general education students, and 87 MRE or More Restrictive Environment students.
Additionally 91% of students at P.S. receive free lunch. This reflects the neighborhood, as the average household income for a family of three was approximately 50,000. The neighborhood is relatively poor and the students reflect that in the need for free lunch.
