Syracuse, NY: 22% of students proficient in reading; 21% proficient in math

Nov 12, 2026, Syracuse.com Syracuse City Schools test scores remain below average but show improvement

 Syracuse students made slight improvements in state scores, despite still falling well below the state average.

The Syracuse City School District shared its 2026 New York State assessment results at a school board meeting in October. Third-through-eighth graders took the exams in the spring.

In 2026, 22% of Syracuse students tested proficient in English language arts (ELA) and 21% tested proficient in math, according to a school board presentation. Both figures fall below the state averages of 48% ELA proficiency and 57% math proficiency.

Despite the low test scores, Syracuse City School District students showed gradual improvement.

For math, students tested three percentage points higher than in 2025. The number of students proficient in math has more than doubled in recent years: only 8% of students tested proficient in 2022.

“When we look across grade levels here, 3, 4, 5, 6 ,7 and 8, seeing that increase in every single grade level from last year to this year was great to see,” said Tara Jennings, the chief information and accountability officer, at the school board meeting.

ELA proficiency dipped from 24% proficient last year to 21% this year. That matched New York state trends, as the state average dropped by five percentage points.

When the data is broken down by grade, elementary schoolers’ proficiency decreased in ELA while middle schoolers’ proficiency steadily increased. In 2022, 11% of fifth graders tested proficient. That same cohort, who were in eighth grade last spring, tested at 28% proficiency this past spring.

Jennings said middle school increases can be credited in part to EL Education, an expeditionary learning consultant the district partners with. EL Education works with several schools, such as Brighton Academy and the Expeditionary Learning Middle School (ELMS), to provide professional development for teachers and create hands-on learning opportunities, said Chief Academic Officer Richard Richardson. . . .

The New York State Department of Education has not yet released the full 2026 state assessment results, so it is unknown how SCSD compared to other schools. Typically SCSD, Buffalo Public Schools and the Rochester City School District — three of the largest school districts in New York State — have similar results, testing well below the state average. . . .