A recent report by the Success Academy charter-school network highlights persistent underperformance in New York City’s traditional public schools, particularly among minority and low-income students, while underscoring the success of charter schools in narrowing the academic achievement gap. The findings come amid ongoing debates over education funding, school choice, and admissions policies in the city’s public education system.

New York City, with the largest public school system in the United States, spent $40 billion on education in 2024 — a substantial increase from $24 billion a decade earlier — averaging about $36,000 per student, more than twice the national average of $17,600. Despite this investment, the report reveals that nearly half of the city’s public schools had most students failing standardized math and reading tests last year. Early grade performance is particularly troubling, with 34% of elementary students, 49% of middle-school students, and 62% of high-school students attending schools where the majority do not pass key assessments.

Success Academy, a charter-school network founded two decades ago by former New York City Council education committee chairwoman Eva Moskowitz, shows markedly different results. Serving a student population that is predominantly black, Hispanic, and low-income, Success Academy consistently outperforms traditional public schools and even surpasses many wealthier, predominantly white districts. In 2025, the network ranked first statewide in math and second in reading among over 700 school districts, with a 100% college acceptance rate to four-year institutions for the ninth consecutive year.

Proponents of charter schools argue that these results disprove common assertions that poverty, racism, or family background are the primary causes of low academic achievement. Instead, they point to policies that emphasize accountability, rigorous curricula, and selective teaching practices. Admissions to Success Academy are conducted via lottery, countering critics who claim enrollment favors students with “more motivated” parents. Research comparing lottery-selected charter students to those not admitted consistently shows charter students achieve better academic outcomes.

The report also comes in the context of controversy over admissions to New York City’s specialized high schools, which select students based on a single standardized exam. Recent data show significant racial disparities: approximately 80% of admitted students are Asian or white, despite black and Hispanic students accounting for 62% of the city’s public school population. For example, Stuyvesant High School, the most selective of these institutions, admitted only three black students and 21 Hispanic students out of 777 offers this year.

In response, calls have grown to eliminate or modify the entrance exam to increase diversity. However, Success Academy advocates emphasize that improved test preparation and expanded access to high-quality schooling, particularly through charter schools, may offer a more effective solution. The network reported that 21% of its students gained admission to specialized high schools this year, compared with a citywide average of just over 15%, and black and Hispanic students from Success Academy are generally admitted at twice the citywide rate.

Expanding charter school options remains contentious due to opposition from teachers unions, which tend not to be present in charter schools. However, proponents argue that removing restrictions on charter school growth could provide tens of thousands of students currently on waitlists greater access to the higher-performing educational environments that have demonstrated success in closing achievement gaps.