New York City public school students in grades 3 to 8 made dramatic gains in reading and math on 2025 state exams. The percentage of students overall performing at grade level jumped 7.2 percentage points in reading and 3.5 percentage points in math.

The scores, released by the city Department of Education in mid-August, showed reading and math scores increased across grades 3–8. The largest gains were seen in grades 3 and 5 in reading, suggesting the new science of reading curriculum is having an impact. Reading scores in grade 3 — a benchmark year in learning to read — jumped about 13 points, while in grade 5, scores skyrocketed 15 percentage points.

“The test scores are a testament to the hard work by New York City educators and students,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew said.

Mulgrew also acknowledged the contribution of Schools Chancellor Melissa Aviles-Ramos, who “fought the DOE bureaucracy to make sure the needs of students and school communities came first” amid a push to implement the new literacy curricula based on the science of reading in all elementary schools last school year.

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro also credited the presence of UFT Teacher Center coaches in nearly every district for the implementation of the new literacy curricula. “When educators get the support they need, it’s students who benefit,” she said.

The test results for New York City public school students outpaced scores statewide. The overall proficiency rate in reading for New York City students in grades 3 to 8 was 56.3%, compared with 53% statewide. In math, New York City students had an overall proficiency rate of 56.9%, compared with 55% statewide.

New York City students of all races and ethnicities showed improvement in 2025, but Black students made the greatest gains. The overall proficiency rate for Black students was 47% in reading, an increase of 8.3 percentage points over the previous year, and 43% in math, an improvement of 4.6 percentage points.

English language learners also improved their scores on the state exams. The percentage of English language learners deemed proficient in math was 30%, an increase of 4.2 percentage points over the previous year. Their overall proficiency rate in reading was 12.5%, an increase of 4.7 percentage points.

Students with disabilities also showed improvement. The percentage of students with disabilities deemed proficient in reading was 26.7%, a 5.6 percentage point gain over the year before, while in math, 29.1% were deemed proficient, an increase of 1.7 percentage points over 2024.