Is Life Academy High School For Film And Music a good school?

Life Academy High School For Film And Music ranks in the bottom 10.5% of New York high schools.

How many students attend Life Academy High School For Film And Music?

In the 2022-23 school year, 251 students attended Life Academy High School For Film And Music.

What is the racial makeup of Life Academy High School For Film And Music?

Students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music are 51% Hispanic, 19% White, 17% African American, 12% Asian.

Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Summary:

Life Academy High School For Film And Music is a public high school serving grades 9-12 in Brooklyn, NY, with 251 students. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of New York high schools over the past 10 years, with a 1 or 0 star rating from SchoolDigger.

The data paints a picture of a school that is underperforming compared to district and state averages across a range of key metrics. Life Academy has had 4-year graduation rates ranging from 76.7% to 85.1%, which is below the New York City Geographic District #21 and state averages. The school also has higher dropout rates, ranging from 1.4% to 10.0%, and very high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 34.1% to 48.3%, significantly above the district and state averages. On Regents/Common Core exams, the school performs poorly, with proficiency rates well below the district and state averages across nearly all subject areas.

Interestingly, nearby schools in the same district, such as Brooklyn Studio Secondary School and Kingsborough Early College School, generally outperform Life Academy across metrics like graduation rates, test scores, and chronic absenteeism, suggesting that Life Academy is struggling relative to other schools in the same geographic area. While the school's performance is poor overall, it does have some bright spots, such as proficiency rates in Global History and U.S. History that are closer to the district and state averages.

Detail:

Public 9-12

2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214

(718) 333-7750

District: New York City Geographic District #21

SchoolDigger Rank:
1112^th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $17,813

Student/teacher ratio: 10.5

Number of students: 251

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

51.0%

White:

18.7%

African American:

16.7%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.3%

See top rated New York high schools

Compare Life Academy High School For Film And Music to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Life Academy High School For Film And Music ranks worse than 89.5% of high schools in New York. It also ranks last among 11 ranked high schools in the New York City Geographic District #21. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 11.91. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music 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 Life Academy High School For Film And Music is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (51%), White (18.7%), African American (16.7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Life Academy High School For Film And Music is 10.5, which is the lowest among 12 high schools in the New York City Geographic District #21! (See more...)

Compare Life Academy High School For Film And Music employs 23.7 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Life Academy High School For Film And Music is $17,813. 6 high schools in the New York City Geographic District #21 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Life Academy High School For Film And Music:

SchoolDigger ranks Life Academy High School For Film And Music 1112^th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See Life Academy High School For Film And Music in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District #21:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District #21 537^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Life Academy High School For Film And Music

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Rank History for all students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2009	48.08	652^nd	1086	40.0%
2010	15.87	972^nd	1117	13.0%
2011	20.81	951^st	1165	18.4%
2012	11.75	1046^th	1198	12.7%
2013	43.91	745^th	1217	38.8%
2014	48.71	665^th	1237	46.2%
2015	63.76	373^rd	1255	70.3%
2016	17.50	1103^rd	1255	12.1%
2017	14.43	1012^th	1221	17.1%
2018	29.25	855^th	1210	29.3%
2019	16.55	990^th	1207	18.0%
2021	1.32	515^th	519	0.8%
2022	17.15	955^th	1190	19.7%
2023	8.52	1135^th	1228	7.6%
2024	11.91	1112^th	1242	10.5%

See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	54.57	202^nd	546	63.0%
2019	32.65	394^th	565	30.3%
2022	41.65	263^rd	481	45.3%
2023	38.09	375^th	583	35.7%
2024	42.94	333^rd	637	47.7%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	45.57	556^th	1095	49.2%
2019	34.02	750^th	1132	33.7%
2022	30.09	728^th	1038	29.9%
2023	34.45	722^nd	1130	36.1%
2024	29.13	846^th	1144	26.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	30.63	837^th	1154	27.5%
2019	17.20	986^th	1179	16.4%
2022	21.87	869^th	1101	21.1%
2023	9.72	1061^st	1155	8.1%
2024	13.74	1039^th	1170	11.2%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	77.22	59^th	498	88.2%
2019	26.43	407^th	493	17.4%
2022	44.49	190^th	389	51.2%
2023	21.75	476^th	531	10.4%
2024	32.70	400^th	564	29.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	30.36	847^th	1176	28.0%
2019	13.56	1034^th	1193	13.3%
2022	21.17	884^th	1155	23.5%
2023	15.38	1008^th	1197	15.8%
2024	13.54	1085^th	1219	11.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	26.30	863^rd	1176	26.6%
2019	20.55	942^nd	1190	20.8%
2022	13.60	988^th	1154	14.4%
2023	4.78	1159^th	1191	2.7%
2024	11.43	1092^nd	1211	9.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	36.44	294^th	426	31.0%
2022	46.17	236^th	386	38.9%
2024	14.36	379^th	426	11.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	38.97	399^th	679	41.2%
2019	39.42	403^rd	686	41.3%
2022	39.44	339^th	593	42.8%
2023	15.11	613^th	671	8.6%
2024	20.89	587^th	690	14.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	41.31	450^th	791	43.1%
2019	22.55	645^th	815	20.9%
2022	14.67	677^th	760	10.9%
2023	8.79	814^th	851	4.3%
2024	12.36	802^nd	865	7.3%

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

Rank History for White students at Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	25.70	649^th	765	15.2%
2019	10.26	742^nd	793	6.4%
2022	7.88	703^rd	738	4.7%
2023	14.02	708^th	776	8.8%
2024	8.87	739^th	781	5.4%

See the entire list of Best New York High 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 teacher
Thursday, March 19, 2015

LIFE Academy High School is an ideal place for those who thrive in a warm, supportive learning environment, where students are engaged in passionate discussions and real-world problem solving. Teachers seamlessly infuse and track Common Core skills throughout each lesson and personalize instruction in order to maximize student achievement and prepare students for college and career. Complementing the instruction is our 9-12 College and Career Readiness program, which ensures that all students develop the critical non-cognitive skills and college knowledge they need to reach their long-term college and career goals. Students at LIFE also have valuable learning experience soutside the classroom through college campus visits, tours of America’s most historic landmarks, and inspiring theatrical performances. I am proud to be a part of LIFE’s thriving community. Students are supported and encouraged but also consistently challenged to become their personal best. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Life Academy High School For Film And Music

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2008	6	24	0	23	0	n/a	n/a	53
2009	20	50	5	45	1	n/a	n/a	121
2010	21	66	5	60	1	n/a	n/a	153
2011	38	92	13	75	1	0	0	219
2012	51	110	12	75	1	0	0	249
2013	48	138	10	58	0	1	0	255
2014	42	139	10	70	0	0	2	263
2015	35	138	20	71	1	0	2	267
2016	36	142	20	86	2	0	2	288
2017	40	131	23	89	4	2	5	294
2018	47	107	33	104	4	3	4	302
2019	39	91	31	116	3	2	2	284
2020	39	85	35	116	3	2	2	282
2021	23	84	23	118	0	1	4	253
2022	28	55	23	119	2	1	3	231
2023	47	42	29	128	2	2	1	251

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 Life Academy High School For Film And Music

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	53	6.2	8.5	88.7
2009	121	8.0	15.1	80.2
2010	153	14.7	10.4	n/a
2011	219	14.9	14.6	74.9
2012	249	16.2	15.3	75.5
2013	255	17.0	15.0	83.5
2014	263	15.0	17.5	87.8
2015	267	17.0	15.7	89.9
2016	288	19.0	15.1	86.5
2017	294	18.6	15.7	74.5
2018	302	21.0	14.3	77.2
2019	284	22.8	12.4	76.1
2020	282	23.6	11.9	83.7
2021	253	20.7	12.1	81.4
2022	231	20.2	11.3	81.4
2023	251	23.7	10.5	85.3

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 Life Academy High School For Film And Music

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2008	53	6.2	8.5	88.7
2009	121	8.0	15.1	80.2
2010	153	14.7	10.4	n/a
2011	219	14.9	14.6	74.9
2012	249	16.2	15.3	75.5
2013	255	17.0	15.0	83.5
2014	263	15.0	17.5	87.8
2015	267	17.0	15.7	89.9
2016	288	19.0	15.1	86.5
2017	294	18.6	15.7	74.5
2018	302	21.0	14.3	77.2
2019	284	22.8	12.4	76.1
2020	282	23.6	11.9	83.7
2021	253	20.7	12.1	81.4
2022	231	20.2	11.3	81.4
2023	251	23.7	10.5	85.3

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