Is Birchwood Elementary School a good school?

Birchwood Elementary School ranks 392 nd of 2445 New York elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Birchwood Elementary School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 398 students attended Birchwood Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Birchwood Elementary School?

Students at Birchwood Elementary School are 62% White, 21% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 5% African American, 5% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Birchwood Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Iroquois Middle School High : Niskayuna High School

Birchwood Elementary School

Summary:

Birchwood Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Schenectady, New York, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 398 students. The school is part of the Niskayuna Central School District, which is ranked 149 out of 865 school districts in New York and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Birchwood Elementary consistently ranks among the top 20% of New York elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 238 and 392 over the past 10 years. The school's performance on state assessments is significantly higher than the state average across all grade levels and subjects, outpacing even the Niskayuna district's average. For example, in 2023-2024, Birchwood's 3rd-grade ELA proficiency rate was 60.34% compared to the state average of 42.6%, and its 4th-grade Math proficiency rate was 83.56% compared to the state average of 58.03%. Birchwood has a relatively low percentage of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with only 20.1% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch in 2022-2023, compared to the state average of around 50%. The school also maintains a relatively low student-teacher ratio, ranging from 11.3 to 13.0 over the past three years.

When comparing Birchwood Elementary to other nearby schools, it becomes clear that the school is a high-performing outlier within the Niskayuna district. While other Niskayuna schools, such as Hillside School and Rosendale School, also perform well, Birchwood maintains a slight edge in overall academic achievement. In contrast, schools in the Schenectady City School District, such as Howe Elementary and Woodlawn Elementary, have significantly lower academic performance compared to Birchwood, with proficiency rates well below the state average.

Detail:

Public K-5

897 Birchwood Ln
Schenectady, NY 12309-5317

(518) 344-2910

District: Niskayuna Central School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
392^nd of 2,445 New York Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,380

Students who attend Birchwood Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Iroquois Middle School
High:	Niskayuna High School

Student/teacher ratio: 11.3

Number of students: 398

Racial breakdown:

White:

62.1%

Asian:

20.6%

Hispanic:

6.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 20.1%

See top rated New York elementary schools

Compare Birchwood Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birchwood Elementary School ranks better than 84% of elementary schools in New York. It also ranks 2^nd among 5 ranked elementary schools in the Niskayuna Central School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.86. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Birchwood Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Niskayuna Central School District. Racial makeup is: White (62.1%), Asian (20.6%), Hispanic (6.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 20.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birchwood Elementary School is 11.3, which is the 2^nd best among 5 elementary schools in the Niskayuna Central School District. (See more...)

Compare Birchwood Elementary School employs 35 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birchwood Elementary School is $11,380, which is the lowest among 5 elementary schools in the Niskayuna Central School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birchwood Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Birchwood Elementary School 392^nd of 2445 New York public elementary schools. (See Birchwood Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

White students:

Niskayuna Central School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Niskayuna Central School District 149^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Birchwood Elementary School

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Rank History for all students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2006	81.42	276^th	2206	87.5%
2007	71.00	701^st	2219	68.4%
2008	71.46	665^th	2227	70.1%
2009	63.03	994^th	2257	56.0%
2010	80.94	321^st	2263	85.8%
2011	81.17	339^th	2286	85.2%
2012	82.10	319^th	2320	86.3%
2013	82.65	315^th	2325	86.5%
2014	79.14	401^st	2345	82.9%
2015	90.17	141^st	2352	94.0%
2016	85.31	263^rd	2366	88.9%
2017	79.52	402^nd	2386	83.2%
2018	85.20	264^th	2395	89.0%
2019	84.10	335^th	2413	86.1%
2021	85.36	238^th	2201	89.2%
2022	84.76	316^th	2434	87.0%
2023	80.15	434^th	2439	82.2%
2024	81.86	392^nd	2445	84.0%

See the entire list of New York Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2019	78.22	198^th	1859	89.3%
2021	65.24	246^th	1044	76.4%
2022	56.49	616^th	2031	69.7%
2023	43.69	957^th	2016	52.5%
2024	55.62	675^th	2110	68.0%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	58.10	695^th	2045	66.0%
2019	48.25	929^th	2032	54.3%
2021	79.16	212^th	1678	87.4%
2022	77.49	313^th	2099	85.1%
2023	67.75	513^th	2041	74.9%
2024	55.34	764^th	2078	63.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	86.44	204^th	2338	91.3%
2019	86.17	258^th	2357	89.1%
2021	82.32	259^th	1955	86.8%
2022	85.67	280^th	2401	88.3%
2023	87.47	247^th	2403	89.7%
2024	80.49	392^nd	2413	83.8%

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

Rank History for Male students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	79.46	379^th	2340	83.8%
2019	77.51	458^th	2358	80.6%
2021	82.93	243^rd	1961	87.6%
2022	82.00	339^th	2400	85.9%
2023	69.80	652^nd	2400	72.8%
2024	78.78	417^th	2411	82.7%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	80.02	82^nd	601	86.4%
2019	66.82	191^st	548	65.1%
2021	57.02	216^th	430	49.8%
2022	70.87	191^st	671	71.5%
2023	67.21	208^th	605	65.6%
2024	72.34	172^nd	662	74.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	55.32	587^th	1503	60.9%

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

Rank History for White students at Birchwood Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	70.43	378^th	1408	73.2%
2019	72.04	367^th	1338	72.6%
2021	80.17	190^th	1224	84.5%
2022	74.81	307^th	1399	78.1%
2023	65.34	467^th	1337	65.1%
2024	67.21	422^nd	1392	69.7%

See the entire list of Best New York Elementary 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

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Enrollment information for Birchwood Elementary School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1993	224	2	11	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	237
1994	270	3	13	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	287
1995	285	4	18	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1996	285	4	18	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	307
1997	299	4	14	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	320
1998	302	3	17	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	326
1999	284	2	13	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	302
2000	267	4	11	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	282
2001	264	3	19	1	0	n/a	n/a	0	287
2002	282	4	38	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	324
2003	282	4	38	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	324
2004	290	8	30	0	0	n/a	n/a	0	328
2005	298	6	29	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	337
2006	280	5	35	4	0	n/a	n/a	0	324
2007	282	4	34	3	0	n/a	n/a	0	323
2008	287	9	41	8	0	n/a	n/a	0	345
2009	274	11	46	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	333
2010	256	9	38	0	0	n/a	n/a	10	313
2011	224	7	44	2	0	0	4	0	281
2012	218	8	43	2	0	0	5	0	276
2013	203	7	46	6	0	0	9	0	271
2014	182	4	58	7	0	0	12	0	263
2015	178	8	61	8	0	0	13	0	268
2016	193	9	63	8	0	0	20	0	293
2017	200	10	79	9	0	0	20	0	318
2018	217	10	73	12	0	0	16	0	328
2019	233	6	80	20	0	0	18	0	357
2020	252	10	85	14	1	0	17	0	379
2021	260	10	81	20	1	0	18	0	390
2022	247	17	85	23	2	0	18	0	392
2023	247	20	82	27	2	0	20	0	398

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 Birchwood Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	237	12.8	18.5	n/a
1994	287	13.0	22.1	1.4
1995	307	17.7	17.3	1
1996	307	17.7	17.3	1
1997	320	19.7	16.2	1.6
1998	326	16.8	19.4	0.9
1999	302	18.7	16.1	2
2000	282	17.6	16.0	1.8
2001	287	18.0	15.9	4.2
2002	324	19.4	16.7	4
2003	324	19.4	16.7	4
2004	328	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	337	19.9	16.9	5.3
2006	324	19.0	17.1	4.3
2007	323	19.4	16.6	4.6
2008	345	18.9	18.3	5.5
2009	333	19.6	17.0	7.5
2010	313	19.4	16.0	5
2011	281	20.2	13.9	9.6
2012	276	18.4	15.0	7.2
2013	271	15.4	17.5	5.5
2014	263	15.4	17.0	4.2
2015	268	19.0	14.1	0
2016	293	19.0	15.4	9.6
2017	318	21.0	15.1	8.8
2018	328	22.0	14.9	9.8
2019	357	24.0	14.8	9.5
2020	379	27.4	13.8	12.1
2021	390	29.7	13.0	17.7
2022	392	32.3	12.1	18.1
2023	398	35.0	11.3	20.1

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 Birchwood Elementary School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1993	237	12.8	18.5	n/a
1994	287	13.0	22.1	1.4
1995	307	17.7	17.3	1
1996	307	17.7	17.3	1
1997	320	19.7	16.2	1.6
1998	326	16.8	19.4	0.9
1999	302	18.7	16.1	2
2000	282	17.6	16.0	1.8
2001	287	18.0	15.9	4.2
2002	324	19.4	16.7	4
2003	324	19.4	16.7	4
2004	328	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	337	19.9	16.9	5.3
2006	324	19.0	17.1	4.3
2007	323	19.4	16.6	4.6
2008	345	18.9	18.3	5.5
2009	333	19.6	17.0	7.5
2010	313	19.4	16.0	5
2011	281	20.2	13.9	9.6
2012	276	18.4	15.0	7.2
2013	271	15.4	17.5	5.5
2014	263	15.4	17.0	4.2
2015	268	19.0	14.1	0
2016	293	19.0	15.4	9.6
2017	318	21.0	15.1	8.8
2018	328	22.0	14.9	9.8
2019	357	24.0	14.8	9.5
2020	379	27.4	13.8	12.1
2021	390	29.7	13.0	17.7
2022	392	32.3	12.1	18.1
2023	398	35.0	11.3	20.1

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.

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