These Are The Best Elementary, Middle Schools On LI, New Ranking Says

LONG ISLAND, NY — Elementary schools and middle schools on Long Island are included among the best in the country, according to new rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas.

In Long Island, the top 10 elementary schools are:

1. Old Bethpage School in Old Bethpage (8th in NY)
2. Judy Jacobs Parkway Elementary School in Plainview (9th in NY)
3. Lakeville Elementary School in Great Neck (12th in NY)
4. Sea Cliff Elementary School in Sea Cliff (14th in NY)
5. Village Elementary School in Syosset (15th in NY)
6. Hewitt School in Rockville Centre (16th in NY)
7. Sylvan Avenue Elementary School (28th in NY)
8. George A. Jackson School in Jericho (31st in NY)
9. Quogue Elementary School in Quogue (32nd in NY)
10. William S. Covert School in South Hempstead (33rd in NY)

The top 10 middle schools in New York are:

1. Garden City Middle School in Garden City (T-14th in NY)
2. Jericho Middle School (T-14th in NY)
3. Willets Road School in Roslyn Heights (17th in NY)
4. Paul J. Gelinas Junior High School in Setauket (18th in NY)
5. North Shore Middle School in Glen Head (22nd in NY)
6. H.B. Mattlin Middle School in Plainview (24th in NY)
7. Roslyn Middle School in Roslyn Heights (37th in NY)
8. Great Neck South Middle School in Great Neck (38th in NY)
9. H.B. Thompson Middle School in Syosset (39th in NY)
10. South Woods Middle School in Syosset (40th in NY)

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessments of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child’s school and how well it’s doing within its community.

“Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved,” Jones said.

To be included in district-level rankings, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.