P.S. 206 Jose Celso Barbosa

P.S. 206 Jose Celso Barbosa, located in East Harlem, Manhattan, serves students in grades 3-8 and is known for fostering a distinct sense of community. Parents report that academic rigor is present across the school and appreciate the availability of workshops in both English and Spanish, highlighting a high level of community involvement and student engagement. The school occupies a building founded in 1967, named after the prominent Puerto Rican physician and political leader Jose Celso Barbosa. Academically, the school's ELA proficiency rate is at the citywide 25th percentile, and its math proficiency rate is just below this benchmark. The percentage of students participating in accelerated coursework is near the citywide median. The school offers an Algebra I Regents course for all 8th-grade students and a Computer Science for All (CS4ALL) program, including basic coding and robotics. A distinctive offering is the only 3-8 Dual Language Nest Program in New York City, which supports students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) with instruction in both English and Spanish. While some parents praise the dedicated teachers and the support provided by the ASD Nest program, others have expressed concerns regarding student behavior and the overall school environment. The school also implements a CRED (Cooperation, Responsibility, Empowerment, and Determination) system to encourage positive behavior.