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Self Development Charter School

Public, Charter Grades K-8

53^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 909 Arizona Elementary Schools

Better than 94% of Arizona elementary schools

Summary

Self Development Charter School is an exceptional elementary school in Mesa, Arizona that serves 369 students in grades K-8 and is part of the highly-ranked Self Development Charter School District. This school has consistently been among the top-performing elementary schools in the state, ranking as high as 4th out of 1,079 schools in the 2015-2016 school year.

One of the key factors that sets Self Development Charter School apart is its outstanding academic performance. The school significantly outperforms the state average on standardized tests across all grade levels and subject areas, with 92% of 5th graders proficient or better in science compared to the state average of 34%, and 88% proficient or better in English Language Arts compared to 38% statewide. The school also excels in serving diverse student populations, ranking in the top 30 in the state for White, Multi-racial, and Special Education students, and in the top 100 for Asian, African American, and Hispanic students. Additionally, Self Development Charter School maintains very low dropout rates, ranging from 3.3% to 6.1% over the past few years, which are significantly lower than the state average.

While Self Development Charter School outperforms the nearby Mesa Unified District public schools on most academic metrics, the gap is not as large as one might expect given the school's high ranking. This suggests that the school's significantly higher per-student spending, ranging from $7,524 to $9,801 over the past few years, may not be translating to dramatically better academic outcomes compared to the top-performing public schools in the area. Additionally, the school may need to focus more on addressing achievement gaps for certain student subgroups, such as Hispanic and African American students, whose performance, while still strong, does not match the school's overall exceptional results.

301

Students ?

13.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$9,801

Per pupil spending ?

Free/discounted lunch ?

1709 N Greenfield Rd
Mesa, AZ 85205-3103

(480) 641-2640

District: Self Development Charter School

Racial breakdown:

White:

38.2%

Hispanic:

29.6%

Asian:

13.6%

See top rated Arizona elementary schools

Compare Self Development Charter School to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 99th percentile in 2015 → 94th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the Arizona average (74% vs 37% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 6% of Arizona elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 5 percentile points since 2015

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school74%

District avg73%

Arizona avg37%

Elementary school

53^rd of 909

Arizona public elementary schools ?

Top 6%▼ down 5 pts since 2015

From top 1% (2015) to top 6% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

38^th of 552

Arizona public middle schools ?

Top 7%▼ down 3 pts since 2015

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

24^th of 289Self Development Charter School among Arizona districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	92.6	53 of 909	94.2%	★★★★★
2024	94.2	42 of 912	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	96.4	29 of 1245	97.7%	★★★★★
2022	90.9	55 of 1000	94.5%	★★★★★
2021	91.2	104 of 1226	91.5%	★★★★★
2019	94.3	36 of 1039	96.5%	★★★★★
2018	96.4	17 of 1109	98.5%	★★★★★
2017	97.1	15 of 1106	98.6%	★★★★★
2016	98.2	4 of 1079	99.6%	★★★★★
2015	98.5	6 of 955	99.4%	★★★★★
2014	96.4	4 of 1079	99.6%	★★★★★
2013	94.7	4 of 1158	99.7%	★★★★★
2012	92.4	14 of 1141	98.8%	★★★★★
2011	95.2	5 of 1075	99.5%	★★★★★
2010	95.5	5 of 1090	99.5%	★★★★★
2009	94.6	5 of 1062	99.5%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	81.5	63 of 607	89.6%	★★★★☆
2021	60.2	200 of 895	77.7%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	85.5	27 of 316	91.5%	★★★★★
2022	71.9	62 of 270	77.0%	★★★★☆
2021	70.4	146 of 620	76.5%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	85.6	54 of 589	90.8%	★★★★★
2024	91.4	24 of 602	96.0%	★★★★★
2023	96.5	18 of 1219	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	85.7	60 of 824	92.7%	★★★★★
2021	90.1	96 of 1219	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	38 of 862	95.6%	★★★★★
2018	94.2	34 of 1023	96.7%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	79.6	171 of 1170	85.4%	★★★★☆
2022	80.8	97 of 716	86.5%	★★★★☆
2021	80.4	141 of 1198	88.2%	★★★★☆
2018	99.3	2 of 911	99.8%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	84.8	62 of 626	90.1%	★★★★★
2024	80.0	92 of 628	85.4%	★★★★☆
2023	91.8	76 of 1216	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	88.4	48 of 830	94.2%	★★★★★
2021	87.5	134 of 1220	89.0%	★★★★☆
2019	91.2	41 of 850	95.2%	★★★★★
2018	97.0	12 of 1032	98.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	89.3	22 of 617	96.4%	★★★★★
2022	87.1	18 of 444	95.9%	★★★★★
2021	81.8	82 of 1027	92.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	82.6	67 of 820	91.8%	★★★★★
2022	88.8	11 of 145	92.4%	★★★★★
2021	68.0	175 of 1201	85.4%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	96.7	2 of 465	99.6%	★★★★★
2024	86.1	30 of 486	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	92.4	22 of 1024	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	88.2	35 of 800	95.6%	★★★★★
2021	82.7	131 of 1161	88.7%	★★★★☆
2019	85.4	37 of 595	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	89.4	39 of 720	94.6%	★★★★★

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	91.7	38 of 552	93.1%	★★★★★
2024	94.5	33 of 550	94.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	21 of 854	97.5%	★★★★★
2022	93.6	25 of 605	95.9%	★★★★★
2021	89.4	61 of 832	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	88.4	56 of 605	90.7%	★★★★★
2018	93.5	28 of 711	96.1%	★★★★★
2017	98.2	9 of 695	98.7%	★★★★★
2016	99.6	4 of 677	99.4%	★★★★★
2015	96.0	21 of 521	96.0%	★★★★★
2014	96.4	10 of 690	98.6%	★★★★★
2013	92.0	23 of 787	97.1%	★★★★★
2012	89.7	31 of 772	96.0%	★★★★★
2011	96.1	10 of 685	98.5%	★★★★★
2010	96.3	6 of 692	99.1%	★★★★★
2009	94.2	9 of 663	98.6%	★★★★★

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	69.1	75 of 573	86.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	70.5	43 of 192	77.6%	★★★★☆
2021	63.6	136 of 404	66.3%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	97.1	9 of 395	97.7%	★★★★★
2024	95.6	15 of 386	96.1%	★★★★★
2023	96.8	18 of 806	97.8%	★★★★★
2022	88.1	32 of 494	93.5%	★★★★★
2021	88.9	56 of 820	93.2%	★★★★★
2019	88.5	36 of 466	92.3%	★★★★★
2018	91.8	31 of 624	95.0%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	85.1	64 of 760	91.6%	★★★★★
2022	68.0	100 of 392	74.5%	★★★★☆
2021	89.1	39 of 802	95.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	93.3	24 of 370	93.5%	★★★★★
2023	94.5	28 of 810	96.5%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	21 of 476	95.6%	★★★★★
2021	87.6	69 of 818	91.6%	★★★★★
2019	92.2	20 of 435	95.4%	★★★★★
2018	96.2	16 of 617	97.4%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	86.5	17 of 384	95.6%	★★★★★
2022	87.4	10 of 211	95.3%	★★★★★
2021	40.7	367 of 650	43.5%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2022	90.9	5 of 36	86.1%	★★★★☆
2021	93.0	11 of 789	98.6%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2024	95.9	11 of 288	96.2%	★★★★★
2023	95.6	13 of 675	98.1%	★★★★★
2022	91.1	20 of 446	95.5%	★★★★★
2021	84.7	57 of 780	92.7%	★★★★★
2019	80.0	44 of 337	86.9%	★★★★☆
2018	79.9	61 of 436	86.0%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Elementary school

White (2025)100th percentile+5 vs school

Multi-racial (2023)96th percentile~ school

Special Education (2023)92nd percentile-6 vs school

Asian (2023)91st percentile-6 vs school

Female (2025)91st percentile-3 vs school

Male (2025)90th percentile-4 vs school

African American (2023)90th percentile-8 vs school

Hispanic (2023)85th percentile-12 vs school

Middle school

Female (2025)98th percentile+5 vs school

White (2024)96th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2023)96th percentile~ school

Male (2024)94th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2023)92nd percentile-6 vs school

African American (2021)87th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2022)86th percentile-10 vs school

Asian (2022)78th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2024-2025) ?

Science76%+44 vs state

Mathematics74%+39 vs state

English Language Arts74%+34 vs state

4.4

7 ratings · 6 written reviews

5★6

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

I've had 3 children attend the Self Development Academy Charter School here in Mesa and I consider the learning environment to be exceptional. The teachers are engaged and know each student's interests individually, the curriculum is challenging but achievable (they teach one grade level ahead, with the option to move further ahead or get more help on the basics), and the support each student gets with tutoring or reading resources or science clubs is genuinely helpful. It makes a difference that most teachers have been there for a very long time.
My oldest graduated 8th grade at SDA having already completed all her high school requirements for math - she started her freshman year at high school dual-enrolled at Mesa Community College, directly taking AP classes, and has not looked back since. My son is a different type of student - he requires special accommodations for ADHD and a vision problem, and the teachers and administration have been very supportive and encouraging. He is thriving too (and on student council this year!). All of them have developed a love of reading and learning - which is perhaps the best thing a school can give their students. Close Quote

by a parent
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

by a parent
Friday, September 4, 2015

My son is a kindergartner at Self Development Academy (formerly Self Development Charter School), and I have nothing but praise to offer this excellent school. I honestly feel such gratitude that it's tuition-free, yet, my child is receiving a private school education each and every day! He loves his teacher and he loves his classmates, as well. Every morning, he's excited to go to school and I'm so impressed by what he is learning. The curriculum is accelerated (they spend the first four weeks reviewing kindergarten-level material) and then they jump into the 1st Grade curriculum. It was a little daunting, at first, as I wondered if he could handle it, but he has more than risen to the occasion. I really credit SDA and Mrs. Haschke for that, not to mention the time we spend with him reading and reviewing homework. Speaking of, parental involvement is a must, but shouldn't it be, anyway? Thank you, SDA, for all you do to shape our little students and turn them into life-long learners. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, August 8, 2010

Self Development Charter School has been an excellent school for my children. We have been a part of the SDCS family for 7 years. Both my children continue to grow and succeed at all levels of the challenging curriculum. They offer a nurturing environment and teach to the needs of each individual. Close Quote

by a parent
Friday, May 8, 2009

The faculty really cares about the success of each child that attends the school and they work very hard to help them learn and grow. My son has been going there since kindergarten and is in 5th grade doing 6th grade work. Close Quote

by a parent
Sunday, May 3, 2009

Great School. The school staff is excellent and very attentive to the students. My kids enjoy the school and the parents are excellent. The schools mission and goals are right on point with the students learning. I definately would recommend to others.

Mike J Close Quote

Schools Near Self Development Charter School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				AASA English Language Arts (2025)						AASA Mathematics (2025)					AzSCI Science (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 7th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	AzSCI Science 8th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Self Development Charter School	Public, Charter	K-8	1709 N Greenfield Rd	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Self Development Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 641-2640	301	23	13.3		115 (38.2%)	30 (10.0%)	89 (29.6%)	41 (13.6%)	5 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (7.0%)	92.6	53^rd of 909 public elementary schools	94.2%		94.2	42^nd of 912 public elementary schools	95.4%	11	79.0	59.0	88.0	69.0	65.0	84.0	81.0	66.0	92.0	65.0	68.0	92.0	60.0	$9,801	$00	$70	$70	$5,367	$4,363	$9,731
Self Development Online Academy	Public, Virtual, Charter	K-8	1709 N Greenfield Rd	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Self Development Charter School	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	No	(480) 641-2640	2	3	.8		2 (100.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)															$00			$00
Bush Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	4925 E Ingram St	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-8500	524	35	15.1		353 (67.4%)	9 (1.7%)	122 (23.3%)	7 (1.3%)	5 (1.0%)	1 (0.2%)	27 (5.2%)	60.1	320^th of 909 public elementary schools	64.8%		51.8	393^rd of 912 public elementary schools	56.9%	73	47.0	47.0	46.0	57.0			53.0	39.0	55.0	53.0		36.0		$9,394	$653	$39	$1,346	$8,400	$301	$8,701
Legacy Traditional School - Mesa	Public, Charter	K-6	3651 E McKellips Rd	Mesa	85215	Maricopa County	Legacy Traditional School - Mesa	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 576-4000	456	26	17.5		196 (43.0%)	32 (7.0%)	182 (39.9%)	7 (1.5%)	7 (1.5%)	2 (0.4%)	30 (6.6%)	41.1	461^st of 909 public elementary schools	49.3%		48.4	419^th of 912 public elementary schools	54.1%	42	44.0	41.0	41.0				37.0	43.0	30.0			37.0			$00			$00
Entz Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4132 E Adobe St	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-7200	567	32	18.0		331 (58.4%)	24 (4.2%)	157 (27.7%)	7 (1.2%)	6 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	41 (7.2%)	74.4	211^th of 909 public elementary schools	76.8%		68.2	263^rd of 912 public elementary schools	71.2%	52	66.0	77.0	43.0	55.0			75.0	81.0	52.0	34.0		44.0		$8,131	$933	$12	$1,877	$6,836	$351	$7,187
O'Connor Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	4840 E Adobe St	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-7877	386	22	17.5		173 (44.8%)	17 (4.4%)	158 (40.9%)	7 (1.8%)	5 (1.3%)	3 (0.8%)	23 (6.0%)	22.9	658^th of 909 public elementary schools	27.6%		26.1	621^st of 912 public elementary schools	31.9%	37	24.0	28.0					39.0							$9,334	$1,025	$69	$2,120	$7,827	$411	$8,239
Mendoza Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	5831 E McLellan Rd	Mesa	85205	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-2000	402	25	15.9		242 (60.2%)	12 (3.0%)	117 (29.1%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	3 (0.7%)	22 (5.5%)	45.3	432^nd of 909 public elementary schools	52.5%		50.6	404^th of 912 public elementary schools	55.7%	28	50.0	39.0	35.0	49.0			38.0	37.0	42.0	24.0		50.0		$10,864	$841	$142	$1,824	$9,496	$385	$9,881
Ishikawa Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	2635 N 32nd St	Mesa	85213	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-7688	786	42	18.7		496 (63.1%)	11 (1.4%)	186 (23.7%)	7 (0.9%)	46 (5.9%)	2 (0.3%)	38 (4.8%)	88.3	82^nd of 909 public elementary schools	91.0%		80.3	160^th of 912 public elementary schools	82.5%	78	62.0	67.0	67.0	69.0			67.0	71.0	74.0	59.0		54.0		$6,706	$30	$03	$63	$6,346	$328	$6,674
Kaizen Education Foundation dba Vista Grove Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	2929 E McKellips Rd	Mesa	85213	Maricopa County	Kaizen Education Foundation dba Vista Grove Prepar	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 924-1500	76	12	6.3		19 (25.0%)	10 (13.2%)	33 (43.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.9%)	1 (1.3%)	10 (13.2%)								(n/a)														$21,258	$2,899	$5,820	$11,618	$7,932	$4,607	$12,539
Highland Arts Elementary	Public	PK, KG-6	3042 E Adobe St	Mesa	85213	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-7600	648	38	17.0		375 (57.9%)	44 (6.8%)	176 (27.2%)	3 (0.5%)	11 (1.7%)	5 (0.8%)	34 (5.2%)	63.7	298^th of 909 public elementary schools	67.2%		59.7	335^th of 912 public elementary schools	63.3%	37	36.0	50.0	58.0	61.0			44.0	49.0	66.0	39.0		50.0		$7,200	$563	$62	$1,188	$6,410	$165	$6,575

Frequently Asked Questions about Self Development Charter School

How many students attend Self Development Charter School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 301 students attended Self Development Charter School.

Is Self Development Charter School a good school?

Yes. Self Development Charter School ranks in the top 5.8% of Arizona elementary schools.

What district is Self Development Charter School in?

Self Development Charter School

What is the racial makeup of Self Development Charter School?

Students at Self Development Charter School are 38% White, 30% Hispanic, 14% Asian, 10% African American, 7% Two or more races, 2% American Indian.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Arizona Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.