Cornerstone Charter School

Cornerstone Charter School is a small public charter high school serving around 150 students in grades 9-12 in Phoenix, AZ. The school has a predominantly Hispanic student population and has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-20% of Arizona high schools in recent years, receiving 0-1 out of 5 stars.

Cornerstone Charter School faces significant challenges, with extremely low academic performance, high dropout rates, and low graduation rates. In the 2022-2023 school year, only 3% of 11th-grade students were proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics, compared to the state averages of 40% and 32%, respectively. The school's four-year graduation rates have been very low, ranging from 20.7% to 39.3% over the past several years. Additionally, the school serves a high-need population, with around 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Interestingly, the school's performance varies across different student subgroups, with African American and Native American students performing relatively better than their Hispanic and White peers. However, the school is located in close proximity to several other charter and public high schools, such as Kaizen Education Foundation dba Maya High School, Empower College Prep High School, and Washington High School, which generally outperform Cornerstone Charter School on key metrics. The school's consistent low performance and lack of improvement over the years suggest potential challenges with school leadership, instructional quality, and access to adequate resources.