Columbus Collegiate Academy

Columbus Collegiate Academy is a public charter middle school serving 240 students in grades 6-8 in Columbus, Ohio. The school is part of the Columbus Collegiate Academy District, which is ranked 617 out of 835 districts in Ohio and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While Columbus Collegiate Academy has a significantly higher percentage of African American students (71.25%) compared to the surrounding schools, its academic performance, as measured by state test proficiency rates, is generally lower than the state averages and the nearby schools. For example, in 2022-2023, the school's proficiency rates in Math and English Language Arts were significantly below the state averages. Additionally, Columbus Collegiate Academy has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 51.8% to 91.5% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the surrounding schools. As a result, the school has consistently ranked in the bottom quarter of Ohio middle schools, with a ranking between 704 and 777 out of over 1,000 schools in recent years.

The surrounding schools, such as Bexley Middle School and Columbus City Preparatory School for Girls, demonstrate that it is possible for schools in the Columbus area to achieve much higher academic performance, even with diverse student populations. This suggests that Columbus Collegiate Academy may be able to learn from the practices and strategies employed by these higher-performing schools. Additionally, the school's relatively low spending per student ($7,020 in 2018-2019) compared to some of the higher-performing nearby schools (e.g., $12,064 per student at Bexley Middle School) may be a contributing factor to its academic challenges. Addressing the unique needs of its predominantly African American student population, tackling the root causes of high absenteeism, and ensuring equitable funding and resources could be key strategies for the school to improve student outcomes and better serve its community.