MAEF Public Charter Schools

The MAEF Public Charter Schools district in Mobile, Alabama, serves 835 students across two schools: Acceleration Day and Evening Academy (a high school with 513 students) and Acceleration Preparatory Academy (a middle school with 322 students). Both schools serve a predominantly economically disadvantaged population, with over 83% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and the district ranks in the bottom 3% of Alabama districts.

Despite the low academic rankings, attendance is a clear strength. Chronic absenteeism is remarkably low at both schools—5.7% at the middle school and 6.3% at the high school—compared to the state average of 12.0%. The high school also posts a graduation rate of 91.8%, which actually exceeds the state average of 91.5%. However, proficiency rates tell a different story. At the high school, only 4.4% of 11th graders are proficient in math, 8.8% in science, and 12.5% in English—all 20-27 points below state averages. The middle school shows a similar pattern, with English proficiency (17.8% to 28.8% depending on grade) consistently outperforming math (0.8% to 5.6%) and science (23.8% in 8th grade). The most alarming figure is 8th grade math, where just 0.76% of students meet proficiency standards.

There are some encouraging signs. The middle school's 8th grade science proficiency nearly doubled in one year, jumping from 12.1% to 23.8%, and 7th grade math improved from 0.99% to 5.56%. However, most other subjects showed only marginal changes or slight declines. The high school's state ranking has fluctuated between the 8th and 13th percentile over three years, while the middle school has remained in the 4th to 7th percentile range. Neither school has earned more than one star in any year. For parents, these schools offer strong attendance and a path to graduation, but the wide achievement gaps—20 to 40 points below state averages—suggest that significant academic challenges remain, particularly in math.