Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

New rankings! Arizona test scores for the 2025-26 school year were just released — SchoolDigger posted updated rankings this week.

Be the first to know when we post new rankings!

Test scores delayed: 2026 rankings for Arizona do not yet include the AzSCI Science tests, which have not yet been released by the Arizona Department of Education

Pensar Academy

Q: Is Pensar Academy a good school?

Pensar Academy ranks 292 nd of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter Grades 4-8

292^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 536 Arizona Middle Schools

Better than 46% of Arizona middle schools

Summary

Pensar Academy is a small Phoenix middle school serving grades 4–8, with 203 students. In 2025–26, 38% of students were proficient in English Language Arts (ELA) and 23% in math; in 8th-grade science, 40% were proficient in 2024–25. The clearest story is that performance varies by grade: 8th grade is a standout, while 6th-grade ELA was 28%, compared with 49% in 8th grade.

Compared with the state, Pensar’s all-grades ELA result was 3 points lower (38% versus 41%), and math was 10 points lower (23% versus 33%). Results match the Pensar Academy district exactly. Pensar compares more favorably with nearby schools: its ELA and math results are 13 and 7 points above nearby averages of 25% and 16%, respectively. In 8th grade, its 49% ELA proficiency was higher than every nearby school’s reported result (the highest was 42%), and its 31% math proficiency was above the state’s 30% and every nearby school with a reported score. Nearby schools serve different grade spans, and two nearby 8th-grade math results are unavailable, so comparisons are not complete.

Results have shifted over time: 8th-grade science proficiency fell from 41% in 2022–23 to 27% in 2023–24, then rebounded to 40% in 2024–25. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking rose from the 45th percentile in 2023–24 to the 61st in 2024–25, then fell to the 46th in 2025–26; it gives the school 2 stars. Pensar’s student–teacher ratio is 16.2, the second-lowest among nearby schools, compared with their 24.6 average. SchoolDigger ranks the school’s Low Socio Economic Status Students at the 66th percentile, above its overall 46th percentile; its Hispanic Students ranking rose from the 49th percentile in 2022–23 to the 73rd in 2024–25. The school reported a 98% free/reduced-lunch rate in 2022–23, but nearby rates are not available.

203

Students ?

16.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

54.2%

Directly certified for free meals (2024-25) ?

6135 N Black Canyon Hwy
Phoenix, AZ 85015-1828

(602) 383-4013

District: Pensar Academy

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

74.4%

White:

11.3%

African American:

9.9%

See top rated Arizona middle schools

Compare Pensar Academy to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Recently slipping — 61st percentile in 2025 → 46th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Arizona average (30% vs 37% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped from its 61st-percentile peak (2025) to 46th (2026)

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg30%

Arizona avg37%

292^nd of 536

Arizona public middle schools ?

Bottom 46%▲ up 16 pts since 2019

From bottom 29% (2019) to bottom 46% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Arizona Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

160^th of 267Pensar Academy 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
2023	38.2	703 of 1245	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.1	633 of 1000	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	24.3	906 of 1226	26.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	22.6	796 of 1039	23.4%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	39.9	373 of 607	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2021	21.9	867 of 895	3.1%	☆☆☆☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	85.6	17 of 620	97.3%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	39.5	520 of 975	46.7%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	42.5	627 of 1219	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	43.5	486 of 824	41.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.8	894 of 1219	26.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	19.6	864 of 1023	15.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	40.7	657 of 1170	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	29.5	514 of 716	28.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	933 of 1198	22.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	25.0	538 of 709	24.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	20.0	797 of 911	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	50.5	482 of 1116	56.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	41.1	376 of 618	39.2%	★★☆☆☆
2018	24.2	670 of 820	18.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	31.4	794 of 1216	34.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	14.4	741 of 830	10.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.9	885 of 1220	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	20.4	667 of 850	21.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	16.6	906 of 1032	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	84.2	58 of 820	92.9%	★★★★★
2022	86.5	14 of 145	90.3%	★★★★★
2021	30.3	905 of 1201	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	37.3	649 of 1024	36.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.1	407 of 800	49.1%	★★☆☆☆
2021	31.5	842 of 1161	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	35.9	292 of 536	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	52.0	216 of 552	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	35.5	304 of 550	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	389 of 854	54.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	43.9	383 of 832	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	25.2	429 of 605	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	47.2	183 of 400	54.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	27.1	467 of 573	18.5%	★☆☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	41.1	566 of 606	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	33.7	484 of 806	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	43.3	398 of 820	51.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	40.4	329 of 624	47.3%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	92 of 345	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	52.3	120 of 329	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.0	384 of 760	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.5	344 of 802	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	23.0	307 of 387	20.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	39.4	301 of 543	44.6%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	112 of 328	65.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.7	72 of 344	79.1%	★★★★☆
2024	52.1	114 of 320	64.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.6	237 of 717	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.0	241 of 503	52.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2025	52.0	154 of 379	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.3	324 of 810	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.0	350 of 818	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	26.1	435 of 617	29.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	32.1	461 of 650	29.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Native American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2021	58.6	65 of 390	83.3%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	55.7	111 of 363	69.4%	★★★★☆
2021	41.9	401 of 789	49.2%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Arizona percentile	Rating
2023	55.0	268 of 675	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.6	216 of 446	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2021	67.2	205 of 780	73.7%	★★★★☆

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

Asian (2021)97th percentile+71 vs school

Special Education (2023)93rd percentile+49 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2023)57th percentile+13 vs school

Female (2023)49th percentile+5 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)47th percentile+21 vs school

Hispanic (2023)44th percentile~ school

African American (2023)39th percentile-5 vs school

White (2023)37th percentile-7 vs school

Male (2023)35th percentile-9 vs school

Middle school

Native American (2021)83rd percentile+29 vs school

Hispanic (2025)73rd percentile+12 vs school

Special Education (2023)69th percentile+15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)66th percentile+20 vs school

White (2023)60th percentile+6 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile~ school

African American (2023)54th percentile~ school

Female (2023)40th percentile-14 vs school

Multi-racial (2021)29th percentile-25 vs school

English Language Learner (2021)7th percentile-47 vs school

By subject vs Arizona (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts38%-3 vs state

Mathematics23%-10 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Pensar Academy and help other families decide.

Rate Pensar Academy

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Pensar Academy

Load more schools when map is moved

Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				AASA English Language Arts (2026)						AASA Mathematics (2026)						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	Directly certified (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	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 English Language Arts All Grades	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 7th Grade	AASA Mathematics 8th Grade	AASA Mathematics All Grades	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
Pensar Academy	Public, Charter	4-8	6135 N Black Canyon Hwy	Phoenix	85015	Maricopa County	Pensar Academy	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(602) 383-4013	203	13	16.2	54.2%	23 (11.3%)	20 (9.9%)	151 (74.4%)	3 (1.5%)	6 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	35.9	292^nd of 536 public middle schools	45.5%		52	216^th of 552 public middle schools	60.9%	76			28.0	40.0	49.0	38.0				19.0	31.0	23.0		$00			$00
Wigwam Creek Middle School	Public	5-8	4510 N 127th Ave	Litchfield Park	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 547-1100	782	37	21.1	35.0%	170 (21.7%)	89 (11.4%)	448 (57.3%)	16 (2.0%)	5 (0.6%)	5 (0.6%)	49 (6.3%)	37.4	282^nd of 536 public middle schools	47.4%		41.1	266^th of 552 public middle schools	51.8%	16			38.0	43.0	38.0	40.0			25.0	32.0	26.0	28.0	$6,767	$369	$01	$739	$5,342	$1,054	$6,396
Western Sky Middle School	Public	5-8	4095 N. 144th Ave.	Goodyear	85340	Maricopa County	Litchfield Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 535-6300	952	37	26.0	23.2%	369 (38.8%)	61 (6.4%)	423 (44.4%)	25 (2.6%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (7.1%)	49.2	220^th of 536 public middle schools	59.0%		54.3	210^th of 552 public middle schools	62.0%	10			48.0	51.0	41.0	47.0			40.0	28.0	30.0	32.0	$5,674	$240		$479	$4,868	$566	$5,434
Avondale Middle School	Public	5-8	1406 N Central Ave	Avondale	85323	Maricopa County	Avondale Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 772-4500	351	13	27.0	61.5%	29 (8.3%)	50 (14.2%)	264 (75.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.7%)	9.7	512^th of 536 public middle schools	4.5%		11.1	523^rd of 552 public middle schools	5.3%	11			15.0	18.0	24.0	19.0			11.0	9.0	12.0	11.0	$10,663	$766	$721	$2,253	$6,809	$2,366	$9,176
Imagine Avondale Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	950 North Eliseo C. Felix Jr.	Avondale	85323	Maricopa County	Imagine Avondale Middle Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 344-1730	164	3	54.6	50.0%	10 (6.1%)	20 (12.2%)	126 (76.8%)	1 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.3%)								(n/a)				27.0	42.0	28.0						11.0		$00			$00
Raul H. Castro Middle School: Academy of Fine Arts	Public	6-8	2730 N 79th Ave	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5300	545	24	22.4	60.7%	14 (2.6%)	56 (10.3%)	463 (85.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.3%)	12.6	493^rd of 536 public middle schools	8.0%		10.6	529^th of 552 public middle schools	4.2%	36				24.0	24.0	24.0					8.0	6.0	$12,164	$1,785	$486	$4,055	$8,362	$1,532	$9,894
Estrella Middle School College and Career Prep	Public	6-8	3733 N 75th Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-5400	650	32	20.3	61.8%	11 (1.7%)	22 (3.4%)	608 (93.5%)	2 (0.3%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.8%)	9.9	509^th of 536 public middle schools	5.0%		10.7	528^th of 552 public middle schools	4.3%	19				23.0	16.0	20.0				10.0	9.0	10.0	$11,768	$3,000	$403	$6,404	$6,958	$1,407	$8,365
Imagine Desert West Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	6738 W McDowell Rd	Phoenix	85035	Maricopa County	Imagine Desert West Middle Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 469-2024	437	21	20.8	63.2%	7 (1.6%)	32 (7.3%)	380 (87.0%)	3 (0.7%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	10 (2.3%)	9.8	511^th of 536 public middle schools	4.7%		7.4	548^th of 552 public middle schools	0.7%	37			20.0	17.0	16.0	18.0			17.0		12.0	11.0		$00			$00
Desert Sands Academy of Mass Communication & Journalism	Public	6-8	6308 W Campbell Ave	Phoenix	85033	Maricopa County	Cartwright Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(623) 691-4900	510	28	18.5	60.6%	14 (2.7%)	43 (8.4%)	437 (85.7%)	3 (0.6%)	10 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	8.8	519^th of 536 public middle schools	3.2%		8.1	545^th of 552 public middle schools	1.3%	26				20.0	17.0	18.0				9.0	7.0	8.0	$14,529	$2,484	$477	$5,445	$9,954	$1,614	$11,568
Santa Maria Middle School	Public	6-8	7250 W Lower Buckeye Rd	Phoenix	85043	Maricopa County	Fowler Elementary District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(623) 707-1100	591	26	22.7	43.1%	25 (4.2%)	87 (14.7%)	449 (76.0%)	8 (1.4%)	9 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (2.2%)	12.4	495^th of 536 public middle schools	7.6%		9.1	537^th of 552 public middle schools	2.7%	42			28.0	24.0	13.0	21.0			17.0	10.0		11.0		$00			$00

Frequently Asked Questions about Pensar Academy

Is Pensar Academy a good school?

Pensar Academy ranks 292^nd of 536 Arizona middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Pensar Academy?

Students at Pensar Academy are 74% Hispanic, 11% White, 10% African American, 3% American Indian, 1% Asian.

How many students attend Pensar Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 203 students attended Pensar Academy.

What district is Pensar Academy in?

Pensar Academy

Rate Pensar Academy!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

AZArizona Middle School Rankings

AZArizona District Rankings

Schools in Phoenix, AZ

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Pensar Academy!

Latest Arizona data All new data »

2025–26 AASA test scoresNewOct 13, 2026

2024–25 dropout ratesDec 2, 2025

2024–25 graduation ratesNov 7, 2025

2024–25 AASA & AzSCI test scoresOct 10, 2025

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.