Tolleson Virtual Academy

Tolleson Virtual Academy is a small elementary school serving grades K-8 in the Tolleson Elementary District in Tolleson, Arizona, with a predominantly Hispanic student population. While the school shows some strengths, particularly in science, it faces significant challenges in other academic areas and student retention.

Tolleson Virtual Academy's performance is relatively strong in science, with 40% of 5th graders proficient or better on the AzSCI exam, compared to the district average of 21% and the state average of 34%. However, the school struggles in English Language Arts (ELA), with only 20-29% of students in grades 5-7 proficient or better on the AASA ELA exam, compared to the district and state averages of 23-42%. In mathematics, the school performs better than the district but still lags the state, with 40-50% of students in grades 4-5 proficient or better on the AASA math exam, compared to the district's 17-22% and the state's 36-39%. The school's statewide ranking has improved from 874 out of 1000 Arizona elementary schools in 2021-2022 to 613 out of 1245 in 2022-2023, but its overall SchoolDigger rating remains low, at 3 stars out of 5 in 2022-2023 and only 1 star in 2021-2022.

Interestingly, Tolleson Virtual Academy's Hispanic students perform relatively well, ranking 241 out of 1170 Arizona elementary schools in 2022-2023, with a 4-star rating. In contrast, the school's female students rank much lower, at 841 out of 1219 Arizona elementary schools, with a 2-star rating in 2022-2023. The school's high 4.8% dropout rate in 2021-2022 may indicate challenges in engaging and retaining students in a virtual learning environment. While Tolleson Virtual Academy's performance is generally stronger than the nearby traditional public schools in the Tolleson Elementary District, it lags behind some nearby charter schools, such as the Arts Academy at Estrella Mountain, which has higher test scores and a better statewide ranking.