Summary:
The Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy District consists of a single elementary school, Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy, serving grades K-8 with 645 students, which shows a recent positive trend in its statewide ranking despite facing significant challenges.
While the school's overall test scores in English, math, and science are below state averages, there are notable bright spots, particularly in upper-grade English where 7th and 8th graders perform above the state average. This contrasts with much lower performance in the younger grades and a severe struggle in 5th-grade math, which is a key area for improvement. The school serves a high-needs population, with over 80% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, and it operates with a higher-than-average student-teacher ratio and chronic absenteeism rate.
Despite these challenges, KEY Academy receives substantial per-student funding and has improved its statewide ranking by eight percentile points in the last year. The significant variation in performance between grade levels suggests that strategies from successful upper-grade classrooms could be valuable if applied more broadly, and addressing attendance and targeted academic interventions, especially in middle-grade math, could help continue this upward trajectory.
Thank you for your feedback!