Compass Charter Schools of San Diego

Compass Charter Schools of San Diego is a K-12 alternative public charter school serving 842 students in Thousand Oaks, CA, an area with a notable concentration of similar non-traditional schools.

This school presents a complex picture for parents, with significant strengths in certain areas but serious concerns in others. On the positive side, student engagement appears high, with a chronic absenteeism rate of only 6.3%, which is far better than the state average and outperforms many nearby schools like Monte Vista (36.6%). Academically, its performance is close to state averages, with particular strengths in science and 11th-grade mathematics. However, the most alarming finding is the school's graduation rate of 63.6%, which is dramatically lower than the state average and lags behind nearly all local alternative schools, including River Oaks Academy (86.7%) and Century Academy (95.6%). Its dropout rate of 23.6% is also a major red flag.

This creates a puzzling situation where students are attending regularly but not graduating at expected rates. The school spends more per student than several comparable schools, yet this investment hasn't translated into better graduation outcomes. For parents considering this school, it's crucial to inquire about specific supports for graduation and credit recovery. The nearby success of River Oaks Academy, which serves a similar student population in the same community with much higher success, suggests that effective alternative education models are possible and could serve as a benchmark for improvement.