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

Academy for Academic Excellence

Q: Is Academy for Academic Excellence a good school?

Academy for Academic Excellence ranks 1922 nd of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

1922^nd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Alternative Schools

Better than 67% of California alternative schools

Summary

The Academy for Academic Excellence (AAE) is a standout K-12 public school in Apple Valley, CA, serving about 1,500 students as its own district and consistently outperforming state averages in a region where many schools face significant challenges.

AAE differentiates itself from other local alternative schools with exceptional results: its 98.3% graduation and 0.0% dropout rates far exceed nearby schools like Mojave River Academy - Route 66 (61.7% graduation), and its chronic absenteeism rate of 8.4% is less than half the state average and dramatically lower than schools such as High Desert Premier Academy (76.5%). Academically, AAE's proficiency rates in English, math, and science are substantially higher than all local alternatives, including the next-best Snowline Academy.

Notably, AAE achieves these outstanding outcomes with efficient per-student spending ($13,411), while some lower-performing neighboring schools spend much more. The school has shown steady improvement, reducing chronic absenteeism and maintaining high graduation rates. While labeled an "alternative" school, AAE functions more like a high-performing college-preparatory academy, serving as a potential model for educational success in the High Desert area within the Academy for Academic Excellence District.

1,489

Students ?

21.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,411

Per pupil spending ?

35.5%

Free/discounted lunch ?

17500 Mana Rd.
Apple Valley, CA 92307-2181

(760) 946-5414

District: Academy for Academic Excellence District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

46.5%

White:

40.0%

Two or more races:

6.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Academy for Academic Excellence to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 81st percentile in 2022 → 81st in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (51% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (86%)

✓Above the California median (67th percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

California avg41%

Elementary school

1,922^nd of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 33%▲ up 4 pts since 2019

From top 37% (2019) to top 33% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

539^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 20%▲ up 7 pts since 2019

From top 26% (2019) to top 20% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

415^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 19%▲ up 5 pts since 2019

From top 24% (2019) to top 19% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	1922 of 5857	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.6	2169 of 5869	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.8	2100 of 5859	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	57.5	2148 of 5883	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.1	2120 of 5789	63.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	60.0	601 of 2227	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	59.9	730 of 2585	71.8%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.0	1953 of 5597	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.6	2241 of 5612	60.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	56.1	2122 of 5609	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.9	1986 of 5635	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.5	1820 of 5492	66.9%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.7	1680 of 5107	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.1	1773 of 5107	65.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.8	1955 of 5087	61.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	59.1	1682 of 5084	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.6	1314 of 4963	73.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	2022 of 5460	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	52.0	2270 of 5517	58.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.0	1874 of 5363	65.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.7	1639 of 5264	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	59.7	1795 of 5173	65.3%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.2	1779 of 5628	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.5	1954 of 5643	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	59.7	1962 of 5638	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	54.3	2227 of 5663	60.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	53.3	2300 of 5510	58.3%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	7.7	425 of 445	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.6	846 of 2847	70.3%	★★★★☆
2024	54.6	840 of 2635	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	52.5	844 of 2420	65.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	1266 of 2598	51.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.9	1626 of 2651	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	43.0	1635 of 2661	38.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	35.6	1861 of 2726	31.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	39.9	1862 of 2834	34.3%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.0	539 of 2761	80.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.2	549 of 2783	80.3%	★★★★☆
2023	69.5	687 of 2781	75.3%	★★★★☆
2022	66.3	751 of 2740	72.6%	★★★★☆
2019	68.9	715 of 2715	73.7%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	57.8	430 of 1491	71.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.8	552 of 2533	78.2%	★★★★☆
2024	77.4	489 of 2551	80.8%	★★★★☆
2023	72.5	569 of 2531	77.5%	★★★★☆
2022	63.2	751 of 2509	70.1%	★★★★☆
2019	69.4	645 of 2380	72.9%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.9	441 of 2395	81.6%	★★★★☆
2024	77.5	373 of 2388	84.4%	★★★★☆
2023	75.2	393 of 2374	83.4%	★★★★☆
2022	72.3	445 of 2359	81.1%	★★★★☆
2019	68.2	521 of 2213	76.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.6	689 of 2542	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	81.9	314 of 2579	87.8%	★★★★☆
2023	64.2	647 of 2531	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	67.4	568 of 2458	76.9%	★★★★☆
2019	73.6	421 of 2369	82.2%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	76.7	488 of 2534	80.7%	★★★★☆
2024	73.4	553 of 2552	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	64.0	731 of 2538	71.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.5	671 of 2527	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	65.0	709 of 2407	70.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	54.2	285 of 554	48.6%	★★☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.1	373 of 1566	76.2%	★★★★☆
2024	73.7	243 of 1552	84.3%	★★★★☆
2023	45.4	649 of 1531	57.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.9	405 of 1520	73.4%	★★★★☆
2024	62.2	550 of 1537	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.5	750 of 1543	51.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.0	763 of 1555	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	50.5	776 of 1602	51.6%	★★★☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	79.9	415 of 2162	80.8%	★★★★☆
2024	89.7	236 of 2159	89.1%	★★★★☆
2023	87.7	263 of 2170	87.9%	★★★★☆
2022	78.0	410 of 2123	80.7%	★★★★☆
2021	82.1	229 of 1290	82.2%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	507 of 2133	76.2%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.8	492 of 1906	74.2%	★★★★☆
2024	88.6	215 of 1915	88.8%	★★★★☆
2023	90.4	182 of 1915	90.5%	★★★★★
2022	74.5	405 of 1858	78.2%	★★★★☆
2021	76.5	229 of 1054	78.3%	★★★★☆
2019	70.4	459 of 1833	75.0%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	91.2	117 of 1900	93.8%	★★★★★
2024	91.0	125 of 1902	93.4%	★★★★★
2023	86.7	194 of 1917	89.9%	★★★★☆
2022	86.3	178 of 1861	90.4%	★★★★★
2019	66.3	502 of 1814	72.3%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	84.8	248 of 2013	87.7%	★★★★☆
2024	90.4	153 of 2026	92.4%	★★★★★
2023	85.3	249 of 2030	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	88.2	172 of 1943	91.1%	★★★★★
2021	83.8	143 of 1126	87.3%	★★★★☆
2019	82.8	242 of 1937	87.5%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	80.9	348 of 1942	82.1%	★★★★☆
2024	87.6	241 of 1948	87.6%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	337 of 1963	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	77.6	373 of 1916	80.5%	★★★★☆
2021	83.2	187 of 1122	83.3%	★★★★☆
2019	66.5	549 of 1880	70.8%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	72.9	127 of 515	75.3%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	61.9	449 of 1155	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	76.8	255 of 1173	78.3%	★★★★☆
2023	87.1	116 of 1193	90.3%	★★★★★
2022	58.2	488 of 1204	59.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.7	712 of 1222	41.7%	★★☆☆☆

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

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile+10 vs school

Special Education (2025)70th percentile+3 vs school

Male (2025)68th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)67th percentile~ school

Female (2025)65th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)63rd percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)51st percentile-16 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)4th percentile-59 vs school

Middle school

Hispanic (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Male (2025)81st percentile~ school

Female (2025)78th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)76th percentile-4 vs school

White (2025)73rd percentile-7 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)73rd percentile-8 vs school

Disabled (2019)71st percentile-3 vs school

Multi-racial (2019)49th percentile-25 vs school

High school

Hispanic (2025)94th percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)88th percentile+7 vs school

Male (2025)82nd percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2022)75th percentile-5 vs school

Female (2025)74th percentile-7 vs school

White (2025)61st percentile-20 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy59%+10 vs state

Science47%+14 vs state

Mathematics46%+9 vs state

★

No ratings yet

Be the first to rate Academy for Academic Excellence and help other families decide.

Rate Academy for Academic Excellence

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 Academy for Academic Excellence

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% DTP (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% DTP KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Academy for Academic Excellence	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	17500 Mana Rd.	Apple Valley	92307	San Bernardino County	Academy for Academic Excellence District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 946-5414	1,489	68	21.8	35.5%	595 (40.0%)	43 (2.9%)	692 (46.5%)	52 (3.5%)	4 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	103 (6.9%)								(n/a)	52.3	47.8	39.6		46.7	43.4	43.8	63.6	53.2	60.0	67.8	79.3	58.6	37.7	42.9	55.1	44.4	52.8	49.6	37.7	45.9	98.4	98.4	$13,411	$1,097	$12,314
Mojave River Academy - Route 66	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14554 Seventh St.	Victorville	92395	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Route 66 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	450	21	21.6	90.9%	92 (20.4%)	27 (6.0%)	299 (66.4%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (5.3%)								(n/a)	0.0	4.6	4.8	0.0	4.0		16.7	7.7	14.3	11.4	13.0	17.0	14.5		7.1	0.0	0.0	2.3	0.0	0.9	1.2			$11,568	$1,408	$10,160
Riverside Preparatory	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	19121 Third St.	Oro Grande	92368	San Bernardino County	Riverside Preparatory District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 243-5884	2,453	107	22.8	77.5%	354 (14.4%)	391 (15.9%)	1,552 (63.3%)	32 (1.3%)	22 (0.9%)	23 (0.9%)	79 (3.2%)								(n/a)	25.5	13.5	26.8		21.1	21.7	22.0	32.1	34.9	29.6	30.4	56.9	33.5	21.7	17.2	17.6	14.7	13.4	14.3	14.6	15.6	97.0	97.0	$13,209	$1,356	$11,853
High Desert Premier Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	21950 Nisqually Rd.	Apple Valley	92308	San Bernardino County	Apple Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 240-4252	208	14	14.9	80.8%	50 (24.0%)	10 (4.8%)	137 (65.9%)	5 (2.4%)	2 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.9%)								(n/a)		0.0	5.8	9.1	5.4					9.1	7.7	9.5	9.2					0.0	0.0	1.1	0.8			$20,702	$2,332	$18,370
Mojave River Academy - Oro Grande	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	12384 Palmdale Rd.	Victorville	92392	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Oro Grande District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	862	39	22.2	85.8%	210 (24.4%)	53 (6.1%)	540 (62.6%)	4 (0.5%)	7 (0.8%)	3 (0.3%)	40 (4.6%)								(n/a)	11.1	3.6	10.3	18.2	9.3	25.0	31.6	14.3	14.6	15.5	16.5	27.7	21.9	9.1	5.3	0.0	2.1	5.1	2.4	3.9	3.5			$11,574	$1,944	$9,630
Shadow Ridge	Public, Alternative	K-12	15776 Main St.	Hesperia	92345	San Bernardino County	Hesperia Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 949-8267	378	19	19.6	79.6%	58 (15.3%)	27 (7.1%)	277 (73.3%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (3.4%)								(n/a)	30.4	8.6	16.3		15.2	11.8	22.7	34.8	37.5	26.5	21.4	36.7	27.6	5.9	13.6	26.1	0.0	16.3	4.3	10.2	10.2			$40,108	$6,268	$33,840
Mojave River Academy - Rockview Park	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	14466 Main St.	Hesperia	92345	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Rockview Park District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	349	15	22.7	84.0%	89 (25.5%)	21 (6.0%)	215 (61.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.4%)								(n/a)	11.8	7.5	8.6		8.3		16.7	17.7	15.0	12.1	19.1	27.1	19.3		8.3	0.0	0.0	3.0	7.1	5.1	5.2			$10,918	$1,013	$9,905
Taylion High Desert Academy/Adelanto	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	11336 Bartlett Ave.	Adelanto	92301	San Bernardino County	Taylion High Desert Academy/Adelanto District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 843-6622	803	34	23.8	80.1%	153 (19.1%)	145 (18.1%)	437 (54.4%)	4 (0.5%)	9 (1.1%)	1 (0.1%)	52 (6.5%)								(n/a)	13.6	11.0	7.9		13.0	15.9	14.9	16.9	11.4	25.4	14.7	36.9	19.7	16.1	13.4	4.6	4.9	9.2	11.8	9.7	9.6			$15,778	$894	$14,884
Independence Charter Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	15350 Riverview Rd.	Helendale	92342	San Bernardino County	Helendale Elementary	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 952-1760	118	5	25.9	61.9%	36 (30.5%)	9 (7.6%)	63 (53.4%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.4%)	1 (0.8%)	4 (3.4%)								(n/a)			10.5		15.0					21.4		22.2	23.4					0.0		11.1	12.5			$44,248	$6,025	$38,223
Mojave River Academy - Marble City	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	9723 Sierra Vista Rd.	Phelan	92371	San Bernardino County	Mojave River Academy - Marble City District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 245-3222	259	11	23.7	80.7%	97 (37.5%)	2 (0.8%)	141 (54.4%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	16 (6.2%)								(n/a)	0.0	3.5	12.1		7.6			7.1	22.2	22.7	13.8	30.7	21.0			0.0	5.9	0.0	6.9	3.2	3.1			$12,282	$1,074	$11,208

Frequently Asked Questions about Academy for Academic Excellence

Is Academy for Academic Excellence a good school?

Academy for Academic Excellence ranks 1922^nd of 5857 California alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Academy for Academic Excellence?

Students at Academy for Academic Excellence are 46% Hispanic, 40% White, 7% Two or more races, 3% Asian, 3% African American.

How many students attend Academy for Academic Excellence?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,489 students attended Academy for Academic Excellence.

What district is Academy for Academic Excellence in?

Academy for Academic Excellence District

Rate Academy for Academic Excellence!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Alternative School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Apple Valley, CA

Sign up for updates!

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

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California 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.