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ACE Empower Academy

Public, Charter Grades 5-8

2640^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 4% of California middle schools

Summary

ACE Empower Academy is a public middle school serving 189 students in grades 5-8 in San Jose, operating within its own ACE Empower Academy District, which ranks in the bottom 2% of all districts in California.

Academically, the school faces significant challenges, with proficiency rates in English, Math, and Science well below state averages and the lowest among nearby middle schools like Bridges Academy and KIPP Heartwood Academy. Its statewide ranking has also declined sharply in recent years. The school serves a student body with very high economic need, and while its per-student spending is lower than some high-performing neighbors, it has made progress in reducing chronic absenteeism.

Interesting comparisons show that despite overall struggles, the school demonstrates relative strength in supporting English Language Learner and Special Education students. Furthermore, other schools in the same network, such as ACE Esperanza Middle, achieve higher academic results with similar demographics, and high-performing schools like the KIPP campuses are located very close by, indicating that different approaches and resources can lead to different outcomes.

189

Students ?

23.5

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,415

Per pupil spending ?

93.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

625 South Sunset Ave.
San Jose, CA 95116-3423

(408) 729-3920

District: ACE Empower Academy District

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

96.8%

Asian:

3.2%

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At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 13th percentile in 2019 → 4th in 2025

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (11% vs 41% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2019

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school11%

California avg41%

2,640^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 4%▼ down 9 pts since 2019

From bottom 13% (2019) to bottom 4% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1517^th of 1,543ACE Empower Academy District among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	9.2	2640 of 2761	4.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.8	2640 of 2783	5.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	2434 of 2781	12.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.6	2472 of 2740	9.8%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	20.6	736 of 894	17.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	15.7	2356 of 2715	13.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	29.7	1066 of 1531	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	30.5	1020 of 1491	31.6%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	45.0	570 of 1478	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.1	683 of 1521	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	45.7	581 of 1540	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	56.7	82 of 363	77.4%	★★★★☆
2019	46.8	498 of 1442	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	10.0	2434 of 2533	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	10.1	2460 of 2551	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	14.5	2317 of 2531	8.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.6	2243 of 2509	10.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	22.9	578 of 738	21.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.1	1909 of 2380	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	10.7	2288 of 2395	4.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	2230 of 2388	6.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	21.6	1962 of 2374	17.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.1	2045 of 2359	13.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	19.4	1902 of 2213	14.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	11.9	2391 of 2542	5.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	13.5	2399 of 2579	7.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	22.9	2044 of 2531	19.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	18.2	2175 of 2458	11.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	30.3	523 of 721	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	21.2	1988 of 2369	16.1%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	9.4	2435 of 2534	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	12.6	2388 of 2552	6.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	19.0	2133 of 2538	16.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	14.9	2293 of 2527	9.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2021	19.8	646 of 763	15.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	11.0	2273 of 2407	5.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	73.4	227 of 1531	85.2%	★★★★☆

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)

Special Education (2023)85th percentile+73 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)61st percentile+56 vs school

Disabled (2022)30th percentile+21 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)6th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)4th percentile~ school

Female (2025)4th percentile~ school

Male (2025)4th percentile~ school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy12%-37 vs state

Mathematics11%-26 vs state

Science4%-28 vs state

★

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Schools Near ACE Empower Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)					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 (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 All Grades	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 All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
ACE Empower Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	625 South Sunset Ave.	San Jose	95116	Santa Clara County	ACE Empower Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 729-3920	189	8	23.5	93.1%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	183 (96.8%)	6 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.2	2640^th of 2761 public middle schools	4.4%		10.8	2640^th of 2783 public middle schools	5.1%		5.9	3.9	4.4	11.8	5.7	13.4	17.7	12.2	11.8	11.3	10.5	11.8	11.2	$20,415	$3,453	$16,962
Renaissance at Mathson	Public	6-8	2050 Kammerer Ave.	San Jose	95116	Santa Clara County	Alum Rock Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 928-6800	326	21	15.7	84.4%	3 (0.9%)	3 (0.9%)	270 (82.8%)	43 (13.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.9%)	4 (1.2%)	21.4	2172^nd of 2761 public middle schools	21.3%		19.8	2268^th of 2783 public middle schools	18.5%	96		21.2	21.2		25.0	26.0	33.7	28.2		9.4	18.5	19.1	15.6	$22,756	$3,052	$19,704
KIPP Heartwood Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	1250 South King Rd.	San Jose	95122	Santa Clara County	KIPP Heartwood Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 926-5477	423	24	17.4	73.5%	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	274 (64.8%)	137 (32.4%)	2 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	6 (1.4%)	90.8	259^th of 2761 public middle schools	90.6%		91.8	234^th of 2783 public middle schools	91.6%	25	55.0	56.6	55.8	71.0	67.9	77.2	65.7	70.4	62.0	58.5	66.3	69.7	64.0	$38,372	$2,906	$35,466
Kipp Prize Preparatory Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	1250 South King Rd.	San Jose	95122	Santa Clara County	Kipp Prize Preparatory Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 251-5600	416	19	21.9	80.8%	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	330 (79.3%)	79 (19.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	61	883^rd of 2761 public middle schools	68.0%		79.1	500^th of 2783 public middle schools	82.0%	383	24.5	30.9	27.5	40.6	58.9	49.5	52.1	50.3	33.0	50.5	35.4	30.9	37.7	$37,274	$2,888	$34,386
Renaissance Academy	Public	6-8	1720 Hopkins Dr.	San Jose	95122	Santa Clara County	Alum Rock Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 928-1950	348	22	15.9	81.0%	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	274 (78.7%)	56 (16.1%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.3%)	5 (1.4%)	32.2	1746^th of 2761 public middle schools	36.8%		33.5	1687^th of 2783 public middle schools	39.4%	59		25.8	25.8		41.7	39.3	29.9	36.5		27.1	17.9	22.5	22.0	$22,475	$3,088	$19,387
ACE Esperanza Middle	Public, Charter	5-8	1665 Santee Dr.	San Jose	95122	Santa Clara County	ACE Esperanza Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 729-3420	205	9	22.7	86.8%	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	183 (89.3%)	19 (9.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.0%)	22.9	2108^th of 2761 public middle schools	23.7%		15.8	2443^rd of 2783 public middle schools	12.2%	335	21.7	14.7	16.3	26.1	26.8	37.5	30.7	31.5	26.1	14.6	20.6	16.0	18.3	$17,105	$1,634	$15,471
Bridges Academy	Public	7-8	1702 Mclaughlin Ave.	San Jose	95122	Santa Clara County	Franklin-McKinley Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 283-6400	274	15	18.6	89.4%	2 (0.7%)	2 (0.7%)	208 (75.9%)	55 (20.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.7%)	5 (1.8%)	10.8	2592^nd of 2761 public middle schools	6.1%		22.2	2163^rd of 2783 public middle schools	22.3%	429		6.9	6.9			18.0	21.3	19.7			9.8	8.5	9.1	$30,681	$3,197	$27,484
Sunrise Middle	Public, Charter	5-8	1149 East Julian St.	San Jose	95116	Santa Clara County	Sunrise Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 659-4785	301	14	20.8	85.7%	11 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	266 (88.4%)	9 (3.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	13 (4.3%)	40.4	1485^th of 2761 public middle schools	46.2%		33.9	1676^th of 2783 public middle schools	39.8%	191	0.0	16.7	14.7		25.0	47.8	31.5	34.8	25.0	32.3	40.0	37.1	36.0	$17,051	$1,492	$15,559
Ocala Middle	Public	6-8	2800 Ocala Ave.	San Jose	95148	Santa Clara County	Alum Rock Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 928-8350	377	24	15.7	79.3%	5 (1.3%)	5 (1.3%)	289 (76.7%)	71 (18.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	5 (1.3%)	24.5	2032^nd of 2761 public middle schools	26.4%		27.5	1922^nd of 2783 public middle schools	30.9%	110		13.9	13.9		34.8	40.0	29.6	34.9		20.8	18.8	13.9	17.5	$23,405	$2,722	$20,683
ACE Inspire Academy	Public, Charter	5-8	1155 East Julian St.	San Jose	95116	Santa Clara County	ACE Inspire Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 295-6008	205	8	25.0	86.8%	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	199 (97.1%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.0%)	19	2270^th of 2761 public middle schools	17.8%		14.3	2498^th of 2783 public middle schools	10.2%	228	7.1	12.7	11.7	14.3	11.3	16.7	25.4	17.6	7.1	30.7	9.3	22.2	20.2	$17,992	$1,669	$16,323

Frequently Asked Questions about ACE Empower Academy

Is ACE Empower Academy a good school?

ACE Empower Academy ranks in the bottom 4.4% of California middle schools.

What is the racial makeup of ACE Empower Academy?

Students at ACE Empower Academy are 97% Hispanic, 3% Asian.

What district is ACE Empower Academy in?

ACE Empower Academy District

How many students attend ACE Empower Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 189 students attended ACE Empower Academy.

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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.