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ASPIRA Academy

Q: Is ASPIRA Academy a good school?

ASPIRA Academy ranks 74 th of 107 Delaware alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public, Charter, Alternative Grades K-12

74^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 107 Delaware Alternative Schools

Better than 31% of Delaware alternative schools

Summary

ASPIRA Delaware is a K-12 charter school in Newark, DE, serving 1,471 students under the Las Americas Aspira Academy district. While it is classified as an alternative school, its size and student-teacher ratio (17.1:1) are more in line with a traditional charter school than with the smaller, specialized alternative programs nearby.

Academically, ASPIRA Delaware faces significant challenges, particularly in math and science. Math proficiency rates are consistently 15-25 percentage points below state averages, and 8th-grade math sits at just 14.60% compared to 62.60% at Newark Charter School. SAT scores for 11th graders are also concerning, with math proficiency at just 5.95% versus the state's 18.16%. However, there are bright spots. The school shows genuine strength in middle school social studies, with 6th and 7th grade proficiency rates that actually exceed state averages. ELA scores are also improving steadily—3rd grade reading jumped from 17.43% to 33.61% over three years, a 93% relative improvement. The school also stands out for keeping students engaged: chronic absenteeism is just 14.4%, below the state average of 17.1% and dramatically better than other alternative schools like First State School (69.5%) or Douglass School (68.1%). The dropout rate of 2.0% is also half the state average.

For parents, the picture is mixed. ASPIRA Delaware clearly keeps kids coming to school and has found success in humanities instruction, but the math and science gaps are substantial. When compared to nearby charters like MOT Charter School or Odyssey Charter School, the achievement gap is often 40-60 percentage points. The school spends $14,228 per student—more than Newark Charter ($12,033) or MOT ($10,748)—yet achieves far lower test scores, raising questions about resource allocation. Still, the consistent improvement in ELA and strong attendance suggest a school with engaged families and a foundation that could be leveraged for future growth, especially if targeted interventions are applied to math and science instruction.

1,471

Students ?

17.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

30.2%

Free/discounted lunch ?

326 Ruthar Drive
Newark, DE 19711-8017

(302) 292-1463

District: ASPIRA Delaware

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

73.4%

African American:

13.3%

White:

10.1%

See top rated Delaware elementary schools

Compare ASPIRA Academy to nearby alternative schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 25th percentile in 2023 → 15th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Delaware average (30% vs 38% meeting standards)

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2023

!Essay scores 19 pts below the Delaware average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school30%

District avg30%

Delaware avg38%

Elementary school

74^th of 107

Delaware public elementary schools ?

Bottom 31%▼ down 5 pts since 2019

From bottom 36% (2019) to bottom 31% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

32^nd of 60

Delaware public middle schools ?

Bottom 47%▼ down 1 pts since 2019

See the entire ranking list of Delaware Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

High school

35^th of 41

Delaware public high schools ?

Bottom 15%▲ up 2 pts since 2024

See the entire ranking list of Delaware 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	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	30.6	74 of 107	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.9	72 of 109	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	20.2	85 of 106	19.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	24.2	75 of 103	27.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	28.9	69 of 104	33.7%	★★☆☆☆
2021	25.4	69 of 95	27.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	37.0	67 of 105	36.2%	★★☆☆☆
2015	47.6	55 of 108	49.1%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	57.0	22 of 68	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2022	80.9	6 of 60	90.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	36.8	15 of 21	28.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.3	16 of 22	27.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	14.0	14 of 15	6.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	8.2	18 of 18	0.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	15.9	16 of 17	5.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.5	3 of 4	25.0%	★★★★☆
2019	20.3	25 of 29	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	23.9	75 of 98	23.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	25.0	76 of 97	21.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	24.4	75 of 97	22.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	21.4	74 of 89	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	26.7	70 of 90	22.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	23.7	54 of 67	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	27.9	74 of 99	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.8	33 of 45	26.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	32.5	36 of 43	16.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	20.7	34 of 37	8.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	23.3	35 of 42	16.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	27.3	29 of 36	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	31.1	9 of 15	40.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.2	24 of 37	35.1%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	38.9	46 of 75	38.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	47.4	31 of 70	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	41.2	42 of 66	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.9	46 of 66	30.3%	★★☆☆☆
2022	30.8	47 of 62	24.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	13.9	85 of 92	7.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	28.7	69 of 98	29.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	27.7	68 of 97	29.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	15.6	86 of 97	11.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	18.3	74 of 89	16.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	19.9	74 of 90	17.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	17.9	58 of 67	13.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	40.8	62 of 99	37.4%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	32.8	56 of 78	28.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	58.7	30 of 75	60.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	33.9	62 of 82	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	40.8	32 of 60	46.7%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.2	29 of 59	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	31.3	36 of 54	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	26.2	40 of 53	24.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.3	36 of 51	29.4%	★★☆☆☆
2021	32.2	29 of 47	38.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	51.1	27 of 52	48.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	55.4	25 of 49	49.0%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	72.3	10 of 46	78.3%	★★★★☆
2025	84.4	7 of 49	85.7%	★★★★☆
2024	67.2	10 of 42	76.2%	★★★★☆
2023	66.3	11 of 43	74.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	72.5	2 of 6	66.7%	★★★★☆
2022	40.1	2 of 2	0.0%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	40.9	28 of 53	47.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	44.1	26 of 55	52.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	33.5	31 of 49	36.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	22.5	40 of 50	20.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	21.7	39 of 50	22.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	25.8	27 of 38	28.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	47.7	28 of 49	42.9%	★★☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	46.8	23 of 42	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.9	15 of 42	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	34.5	26 of 37	29.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	29.0	32 of 37	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	39.1	23 of 37	37.8%	★★☆☆☆
2021	44.3	11 of 18	38.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.8	17 of 35	51.4%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	49.0	20 of 46	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.3	14 of 48	70.8%	★★★★☆
2024	54.1	16 of 39	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	39.7	26 of 40	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2022	47.4	16 of 38	57.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	34.4	32 of 53	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2025	36.6	31 of 55	43.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	22.5	38 of 49	22.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	25.0	37 of 50	26.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	30.0	35 of 50	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2021	39.8	24 of 38	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	55.9	24 of 49	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	74.4	3 of 22	86.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2025	54.3	22 of 47	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.9	23 of 45	48.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	26.3	32 of 44	27.3%	★★☆☆☆

High school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	19.8	35 of 41	14.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	21.5	34 of 41	17.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	17.1	36 of 41	12.2%	★☆☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	17.3	34 of 39	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	11.9	37 of 40	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	22.1	31 of 39	20.5%	★☆☆☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	28.4	21 of 33	36.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	31.0	22 of 32	31.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	24.5	24 of 31	22.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Delaware percentile	Rating
2026	28.3	28 of 39	28.2%	★★☆☆☆
2025	29.5	28 of 40	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	16.8	34 of 39	12.8%	★☆☆☆☆

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

African American (2025)68th percentile+34 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)39th percentile+8 vs school

Male (2026)30th percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2026)29th percentile~ school

White (2026)28th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2026)27th percentile-4 vs school

Female (2026)23rd percentile-7 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2025)86th percentile+36 vs school

African American (2026)78th percentile+32 vs school

English Language Learner (2025)67th percentile+16 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)57th percentile+10 vs school

White (2025)53rd percentile~ school

Female (2026)47th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)45th percentile~ school

Male (2026)40th percentile-7 vs school

High school

Hispanic (2026)36th percentile+22 vs school

Male (2026)28th percentile+14 vs school

Female (2026)13th percentile~ school

By subject vs Delaware (2025-2026) ?

Social Studies44%~ state avg

English Language Arts34%-7 vs state

Essay24%-19 vs state

Mathematics20%-15 vs state

Science18%-7 vs state

1.0

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What people are saying

by a parent
Sunday, June 6, 2021

Used to be good- not anymore Close Quote

Schools Near ASPIRA Academy

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				DeSSA Science (2026)						DeSSA Social Studies (2026)						SAT English Language Arts (2026)	SAT Mathematics (2026)	SAT Essay (2026)	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts (2026)						Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)						Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
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 (2016)	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	DeSSA Science 5th Grade	DeSSA Science 8th Grade	DeSSA Science 9th Grade	DeSSA Science 10th Grade	DeSSA Science 11th Grade	DeSSA Science 12th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 4th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 5th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 6th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 7th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 8th Grade	DeSSA Social Studies 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Essay 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts 8th Grade	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	Total
ASPIRA Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	326 Ruthar Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	ASPIRA Delaware	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 292-1463	1,471	86	17.1	30.2%	149 (10.1%)	196 (13.3%)	1,080 (73.4%)	14 (1.0%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	30 (2.0%)								(n/a)	16.5			20.8			27.8	54.6	55.5	64.5	38.7	6.4	22.6	6.0	24.2	33.6	19.4	40.5	34.3	40.0	35.8	33.9	19.4	18.1	20.7	16.6	14.6
Delaware School for the Deaf	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	630 East Chestnut Hill Road	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-2301	108	39	2.7	27.3%	37 (34.3%)	33 (30.6%)	28 (25.9%)	5 (4.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (4.6%)								(n/a)
Brennen School (The)	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	144 Brennen Drive	Newark	19713	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 722-2758	419	84	4.9	26.6%	101 (24.1%)	189 (45.1%)	83 (19.8%)	27 (6.4%)	5 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.3%)								(n/a)
Meadowood Program	Public, Alternative	K-12	55A South Meadowood Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 454-3400	119	11	10.8		44 (37.0%)	36 (30.3%)	29 (24.4%)	5 (4.2%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)								(n/a)
Newark Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	200 McIntire Drive	Newark	19711	New Castle County	Newark Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 369-2001	3,109	190	16.3	7.9%	1,632 (52.5%)	471 (15.1%)	251 (8.1%)	548 (17.6%)	6 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	201 (6.5%)								(n/a)	65.4	42.2	80.0	15.4			75.0	87.6	75.3	87.1	64.6	55.1	80.1	50.4	71.7	66.3	74.6	74.8	71.7	77.2	76.8	73.8	72.5	65.8	77.1	75.5	62.6
Douglass School	Public, Alternative	1-12	1800 Prospect Road	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Christina School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 429-4146	119			63.5%	6 (5.0%)	88 (73.9%)	15 (12.6%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.5%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (5.9%)								(n/a)
Odyssey Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4409 Lancaster Pike	Wilmington	19805	New Castle County	Odyssey Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 516-8000	2,286	180	12.7	17.4%	701 (30.7%)	788 (34.5%)	229 (10.0%)	412 (18.0%)	13 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	143 (6.3%)								(n/a)	40.7	18.6	24.4				55.3	74.6	51.7	70.3	43.3	31.8	47.1	22.3	56.0	41.3	46.7	55.0	44.4	57.2	43.9	50.0	50.8	45.5	33.5	41.4	34.8
Leach (John G.) School	Public, Alternative	PK, KG-12	10 Landers Lane	New Castle	19720	New Castle County	Colonial School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 429-4055	95	15	6.3	96.4%	29 (30.5%)	41 (43.2%)	18 (18.9%)	4 (4.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.2%)								(n/a)
First State School	Public, Alternative	3-12	501 West 14th Street	Wilmington	19899	New Castle County	Red Clay Consolidated School District	No	No	No	No	(302) 320-5848	21	6	3.5	62.5%	3 (14.3%)	13 (61.9%)	2 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (14.3%)								(n/a)
MOT Charter School	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1156 Levels Road	Middletown	19709	New Castle County	MOT Charter School	Yes	No	No	Yes	(302) 376-5125	1,407	81	17.3	5.9%	585 (41.6%)	410 (29.1%)	56 (4.0%)	280 (19.9%)	9 (0.6%)	2 (0.1%)	65 (4.6%)								(n/a)	53.3			57.9			58.3	80.0	79.8	86.3	65.7	44.2	71.5	39.4	62.5	67.6	60.8	64.9	66.2	67.9	67.1	79.7	71.6	67.6	68.8	68.8	69.9

Frequently Asked Questions about ASPIRA Academy

What is the racial makeup of ASPIRA Academy?

Students at ASPIRA Academy are 73% Hispanic, 13% African American, 10% White, 2% Two or more races.

What district is ASPIRA Academy in?

ASPIRA Delaware

Is ASPIRA Academy a good school?

ASPIRA Academy ranks 74^th of 107 Delaware alternative schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend ASPIRA Academy?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,471 students attended ASPIRA Academy.

Rate ASPIRA Academy!

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Latest Delaware data All new data »

2023–24 through 2024–25 graduation ratesNewSep 29, 2026

2025–26 DeSSA, SAT & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresAug 18, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 23, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataJan 20, 2026

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