Becoming Collegiate Academy

Becoming Collegiate Academy is a very small K-4 elementary school in Jacksonville, FL, serving 205 students in the Duval district, where every student qualifies for free or reduced lunch, indicating a community facing significant economic challenges.

This school is in a severe academic crisis, ranking in the 3rd percentile statewide and earning zero stars in its first year of data. Proficiency rates across all tested subjects (3rd and 4th grade ELA and Math) are tightly clustered between 36% and 39%, showing a systemic, school-wide struggle rather than a problem in just one grade. While there is a slight upward trend from the previous year, the school still performs far below district and state averages. A major concern is the chronic absenteeism rate of 45.9%, which is nearly 50% higher than the state average and a key driver of low test scores. Despite having the highest concentration of poverty among nearby schools, Becoming Collegiate Academy spends the least per student ($10,713), compared to R. V. Daniels Elementary School ($27,312) and Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School ($15,645).

Interestingly, Andrew A. Robinson Elementary School, just 1.6 miles away, serves a similarly high-poverty population but achieves much better results, ranking in the 19th percentile with 69% proficiency in 3rd grade math. This suggests that high poverty does not have to determine low performance. Even more striking, Andrew A. Robinson has a higher chronic absenteeism rate (60%) than Becoming Collegiate Academy, yet its students who attend class perform significantly better. This points to a critical gap in instructional quality at Becoming Collegiate Academy, meaning the most urgent need may not be just more funding, but a targeted, high-impact strategy to improve teaching and learning for the students who are present.