Iowa Virtual Academy

Iowa Virtual Academy is an alternative public virtual school serving grades K-12 in the Clayton Ridge Community School District in Guttenberg, Iowa. With an enrollment of 1,166 students, the school has seen some concerning trends in recent years.

One of the most significant issues is the steady decline in Iowa Virtual Academy's 4-year graduation rates, dropping from 88.3% in 2023-2024 to just 53.8% in the same year. This is notably lower than the state-wide 4-year graduation rate for Iowa, which ranges from 69.3% to 74.7% during the same period. The Clayton Ridge Community School District, which Iowa Virtual Academy is a part of, has higher 4-year graduation rates than the virtual school, ranging from 57.4% to 66% during the same period.

Additionally, Iowa Virtual Academy has experienced high chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 19.1% to 23.7% over the past few years, which is notably higher than the state-wide chronic absenteeism rate. The school's academic performance, as measured by the percentage of students proficient or better in the ISASP (Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress) tests, is also generally lower than the state-wide and district-level averages across various grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 10th grade English Language Arts, Iowa Virtual Academy's proficiency rate was 51.5%, compared to 57.8% for the Clayton Ridge Community School District and 74.7% for the state of Iowa.