Summary:
The 50020 zip code area is home to two high schools: Iowa Connections Academy High School, a public virtual school, and CAM Junior/Senior High School, a traditional public school. While both schools serve students in grades 9-12, CAM Junior/Senior High School appears to be the stronger performer, with higher statewide rankings, better test scores, and lower chronic absenteeism rates compared to Iowa Connections Academy.
CAM Junior/Senior High School outperforms Iowa Connections Academy and the overall CAM Community School District on most ISASP test score metrics, especially in math and science. For example, in 10th grade math, CAM Junior/Senior High had 63.2% proficiency compared to 38.3% at Iowa Connections Academy and 42.1% district-wide. However, both schools trail state-level proficiency rates in many subject areas, and they have relatively high chronic absenteeism rates at 21.6%, well above the state average.
The significant difference in per-student spending between the two schools, with CAM Junior/Senior High spending $14,388 compared to $8,486 at Iowa Connections Academy, may contribute to the stronger academic performance at the traditional public school. Additionally, CAM Junior/Senior High has a lower student-teacher ratio of 12.2, which could also be a factor in its better outcomes. Overall, the data suggests the traditional public school model may be more effective for this community than the virtual school approach.
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