Baltimore International Academy West

Baltimore International Academy West is a small public PK-8 school in Baltimore, MD, serving 239 students in a high-poverty area where about 74% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite having a lower poverty rate than many nearby schools, its academic performance is notably low, ranking in the bottom 7th percentile statewide for the 2025-2026 school year, with test scores in both math and English Language Arts falling well below district and state averages.

One of the most striking findings is the school's severe math crisis, especially in upper elementary grades. While 3rd-grade math proficiency (20.6%) is close to the district average, it drops sharply to 5.9% in 4th grade, 5.1% in 5th grade, and hits 0% by 6th grade—a decline more dramatic than at peers like Wildwood Elementary/Middle or Mary E. Rodman Elementary. In contrast, the school shows a bright spot in 4th-grade English Language Arts, where 29.4% of students are proficient—higher than the district average (25.6%) and the best among nearby schools, including North Bend Elementary/Middle. Overall, ELA scores (20.7% proficient) are nearly three times higher than math scores (7.9% proficient), a gap wider than at most area schools.

Another key differentiator is resource allocation: Baltimore International Academy West spends $21,171 per student, the lowest among nearby schools, compared to $37,324 at Edgewood Elementary and $31,890 at Belmont Elementary. The school's chronic absenteeism rate of 42.6% is better than the Baltimore City Public Schools district average (46.4%), yet academic outcomes remain among the worst in the area. This suggests that even when students attend, instruction may not be effectively meeting their needs, particularly in math. The school's "International Academy" name implies a specialized focus, but the data shows no academic advantage over standard neighborhood schools, raising questions about how its limited resources are used.