University Academy

The University Academy district in Kansas City, Missouri, operates three schools: University Academy-Lower (elementary), University Academy-Middle (middle school), and University Academy-Upper (high school). The district serves a high-poverty student population, with all three schools having 100% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

Among the three schools, University Academy-Upper stands out as a relative success, ranking 184 out of 367 Missouri high schools and maintaining a strong 97.5% four-year graduation rate. The high school also performed well on the Algebra I End of Course exam, with 54.3% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 45.4%. In contrast, the elementary and middle schools in the district generally underperformed compared to state averages on the Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) tests, with proficiency rates well below the state levels.

The middle school, University Academy-Middle, achieved a 54.3% proficiency rate in 8th grade Mathematics in 2023-2024, significantly higher than the state average of 30.6%, and showed strong performance in 8th grade English Language Arts, with 50.6% of students proficient or better, compared to the state average of 42.2%. However, the middle school's overall ranking has declined from a 2-star to a 1-star rating in recent years, suggesting the need for improvement at the lower grade levels to better prepare students for success in high school.