Summary:
The Community School of Digital & Visual Art is the sole public charter school serving grades K-8 in Durham, North Carolina. With a relatively small student population of 181, this school stands out for its unique grade range and charter school status, but its academic performance raises significant concerns.
The school's proficiency rates on state assessments are consistently well below the state averages across grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2024-2025, the school's 3rd grade math proficiency rate was just 24%, compared to the state average of 64.1%. This poor academic performance is reflected in the school's declining statewide ranking, which has dropped from 1041 out of 1502 elementary schools in 2022-2023 to 1413 out of 1490 in 2024-2025. Despite a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 12.3 to 1, the school appears to be struggling to effectively support its students, 98.34% of whom qualified for free or reduced-price lunch in 2023-2024.
Overall, the data paints a concerning picture of the Community School of Digital & Visual Art. While the school's small size and unique grade range are notable, its consistently low academic performance and declining statewide ranking suggest that it is not meeting the needs of its predominantly economically disadvantaged student population. Further investigation would be needed to understand the root causes of the school's challenges and identify strategies for improvement.
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