Cornerstone Charter Academy-CFA

Cornerstone Charter Academy-CFA is a large K-12 charter school in Greensboro, NC, serving 1,343 students as an alternative school operating under its own district, Cornerstone Charter Academy. The school's standout feature is consistently high academic proficiency, scoring above the North Carolina average on 17 of 18 tested subject/grade combinations, with about 81% average proficiency versus 59% statewide. Examples include 95% proficiency in 3rd-grade math, 91% in 3rd-grade reading, 90.7% in 8th-grade science, and 90.6% in English II. Strongest results appear in early grades and literacy, where 3rd-grade reading exceeds the state by 35 percentage points.

Attendance is another major strength. Cornerstone's chronic absenteeism rate is just 13.2%, compared with 24.2% statewide, and it has stayed stable between 9% and 14% for five years. Nearby schools often struggle far more: Gateway Education Center reports 69.6%, Haynes Inman Education Center 62.5%, and Doris Henderson Newcomers School 36.8%. Among large nearby charter academies, only College Prep and Leadership Academy and Revolution Academy match its attendance. Academically, Cornerstone generally surpasses Quality Education Academy, Phoenix Academy, and Triad Math and Science Academy, while NC Leadership Charter Academy posts even higher scores in several subjects.

The one clear weakness is Math I (Algebra I) End-of-Course performance, where 36.4% proficiency falls below the state's 42.1%. It is the only assessment where Cornerstone trails the state average, and it contrasts sharply with middle-grades math scores running 20+ points above the state and a 96.2% proficiency on Math III. This suggests a specific challenge at the transition into high-school math rather than a broader mathematical weakness. If Cornerstone can lift its Math I scores, it would complete an otherwise exceptionally strong academic profile for a K-12 charter school in the Greensboro area.