The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Twin Lakes Stem Academy
Twin Lakes STEM Academy is a small, special-purpose district in Hennepin County, Minnesota that serves kindergarten through sixth grade, with a planned expansion into seventh and eighth grades. The district operates as a single school, also called Twin Lakes STEM Academy, and its grade configuration means it has no high school and therefore no graduation rate to report. The school was renamed from Tesfa International School in 2021, a change that publicly reported sources describe as reflecting a shift toward a STEM-focused curriculum that includes Project Lead The Way for science, Amplify CKLA for English language arts, and iReady Math.
The student body is small and notably homogeneous by race and ethnicity. The overwhelming majority of students are Black, with a very small number of Hispanic students, White students, and students identifying as two or more races. Free or reduced-price lunch data was not available in the records we reviewed, and information on special education identification and English learner status was also missing, so a parent would want to ask the school directly about the share of students receiving support services and how those services are structured.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year show low proficiency rates across all tested grades and subjects. In math, proficiency was very low in third grade and even lower in fourth and fifth grades; sixth grade showed a somewhat higher rate, but seventh grade had none of the tested students reach proficiency. In English language arts, the pattern was similar, with low proficiency in third and fourth grades, a higher rate in fifth grade, a stronger showing in sixth grade where just under half of students met the bar, and a lower rate again in seventh grade. Science results were available for fifth grade only, and the proficiency rate was very low. The school consistently achieved full participation on all assessments. Across tested subjects and grades, the district’s overall proficiency index placed it below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Hennepin County. A parent considering this school would want to discuss with the administration how the curriculum and instruction address these outcomes, and what recent or planned changes may affect future results.
Chronic absenteeism, a measure of how often students miss substantial instructional time, was reported at a rate that places the district below the midpoint among county districts, meaning the problem is more pronounced here than in many of its neighbors. A parent may want to ask what steps the school takes to improve attendance.
Per-pupil current spending is in the upper range among Hennepin County districts, which may reflect the costs of running a single-school district with a specialized STEM program and small enrollment. This is not a judgment of efficiency but a fact of the budget structure.
The district has publicly reported plans to expand from a K-6 to a K-8 model, adding seventh grade in the 2024-2025 school year and eighth grade in the following year, as approved by the Minnesota Department of Education and the school’s authorizer, Volunteers of America. For families currently in the school, this means they can keep their child in the same STEM-focused program through middle school rather than transferring to another district. For prospective families, it means the school will grow into a broader grade span over the next two years.
The district has no locale brief in the available data, so there is no information about the surrounding community, housing market, or local amenities. A parent should research the neighborhood or town where the school is located independently to understand the daily commute, housing options, and community context.
The school does not serve high school grades, so there are no high school course offerings such as Advanced Placement or career and technical education pathways to evaluate. For families who value a STEM-focused elementary and middle school experience, especially one where the student body is predominantly Black and the school is small enough that individual attention is plausible, Twin Lakes STEM Academy offers a clear academic identity. A parent should examine the assessment results and attendance data closely, and visit the school to see how the curriculum and support systems play out in practice.
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