The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in English language arts. The lowest is 6% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on The Journey School
The Journey School is a small kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter district in Ramsey County that sits well apart from the typical suburban or urban school profile in this part of Minnesota. It serves a student population that is predominantly Black, with a sizable share of students who are Hispanic or identify as two or more races. The enrollment is very small for a district, and the school operates two campuses, one called The Journey School and another called The Journey School Middle.
State testing results for the most recent school year show that proficiency rates in math, reading, and science are very low across the grades where data was reported. In third-grade math, only a small fraction of students scored at the proficient level or above. In fourth-grade math, the rate was somewhat higher but still very modest. In fifth-grade math, no students reached proficiency, and the same was true in sixth-grade math. The pattern in English language arts was similar: third-grade results were zero percent proficient, fourth-grade results were under a fifth of students, fifth-grade came in at just over a quarter, and sixth-grade fell to a very low figure. Science results, available for fifth grade, showed a rate that was also very low. Results for seventh and eighth grade were suppressed by the state, likely because the tested group was too small to report; this often happens in a district this size, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those years.
On the comparison set that places it among Ramsey County's districts, The Journey School sits in the bottom quartile for overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades. The chronic absenteeism rate is above the midpoint for the county's districts, meaning a substantial share of students are missing enough school to draw attention. Per-pupil spending, however, is in the upper range among the county's districts, which means the school is putting comparatively more money per student into its operations than many of its neighbors.
The district's own publicly reported materials describe a blended learning model that integrates technology into classrooms for personalized, individualized instruction. The school opened in the fall of a figure not provided in the data we worked with, and it is currently enrolling for the upcoming school year. Outside of that, we found little in the way of news about major curriculum changes, leadership turnover, or facility developments, so a parent who wants to understand recent direction should plan to ask the school directly.
Because The Journey School serves only grades kindergarten through eight, it does not have a four-year graduation rate to consider. That is a structural feature of the grade band, not a missing indicator of performance. The same applies to any programming that typically belongs to high schools, such as advanced placement or career and technical certification; those are not part of this district's mission.
For a family considering this school, the test results and attendance patterns are the main facts to weigh. The school's small size means each child is known individually, and the blended-learning model is the core academic promise. A parent who values that approach and is comfortable with the academic profile as it stands may find the right fit. A parent whose priority is high measured proficiency or low absenteeism will want to investigate further, and may want to speak with current families or the school staff about how instruction and support are structured in practice.
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