The top reported proficiency rate is 77% in Math. The lowest is 39% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Notre Ecole Academy
Notre Ecole Academy is a single-school charter district serving kindergarten through fourth grade, based in Golden Valley, Minnesota. It opened in fall 2020, making it a relatively new option for families in the western Minneapolis suburbs. The school describes itself as a tuition-free French language immersion charter with a STEAM focus, emphasizing bilingual education, project-based learning, and social-emotional development. Because it is a charter, families do not need to live within a specific attendance boundary to enroll.
The district is small, with an enrollment that reflects its early elementary grade band. The student body is predominantly white, with a meaningful share of students who identify as Black, Asian, two or more races, or Hispanic. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the range of student supports offered.
State testing results are available for third grade in math and reading, and for fifth grade in math, reading, and science, though the fifth-grade results are suppressed due to small group sizes. In third grade, math proficiency was strong, with a large majority of students meeting the state's proficiency standard. Reading proficiency in third grade was lower, with a smaller share of students meeting the bar. Because the school serves only kindergarten through fourth grade, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it in the top quartile among Hennepin County's districts, a strong showing for a school that opened only a few years ago. Chronic absenteeism was reported at zero, which places the school in the top quartile for that measure as well, though the small enrollment size may be a factor in that figure.
Per-pupil spending falls in the lower half of the middle range among the county's districts, which is not unusual for a small charter with a lean administrative structure. The school's enrollment is small, serving kindergarten through fourth grade, with the largest single grade at the kindergarten level. The student body is majority white, with Black, Asian, two or more races, and Hispanic students each making up a smaller share. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are English learners was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school about the range of student supports offered.
The school is a French language immersion program with a STEAM emphasis, which is the central academic identity. For a family seeking a bilingual elementary pathway in a small school environment, this is a distinctive option. The school is a charter, so it is open to any Minnesota resident regardless of home address, which matters for families who live outside Golden Valley but want this program. Because the school only goes through fourth grade, families will need to plan for a transition to a new school for upper elementary grades. The district's per-pupil spending falls in the lower half of the middle range among Hennepin County districts, which is consistent with a small, lean charter operation.
See more original research from School Decision →