The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in Math. The lowest is 8% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Innovation Sci & Tech Academy
Innovation Sci & Tech Academy is a tuition-free, open-enrollment charter school district in Anoka County that opened its doors at the start of the 2020 school year. It was founded as a STEM-centered school with a curriculum built around transdisciplinary project-based learning, an Innovation Lab outfitted with fabrication tools, and coding instruction woven through subjects. The district currently serves students from pre-kindergarten through seventh grade, operating two schools: an elementary and a middle school. It has expanded from a single elementary campus to its current two-school structure and is working toward a full PreK-through-12 enrollment. Because it does not yet serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
The student body is small, and its composition is distinctive within the county. The overwhelming majority of students are Black, with smaller shares of Asian and White students; no other racial or ethnic groups are represented in the reported counts. Information on the share of students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, those receiving special education services, and English learners was not available. A parent may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students with those needs, particularly as the school grows.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year cover grades three through five in math and English language arts, and grade five in science. Results for grades six through eight were suppressed because the tested groups were very small, so the picture of academic performance is limited to the early elementary and upper elementary years. Proficiency rates in math declined across grades three to five, with the highest share of students meeting the state standard in grade three and a lower share in grade five. In English language arts, the pattern was different: grade three had a low proficiency rate, grade four was somewhat higher, and grade five had the highest share of students scoring proficient or above. Science results for grade five were very low, with only a small fraction of students reaching proficiency. Across all tested subjects and grades, the district’s overall proficiency index placed it below the midpoint among Anoka County’s districts, meaning that on average its students scored lower than the typical district in the county. Because each tested cohort numbered in the low tens, these results can swing meaningfully from year to year and should be interpreted with caution.
On other measures, the district stands out in a positive way. Its chronic absenteeism rate is among the lowest in the county, falling in the top quartile. That suggests most students are in school regularly, a meaningful indicator of engagement and support. Per-pupil current spending is in the upper range of county districts, reflecting a relatively high level of investment in each student.
The district’s brief history and its STEM mission are its defining features. For a family seeking a project-based, technology-infused public school option in the north metro area, Innovation Sci & Tech Academy offers a clear alternative to traditional district schools. The academic results are still developing as the school builds its program and student cohorts, and the very small testing populations make year-to-year comparisons uncertain. A parent interested in this school will want to visit, talk with staff about how the STEM focus plays out in daily instruction, and understand how the school plans to support students through the higher grades as it continues to expand. The school is young, small, and charting its own course, and that will suit some families well while giving others reason to ask closer questions about academic outcomes and the full range of student support services.
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