Original Research by School Decision on International Commerce High School - Phoenix
International Commerce High School - Phoenix is a small, alternative charter high school serving grades nine through twelve. It is part of a very small charter district, and as a designated alternative school, it serves a student population that may have struggled in a traditional comprehensive high school setting. The school’s grade band and type are central to understanding it, as many of the metrics used to evaluate conventional schools, such as state assessment results or a four-year graduation rate, were not available or do not apply in the same way.
Enrollment is concentrated at the upper grades, with the vast majority of students in the eleventh and twelfth grades and only a handful of ninth graders. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, white, and American Indian or Alaska Native students. Economic disadvantage data was not reported. Information on special populations, such as students with disabilities and English learners, was also not available in the profile, which is a gap a parent may want to investigate directly with the school.
Phoenix, where the school is located, is a large, sprawling urban center and one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. Its economy has shifted from agriculture to a mix of high-technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services, and it operates as a major transportation and financial hub. The city’s built environment is car-oriented, with a grid street system. Housing values in the school’s zip code have experienced a modest decline recently, and rents have also eased slightly, in a context where national home values have edged up.
The school operates under a district network, International Commerce Secondary Schools Inc., which is a small charter entity. A search for recent district-level changes, such as new programs or leadership shifts, did not turn up developments of lasting impact for a parent to consider.
The comparison data, which places the school relative to other districts in Maricopa County, indicates that a proficiency index, a four-year graduation rate, and a chronic absenteeism rate were each not applicable for this school because the entity’s own values were missing. This is a common situation for alternative schools, which may not report the same state accountability results or may have student bodies for whom a standard four-year graduation timeline is not the relevant measure. A parent should confirm with the school what academic progress and completion metrics it tracks and how it reports student outcomes.
Because the school is small and alternative, it may offer a more individualized setting for students who benefit from a non-traditional approach. However, the profile lacks detail on the specific academic programs, course offerings, or career and college pathways available. There is no information on discipline practices, staffing, or attendance. A family considering this school would need to visit, speak with staff, and ask what a typical course of study looks like, how the school supports students toward a diploma, and what post-graduation options it helps students pursue.
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