The top reported proficiency rate is 28% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Champion Schools
Champion Schools is a public charter school in Phoenix serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates as a regular school within the Fit Kids, Inc. charter organization. Because it does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report and no high school program data to consider.
State assessment results from the most recent testing year give a mixed picture. In English language arts, reported proficiency rates across the grades that had published results ranged from about a fifth of students to just over a third, with eighth grade posting the highest rate. In math, the pattern was similar: reported rates clustered around a quarter of students, with third grade slightly higher than that and seventh grade slightly lower. Science results were available for eighth grade, where roughly a quarter of students scored proficient. Several grade-level results in both subjects were suppressed, which often happens when the number of students tested is too small to report publicly. Looking across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index places it below the midpoint among the many districts in Maricopa County.
Because the data spans only a single testing year, there is no multi-year trend to describe. A parent would want to ask the school how these results compare with prior years and what interventions are in place for students who are not meeting benchmarks.
The student body is large for an elementary-through-middle-grade campus. The enrollment is drawn overwhelmingly from two backgrounds: the largest share of students identify as Hispanic, and a substantial second share identify as Black. White students, Asian students, and students of two or more races together make up a very small portion of the population. Information on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available in the data we reviewed. Those are important context pieces that a family would want to get directly from the school or its authorizer.
The school is located in the southern part of Phoenix, near the South Mountain area. Phoenix is a sprawling, fast-growing urban center with a diversified economy built on technology, manufacturing, tourism, and services. The neighborhood around the school is residential and car-oriented, consistent with much of the city’s wide-grid street pattern. Housing values in the zip code near the school are below the statewide benchmark for Arizona, and rents are similarly lower than the national average. Both home values and rents have seen modest declines recently, which may reflect broader market conditions rather than anything specific to this area.
The parent district, Fit Kids, Inc. dba Champion Schools, had no notable changes in the past several years related to curriculum, pedagogy, referendums, or tax measures that met the four-year lasting-impact bar used in this review. The school’s own website and public profiles were searched but did not yield additional program details. We looked for offerings such as advanced courses, arts, athletics, or before-and-after-care but found nothing in the data provided.
What this means for a parent considering the school: Champion Schools is a K-8 charter option in a large and growing metropolitan area. The academic results on state tests are below the county average, and a parent would benefit from learning about the school’s approach to closing that gap. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and Black, with a notably small share of white students. The surrounding housing market is more affordable than much of the state. Because charter schools have their own enrollment and governance rules, a parent should confirm lottery deadlines, transportation availability, and any tuition or fee policies directly with the school. The absence of reported special-program data means a family with a child who has an Individualized Education Plan or who is an English learner will need to verify directly what supports exist.
See more original research from School Decision →