Children First Academy - Tempe, Tempe AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Children First Academy - Tempe

Children First Academy – Tempe is a charter school in Tempe, Arizona, operated by the Edkey Inc. – Sequoia Ranch School district. The school’s lifecycle status is inactive, meaning it is no longer enrolling students or operating as an active campus. Its grade span is listed as middle school only, so the school served only those grades.

State testing results are available only from the 2015-16 school year, which is the most recent data on record. In mathematics, the proportion of students scoring proficient or above varied by grade, with the highest single grade reaching roughly a quarter of students, and most grades falling well below that, with some in the single digits. In English language arts, results were similarly low, with the highest grade around a fifth of students proficient and most grades in the low teens or below. Science results, reported for grades four and eight, showed about one in twelve students proficient. Participation rates in state assessments were around four out of five students, which is below the ninety-five percent threshold that states typically target.

Because no enrollment counts, demographic breakdowns, or free-or-reduced-price lunch data are available for this school, it is not possible to characterize the student body or the share of students from low-income households. There is also no graduation rate, which is expected for a school serving only middle grades, and no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline, course access, or staffing. A parent looking at this school would find a thin set of current metrics and would want to ask the district for more recent information.

Compared to other districts across Maricopa County, the school’s overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile. That comparison is based on the 2015-16 testing year, the only year with reported results. The school’s academic performance at that time was considerably weaker than the typical district in the county.

The school is located in Tempe, an inner suburb of Phoenix whose character is heavily shaped by Arizona State University’s main campus. The northern part of the city, especially near the Valley Metro light rail line and the university, is relatively dense and urban, with high-rise buildings along Tempe Town Lake and the pedestrian-oriented Mill Avenue entertainment district. The southern part is more suburban with single-family homes and strip malls. Major shopping destinations include Arizona Mills, Tempe Marketplace, and the state’s first IKEA. Housing values in the zip code are roughly in line with statewide averages, and rents have softened slightly in recent months. The city is a major employment center anchored by ASU, State Farm, and numerous corporate headquarters including GoDaddy and Circle K.

The district itself has seen notable financial shifts over the past several years. Publicly reported data shows that per-student spending has declined while per-student revenue has grown, representing a change in the district’s financial profile that could affect resources available at its schools.

For a family or resident evaluating the area, Children First Academy – Tempe is no longer a functioning school. Its historical testing record shows low proficiency rates compared to county peers, and the available data is too sparse to give a rounded picture of student support, peer environment, or academic pathways. Anyone choosing a school in Tempe today would need to look at other active options in the Edkey network or among the many district and charter schools in the city. The district’s shifting finances are a further detail a parent may wish to discuss directly with the operator.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 13% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 30% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

Grade 717%

School 17% · District 6% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 16 pts below county median

Grade 812%

School 12% · District 5% · ▲ 7 pts above district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 314%

School 14% · District 10% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 48%

School 8% · District 20% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 42 pts below county median

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 9% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 29 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 64%

School 4% · District 21% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 39 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 722%

School 22% · District 31% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Science

Grade 48%

School 8% · district not reported

▼ 48 pts below state median · ▼ 48 pts below county median

Grade 86%

School 6% · district not reported

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

This schoolEdkey Inc. - Sequoia Ranch School (81052), same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.