Math and Science Success Academy, Tucson AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Math and Science Success Academy

Math and Science Success Academy is a charter school in Tucson serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It operates as its own single-school district, the Math and Science Success Academy Inc., and is classified as a regular public school. The school is located on West Lerdo Road in the southern part of the city.

The student body is predominantly Hispanic, with that group making up the large majority of the enrollment. The remaining students are a mix of American Indian or Alaska Native, White, Black, and Asian, along with a very small number of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students. The total enrollment is sizable for a K-8 school, and the grade-level counts are relatively balanced from first through eighth grade, with a slightly smaller kindergarten cohort. Data on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners was not available.

State testing results for the most recent school year show that proficiency rates in math were below the midpoint among tested districts in Pima County, where this school sits. Across the tested grades, the share of students meeting the state's proficiency bar in math was modest, with the highest rates in third grade and the lowest in fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency rates were also modest, with seventh graders reaching the highest level and fifth graders the lowest. Science results, available for fifth and eighth graders, showed a similar pattern. Because the school does not serve high school grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The school’s overall proficiency index across all tested subjects and grades placed it just above the midpoint relative to all districts in Pima County. Only a single year of comparable assessment data was available, so there is no trend to speak of yet.

Tucson, where the school is located, is a major desert city and the second-largest in Arizona. It has a historic downtown core that has undergone revitalization, anchored by the University of Arizona campus immediately adjacent to it. The Sun Link streetcar connects these two areas. Outside of this central corridor, the city is sprawling and automobile-dependent, with wide arterial roads and suburban-style development. The school sits in this more suburban context, away from the denser downtown core. The local economy is driven by the university, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on the city's southeastern edge, and a cluster of optics and technology industries. The metropolitan area has seen continued population growth, with suburban expansion to the northwest and south.

Because Math and Science Success Academy is its own independent charter district, there were no district-level strategic priorities, budget referendums, or boundary changes to report. The school functions as a standalone entity within the larger Tucson metro area. For a family considering this school, the core question will likely be whether the academic profile and the focused charter environment are the right fit. The testing results point to an area where a parent may want to ask the school directly about its curriculum and instructional strategies, particularly in math and reading. The school's name signals an emphasis on math and science, though the testing data shows those subjects are areas of relative challenge. The student population is largely homogeneous by ethnicity, which may be a consideration for families seeking a more diverse peer environment. The school's location in southern Tucson places it within reach of the city's broader amenities and employment centers, though the commute will depend on where in the metro area a family lives.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 29%

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 17% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 634%

School 34% · District 34%

▼ 2 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

Grade 736%

School 36% · District 35% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 4 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 823%

School 23% · District 22% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 9 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 330%

School 30% · District 29% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 446%

School 46% · District 46%

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 25% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 42% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · even with county median

Grade 754%

School 54% · District 56% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 39% · ▲ 1 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 26%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 34%

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

This schoolMath and Science Success Academy Inc. (89852), 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.