Academy of Math and Science Peoria Advanced, Peoria AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Academy of Math and Science Peoria Advanced

Academy of Math and Science Peoria Advanced is a public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Peoria, part of the fast-growing northwest Phoenix metropolitan area. It is a regular school within the Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. charter network. Because it covers only elementary and middle school grades, the standard measures like a graduation rate do not apply, and the school has no high-school-level outcomes to report.

On state assessments, the school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades sits above the midpoint of school districts in Maricopa County, a solid position given the county's size and variety. But that aggregate picture masks a more uneven pattern. In math, proficiency is strongest in the earlier grades and then declines steadily through middle school. Reading and language arts results are similarly mixed: grade four and grade eight show noticeably higher proficiency than some of the intermediate grades. Science results, available for grades five and eight, are comparatively strong, with the eighth-grade cohort performing at a higher level than the fifth-grade cohort. A parent considering the school would want to look closely at how the school supports students as they move into the upper elementary and middle school years, where the math numbers in particular soften.

The student body is diverse. A substantial majority of students are Hispanic, with significant shares of Black and White students as well, along with smaller groups of Asian and Native American students. Data on how many students qualify for free or reduced-price meals is not available, nor are counts of students with disabilities or English learners. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its support structures for these populations, as the available profile does not cover them.

Peoria itself is a sprawling, car-dependent city that has grown rapidly from its agricultural roots into a major suburb of Phoenix. Its built environment is low-density master-planned communities, with commercial life clustered in nodes like the P83 Entertainment District and Park West. The city has been working to revitalize an Old Town area around the Peoria Center for the Performing Arts. Recent economic developments include a new semiconductor plant from Amkor Technology, part of a broader push to create an industrial and commercial corridor along Loop 303. The housing market in the area is somewhat below the state average in value, and rents have been climbing modestly. The city offers extensive parks, trails, and Lake Pleasant Regional Park, but its footprint means walkability is limited.

The charter network that operates this school, Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc., did not surface any recent district-level changes or strategic initiatives in publicly available materials, so the picture is largely one of stability at the network level.

For a family weighing this school, the key takeaway is a charter option that posts overall above-average results relative to Maricopa County districts, but with enough variation by grade and subject that it pays to examine how the school addresses the middle school years in particular. The student population is diverse and the surrounding community is a growing suburban environment with new economic development, limited public transit, and a car-oriented layout. Parents who value a charter school with a math and science emphasis and a student body that reflects the area's diversity may find it a good fit, though the gaps in available data on economic status and special populations mean a direct conversation with the school would be useful before deciding.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 29% · ▲ 15 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 2 pts below county median

Grade 449%

School 49% · District 27% · ▲ 22 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · District 32% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 635%

School 35% · District 20% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 732%

School 32% · District 18% · ▲ 14 pts above district

even with state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 827%

School 27% · District 23% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 22% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 35% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 29% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

Grade 639%

School 39% · District 29% · ▲ 10 pts above district

▼ 4 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 740%

School 40% · District 32% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 36% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Science

Grade 549%

School 49% · District 34% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 32% · ▲ 28 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

This schoolAcademy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. (90878), 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.