Academy of Math and Science South Mountain, Phoenix AZ

Original Research by School Decision on Academy of Math and Science South Mountain

Academy of Math and Science South Mountain is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade, located in a car-oriented corridor of Phoenix, one of the fastest-growing large cities in the country. The school functions as a regular public school under the charter model, operating as part of the Academy of Mathematics and Science South Inc. district. Publicly reported information about recent district-level changes or initiatives was limited at the time of this writing, so the narrative below focuses on what the available data shows about the school itself.

The student body is diverse but not proportionally representative of the surrounding county. The largest group of students is Hispanic, making up a substantial majority of enrollment. Black students account for a notable share, while white and Asian students are present in much smaller numbers. The school enrolls roughly classroom-sized groups at each elementary and middle-school grade, which is a typical pattern for a charter school drawing from a specific geographic area. The school does not have high school grades, so there is no graduation rate to report. 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 in the data provided; a parent may want to ask the school directly about these support structures, as they can affect how much individualized attention a child receives.

On state assessments in math and English language arts, proficiency rates for all students combined were below the midpoint when compared with other districts in Maricopa County. Across individual grade levels tested, the pattern was inconsistent. In English language arts, the share of students scoring proficient was roughly a quarter in grade three, a slightly higher share in grade four, a similar level in grade five, a notably lower share in grade six, and then back to roughly a quarter in grades seven and eight. In math, the pattern was similar, with roughly a quarter of students proficient in grades three and four, a rise in grade five, and then the proficiency rate for grades six through eight was suppressed in the data, meaning a precise figure was not reported for those grades. Science results were reported for two grade levels: a modest share of fifth graders scored proficient, while the share among eighth graders was lower. The data provided only a single year of results across most subjects and grades, so it is not possible to know from this alone whether the school’s scores are improving or declining. A family considering this school may want to examine trends with the school directly.

The school’s name signals a focus on math and science, and the data does not contradict that emphasis, though there is no detailed course catalog or program description in the materials available here. Academic performance across subjects is an area a prospective family would want to investigate further, especially given the range of grade-level results.

Housing in the immediate area around the school is somewhat more affordable than the Phoenix metro average, with home values having experienced a modest decline over the past year. Rents have held fairly steady. The neighborhood is part of a large urban grid, wide streets and open roadways, consistent with a city that grew rapidly in the late twentieth century. The city itself continues to grow, with technology, manufacturing, and services anchoring the local economy. Phoenix is home to major civic amenities including South Mountain Park, but the school’s immediate stretch of Baseline Road is a commercial corridor, not a dense walkable downtown.

This school fits a family seeking a charter option for kindergarten through eighth grade in a single location, in a part of the city where housing is relatively accessible. The academic results across tested subjects and grades are below the county median, and the absence of data on special populations and discipline makes it harder to assess the full student experience. A parent who values a math-and-science-themed curriculum and wants to learn more about the school’s approach would be well served by visiting and asking about the classroom-level practices that support that mission.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 328%

School 28% · District 29% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 27% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 32% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 325%

School 25% · District 22% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 35% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 29%

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

Grade 618%

School 18% · District 29% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 725%

School 25% · District 32% · ▼ 7 pts below district

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

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 36% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 34% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 818%

School 18% · District 32% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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