The top reported proficiency rate is 51% in Math. The lowest is 22% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Reyes Maria Ruiz Leadership Academy
Reyes Maria Ruiz Leadership Academy is a charter school in Phoenix serving pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. It operates as a single-school district under Espiritu Community Development Corp. The school sits in a south Phoenix location, within a large, fast-growing urban center that functions as a major hub for the Mountain West region. Housing values in the immediate zip code sit below both the Arizona state average and the national median, while rents have declined slightly over the past year. The area's economy is concentrated in high-technology, manufacturing, and services, anchored by Sky Harbor International Airport.
The student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with very small shares of other racial and ethnic groups represented. Data on students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, students with disabilities, and English learners were not available for this school year, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about its support programs in those areas.
Academically, the school presents a mixed picture. On the state assessments for the most recent school year, math proficiency varied noticeably by grade. Students in fourth grade demonstrated a solid level of proficiency, while third and sixth grades showed more modest results. Fifth-grade math results were not reported. In English language arts, proficiency rates were consistently lower across the tested grades, with fourth, fifth, and sixth grades all at a similar modest level; third-grade results were not reported. Science results for fifth grade were considerably lower than math outcomes for that grade. Because the school serves only elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. When compared with other districts across Maricopa County, the school's overall proficiency—averaged across all tested subjects and grades—falls below the county midpoint. The available data covers only one school year, so it is not possible to see a trend over time.
Reyes Maria Ruiz Leadership Academy is a moderately sized school for its grade band. As a charter school, it operates with some autonomy from the traditional public school system, but parents should note that charter schools in Arizona may have different admission processes and policies than district schools. No recent parent-relevant changes to the district were publicly reported in the search, and the district is essentially a single school, so its governance and administration are tightly focused on this one campus.
For a family considering this school, the academic results indicate that math performance can be strong in some grades while English language arts and science lag behind. The student population is very homogeneous in ethnicity, which can be a characteristic that some families prefer or wish to understand further. The lack of data on free lunch eligibility special education and English learner services means a parent should take the step of contacting the school directly to learn about the available supports and resources for children with diverse needs. The context of a large, growing city with a broad economic base and housing that is somewhat more affordable than the state norm rounds out the picture for families weighing this option.
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