Creative Connections Arts Academy, North Highlands CA

Original Research by School Decision on Creative Connections Arts Academy

Creative Connections Arts Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through grade twelve in North Highlands, an unincorporated working-class suburb about twelve miles northeast of Sacramento. The school enrolls a moderate number of students across its full span of grades, with a student body that is majority Latino and Black, and a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The school's stated mission centers on arts education, though the data provided does not detail program specifics or course offerings beyond the standard tested subjects.

State testing results paint a mixed picture. In English language arts, the school sits in the top quartile among Sacramento County districts on overall proficiency, with particularly stronger performance in grades seven and eight. Performance in math lags considerably behind ELA, with proficiency rates notably lower across all tested grades and a general trend toward weaker results as students progress through elementary grades. Science proficiency is the area of greatest concern, with results substantially below the county median in both tested grades. This pattern suggests students may benefit from stronger instructional support in quantitative reasoning and science, particularly in the earlier grade levels where foundational skills take root.

The comparison to county districts reveals a strength worth noting: the school's overall proficiency index ranks in the top quartile countywide, a meaningful accomplishment given the economic and demographic composition of its student body. This suggests the school is doing something right in aggregate, even as specific subject areas show room for growth. A parent evaluating the school may want to look into the specific instructional approaches in math and science, as well as what supports exist for students working below grade level in those domains.

North Highlands itself is undergoing significant change. The community, historically a post-World War II suburb anchored by the now-closed McClellan Air Force Base, is being actively redeveloped. A major infill project along Watt Avenue is advancing, with plans for thousands of new residential units, new transit-oriented development, and public improvements including the Blue Line light rail. This growth will reshape the area's character and likely affect school enrollment and community composition in coming years. The neighborhood is car-dependent, though recent Watt Avenue improvements have added sidewalks and bike infrastructure. Housing remains relatively affordable for the region, and the area draws families seeking lower costs and suburban living.

The school operates within Twin Rivers Unified School District, which faces significant transition. The district held its first-ever teacher strike in March 2026, resulting in a two-year contract with raises and expanded health benefits. That settlement addresses a documented staffing and retention crisis but reshapes district finances. Additionally, voters approved major facility bonds in 2022 that fund school modernization but create a long-term property-tax obligation for homeowners. These district-level shifts may affect resource availability and school-level stability as implementation proceeds.

The school's enrollment data reveals a community facing economic stress: more than three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, substantially above state averages. This context matters for understanding both what the school achieves and what supports students may need. Creative Connections' strength in county-level comparisons, paired with its weaker performance in math and science, suggests the school is effective in some dimensions but would benefit from strengthened curriculum and instruction in quantitative subjects. A parent considering this school should seek specifics on how the arts focus integrates with core academics, what differentiated instruction looks like for struggling learners, and whether the school has plans to address the documented math and science gaps.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=90%Cohort of 46 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 38% · ▲ 5 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 435%

School 35% · District 32% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 22% · ▲ 7 pts above district

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

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 28% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 24% · ▲ 24 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 828%

School 28% · District 20% · ▲ 8 pts above district

even with state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 35% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 35% · ▲ 6 pts above district

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

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 36% · ▲ 8 pts above district

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

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 39% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 37% · ▲ 25 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 857%

School 57% · District 35% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Science

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 17% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 821%

School 21% · District 17% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 35% · ▲ 25 pts above district

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

This schoolTwin Rivers Unified, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income36%Higher-income60%24 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income40%Higher-income55%14 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income54%Higher-income87%33 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income39%Higher-income53%15 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income30%Higher-income27%2 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income35%Higher-income87%52 pp gap