The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in Math. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Rocketship Si Se Puede Academy
Rocketship Si Se Puede Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in San Jose, located in a low-income neighborhood where most families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The school enrolls a small but growing population, concentrated heavily in the lower grades, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and includes a meaningful share of Asian students.
The school's state test results show a clear academic challenge. Across tested grades, proficiency in English language arts averages in the low range, with fifth grade performing notably lower than third or fourth grade. Math proficiency is somewhat stronger at the fourth-grade level but drops sharply in fifth grade. Science proficiency is particularly low. When measured against the universe of districts in Santa Clara County, the school's overall proficiency index sits in the bottom quartile, well below the median. These results suggest that many students are not meeting grade-level standards in core subjects, and a parent should probe further with the school about its instructional approach and support systems for students working below grade level.
The charter's pedagogical approach is integrated into how it delivers instruction. The school operates within the Rocketship network, a national charter operator known for blending classroom teaching with computer-based learning stations to personalize practice and free up teacher time for small-group and one-on-one instruction. Families choosing this school are accepting both the charter status and this hybrid model, which differs from a traditional classroom structure. The school underwent charter renewal in 2025 for a new five-year term and was designated middle-performing under California's charter accountability standards, which provides stability for the school's continued operation.
Recent district-level shifts matter for early grades. The school's board adopted a literacy screening tool in 2025 in alignment with California's new phonics-focused reading law, which now requires screening of kindergarten through second-grade students for reading difficulties including dyslexia. This signals a move toward structured, evidence-based early reading instruction. Given the school's current performance in reading, this change may indicate the school is working to strengthen foundational literacy skills.
The neighborhood itself is part of West San Jose, a suburban, car-dependent residential area built largely in the mid-twentieth century with tree-lined streets and single-family homes. The broader city is home to major technology employers and a downtown that is undergoing significant redevelopment toward residential density, but daily life in the outer neighborhoods where this school sits remains oriented around driving. Housing values in the zip code are above the state average and have declined modestly year-over-year, while rents have ticked up. The economic context shows stable but not rising household incomes and current mortgage rates that remain elevated.
For a family considering this school, the central question is whether the combination of small class sizes, personalized computer-based practice, and small-group intervention—the model Rocketship is built on—can lift proficiency in a population where most students enter below grade level and more than four-fifths qualify for free lunch. The school offers a specific pedagogical pathway and a charter structure; its test results show that pathway has not yet closed the achievement gap at scale. A prospective parent should ask directly about reading and math curriculum choices, intervention intensity for below-grade-level students, and the school's trajectory on state assessments over time.
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