Kipp Heartwood Academy, San Jose CA

Original Research by School Decision on Kipp Heartwood Academy

KIPP Heartwood Academy is a charter school serving grades five through eight in San Jose, located in the South King Road area of the city. The school serves a student body of about four hundred students, with a majority who are Hispanic and a substantial share who are Asian. About three-quarters of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the school's role in a working-class section of the city.

The school's recent state test results show mixed performance across subjects. In English language arts, students across all grades score above proficiency at a rate in the mid-to-high range, with grades seven particularly strong and grade five the leader. Math proficiency is broader but lower than in ELA: students across all grades cluster in the mid-range, with eighth grade the strongest performer. Science proficiency trails further, with less than three out of five students proficient at both tested grades. Overall across all tested subjects, the school's proficiency index places it above the midpoint among the other districts measured in Santa Clara County.

The school does not have graduation rate data, as is typical for middle schools that do not serve high school. State testing data does not break out separate results for students with individualized education plans or for English learners, so a parent may want to reach out to the school directly to ask about services and outcomes for those populations.

KIPP Heartwood is part of the Knowledge Is Power Program, a national charter network with a traditional school day and a culture organized around discipline, high expectations, and intensive instruction. The charter status means it operates under its own governance rather than as part of San José Unified, though it is located within the city and serves its residents.

San Jose itself is a sprawling city of diverse neighborhoods, from walkable downtown districts with cafes, galleries, and public transit to car-oriented residential neighborhoods on the east and west sides. The city's economy is dominated by technology, with Cisco and other major tech employers based there. Housing costs are high relative to state and national benchmarks, and recent downtown development has emphasized residential towers and mixed-use urban renewal around Diridon Station. The South King Road area, where the school sits, is a working and middle-class residential district away from downtown's recent high-rise construction.

Information about the school's program offerings, staffing, class sizes, and transportation was not available. A parent looking to enroll would benefit from a conversation with the school about its specific curriculum, teaching approach, and how it supports students in different achievement bands.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 562%

School 62% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Grade 659%

School 59% · district not reported

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

Grade 766%

School 66% · district not reported

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 870%

School 70% · district not reported

▲ 42 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 571%

School 71% · district not reported

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 668%

School 68% · district not reported

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

Grade 777%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 866%

School 66% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 555%

School 55% · district not reported

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

Grade 857%

School 57% · district not reported

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

This schoolDistrict average, 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 5Lower-income68%Higher-income82%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income62%Higher-income83%21 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income73%Higher-income89%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income60%Higher-income90%30 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income59%Higher-income73%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income53%Higher-income72%19 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income63%Higher-income75%12 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income66%Higher-income84%18 pp gap