North Oakland Community Charter, Oakland CA

Original Research by School Decision on North Oakland Community Charter

North Oakland Community Charter is a small elementary charter school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in the North Oakland neighborhood. The school enrolls a small student body across six grades, with a majority of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting a low-income population. The demographic composition is diverse: just over half the enrollment is Black, with a substantial Hispanic population, a smaller white population, and very small numbers of Asian students.

State test results from the most recent year show academic performance well below proficiency benchmarks. In math, proficiency rates across the tested grades (third through fifth) range from low to very low. In English language arts, results are similarly below proficiency across the grade span, with the exception of fifth-grade ELA, where proficiency sits at a noticeably higher level. Science proficiency in fifth grade is quite low. Across all subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile relative to other districts in Alameda County. A parent may want to look into the school's approach to instruction in math and early-grade literacy, recent trends in performance, and what the school identifies as priorities to address these results.

Attendance data and chronic absenteeism rates were not available, so a reader cannot assess whether attendance challenges may be a factor in test results. The school does not report special education or English learner population numbers, which limits what can be understood about its student composition and service model.

The school is located in north Oakland, a diverse urban neighborhood anchored by Lake Merritt and mixed residential and commercial corridors. Oakland itself is a patchwork of distinct districts: downtown areas with high walkability and civic institutions, classic residential neighborhoods of Craftsman homes and bungalows, and hillside areas with less walkable, car-dependent patterns. The city is home to cultural and immigrant diversity and strong neighborhood commercial nodes. Housing costs in the Oakland area are substantial, with median home values in the mid-range relative to California and notably above the national benchmark. Rental costs have drifted upward. Recent development has shifted sharply: after a period of market-rate construction, affordable housing now dominates the pipeline, with major projects underway or planned.

The school operates as a charter, which shapes its autonomy and governance structure. Beyond the data provided, little information is available about the school's specific programs, teaching model, or recent changes in leadership or staffing. A parent considering this school would benefit from a direct conversation with administrators about academic priorities, the school's theory of change in light of current test results, and any recent or planned instructional shifts.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 329%

School 29% · district not reported

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 412%

School 12% · district not reported

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · district not reported

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

Grade 418%

School 18% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 36 pts below county median

Grade 538%

School 38% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 514%

School 14% · district not reported

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below 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.