Isana Achernar Academy, Compton CA

Original Research by School Decision on Isana Achernar Academy

ISANA Achernar Academy is a small charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in Compton, a densely populated urban area in southern Los Angeles County anchored by manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing. The school's location on East El Segundo Boulevard places it within the industrial corridor that shapes much of the city's economy and built environment.

The school enrolls students across all nine grade levels, with enrollment stable across the grade band. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic profile of Compton's households. The student body is predominantly Latino, with a significant Black population; Asian, Native Hawaiian, and multiracial students make up very small numbers. The school serves as a community-based alternative within the traditional public system.

State assessment results from the most recent school year show considerable variation across grades. In English language arts, proficiency is lowest in the primary grades, where only a small fraction of students demonstrate proficiency, but improves substantially in the upper middle grades, reaching above half in seventh grade and a clear majority in eighth. Mathematics presents a different pattern: proficiency is similarly low in grades three and four, rises modestly in grade five, drops sharply in grade six, then climbs significantly in grades seven and eight. Science proficiency, tested in grades five and eight, is low in grade five but roughly a quarter of students meet the standard in grade eight. Overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places the school in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Los Angeles County.

The upward trajectory in the upper grades, particularly in English language arts where eighth graders show notably higher proficiency, suggests the school may be building stronger foundational skills as students progress. The steeper gains in seventh and eighth grade math and ELA warrant closer examination with school staff to understand what may be driving those shifts. A parent considering this school may want to discuss with administrators how they are addressing the pronounced learning gaps in the primary and early elementary grades, where proficiency is minimal, and what literacy and numeracy supports are in place for students entering the school at various levels.

Compton itself is experiencing incremental renewal through affordable housing development and transit-oriented planning around the Metro A Line station, though median household income remains below what is needed to afford newly built units without cost burden. The city's cultural identity and proximity to regional employment centers offer a rooted urban setting, though the industrial landscape and economic constraints that shape many families' circumstances are visible in the schools' demographic and economic data. For families in the area, this school represents a local option within the charter sector, with the understanding that academic outcomes will require attention to foundational skills work in the lower grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 37%

School 7% · district not reported

▼ 36 pts below state median · ▼ 39 pts below county median

Grade 49%

School 9% · district not reported

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 32 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Grade 67%

School 7% · district not reported

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

Grade 745%

School 45% · district not reported

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

Grade 833%

School 33% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 37%

School 7% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 49%

School 9% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 534%

School 34% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 620%

School 20% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

Grade 755%

School 55% · district not reported

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

Grade 867%

School 67% · district not reported

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

Science

Grade 59%

School 9% · district not reported

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

Grade 826%

School 26% · district not reported

even with state median · ▲ 2 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.