Higher Learning Academy, Sacramento CA

Original Research by School Decision on Higher Learning Academy

Higher Learning Academy is a charter school on Grace Ave. in Sacramento's 95838 zip code, serving kindergarten through twelfth grade under the umbrella of the Higher Learning Academy District, which is authorized by Twin Rivers Unified. Two things publicly reported about the school's recent history stand out for any family considering it. First, the school expanded its grade span from a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade program to include high school, meaning a student who enrolls in kindergarten can now remain at the same campus through graduation. Second, the school moved into a newly built facility on Grace Ave., an upgrade from prior quarters that earlier parent accounts described as still developing.

The school draws a racially diverse student body. Hispanic students make up the largest share, followed by Asian students, Black students, white students, students of two or more races, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students, and a small number of American Indian and Alaska Native students. An overwhelming majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school firmly in high-need territory. Data on English learner enrollment and students with IEPs were not available in what we received.

On the California state assessments, proficiency rates are low across the board and warrant plain, direct attention from any family weighing this school. In math, results at most tested grade levels are in the single digits or low double digits, with fourth grade representing the strongest showing. English language arts results are somewhat higher but still modest across all tested grades, ranging from a very small fraction in third grade up through slightly over a third of eighth graders meeting the standard. Science results mirror the math picture. Taken together, the school's overall proficiency index falls in the bottom quartile relative to districts in Sacramento County. Only one year of data is available, so trend direction cannot be assessed. A parent would do well to ask school leaders directly what instructional strategies and support structures are in place, and what trajectory the school anticipates as the high school grades mature.

The grade-level enrollment data tells its own story: the school currently shows no students in ninth through twelfth grade, even though it is formally classified as serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. The high school expansion appears to be recent and may still be in the process of building out those upper grades. Families with children entering middle school or expecting to transition to high school should ask specifically how far along that expansion is and what course offerings are currently available.

Program information was not available in the data we received. The school's charter history is rooted in the Core Knowledge curriculum framework, publicly reported in earlier descriptions, though current programmatic details would need to be confirmed directly with the school.

Housing in the zip code that covers this address runs well below the California statewide median home value, making the neighborhood considerably more accessible than much of the state. Rents have edged down slightly in recent months. The locale brief for Sacramento returned no usable detail on neighborhood character, walkability, or nearby employers before the research budget was exhausted, so we left those out rather than guess.

For a family whose child is already enrolled here, or who lives nearby and finds the location and the K-12 continuity appealing, the academic performance picture is something to engage with seriously, not to set aside. The school appears to be in a period of physical and programmatic growth, and the test results reflect real challenges that the school itself would need to speak to.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 34%

School 4% · district not reported

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

Grade 425%

School 25% · district not reported

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Grade 52%

School 2% · district not reported

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

Grade 69%

School 9% · district not reported

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 74%

School 4% · district not reported

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

Grade 84%

School 4% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 34%

School 4% · district not reported

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

Grade 427%

School 27% · district not reported

▼ 15 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · district not reported

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 616%

School 16% · district not reported

▼ 28 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 727%

School 27% · district not reported

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 12 pts below county median

Grade 837%

School 37% · district not reported

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 52%

School 2% · district not reported

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 23 pts below county median

Grade 815%

School 15% · district not reported

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 7 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.