Albert Einstein Academies, San Diego CA

Original Research by School Decision on Albert Einstein Academies

Albert Einstein Academies is a charter school in San Diego serving kindergarten through eighth grade. The school operates as part of a larger network that is now expanding into a unified K-12 system, with a high school opening to ninth graders in Fall 2027 and an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme arriving Fall 2026. Families considering this school need to know that a major curriculum change has just taken place: the school's signature German immersion program was formally discontinued in December 2025 after months of parent protest. The 50/50 German-English A/B-week model that had defined the school for over two decades is gone, making this an important shift for families who were drawn to the school specifically for language immersion. Some parents have already withdrawn their children in response.

Academically, the school's proficiency on California state assessments falls below the middle of the range among San Diego County schools. In English language arts, around mid-level of students are meeting proficiency standards in upper elementary and middle grades, though performance dips notably in sixth grade. Math proficiency is weaker across the board, tracking below ELA. In grade four, proficiency in both subjects reaches into the low-to-mid range; in grade three, similar levels appear in ELA while math sits lower. By sixth grade, math proficiency drops to around a quarter of students, and seventh grade shows similar struggle. Science proficiency, tested in fifth and eighth grades, sits in the mid-to-low range. While the school reported a proficiency index that places it above the median among the county's schools, the underlying numbers reveal patterns where proficiency drops as students move into middle school, particularly in mathematics.

The student body is a substantial majority Hispanic, with a sizable white enrollment and smaller Asian, Black, and multiracial populations. Roughly two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing the school in a moderate socioeconomic context. Enrollment is substantial at around mid-sized for a K-8 charter, with balanced cohorts across elementary grades and slightly larger populations in middle school.

The housing market in the 92102 zip code where the school sits reflects San Diego's overall affordability challenges. Home values are moderate for the region but remain elevated compared to national benchmarks, and rental costs have remained relatively stable with modest annual movement. This is a more affordable part of San Diego than some neighborhoods, but still carries meaningful housing cost burden for families.

The transition to a K-12 network is a structural decision families should weigh if long-term continuity matters to them. The addition of an IB programme creates a college-prep pathway through high school, which could appeal to families wanting a coherent educational arc. However, the removal of the German immersion program represents a fundamental change in what the school now offers academically and in terms of student identity. Parents may want to clarify directly with the school what German language instruction, if any, remains available and what the instructional focus is now that the immersion model is retired.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 339%

School 39% · district not reported

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

Grade 453%

School 53% · district not reported

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · district not reported

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 627%

School 27% · district not reported

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

Grade 730%

School 30% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 833%

School 33% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 341%

School 41% · district not reported

even with state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 452%

School 52% · district not reported

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 555%

School 55% · district not reported

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · district not reported

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

Grade 753%

School 53% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

Grade 850%

School 50% · district not reported

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Science

Grade 539%

School 39% · district not reported

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

Grade 833%

School 33% · district not reported

▲ 8 pts above 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income21%Higher-income54%34 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income29%Higher-income68%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income31%Higher-income70%38 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income47%24 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income46%Higher-income63%16 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income37%Higher-income63%26 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income24%Higher-income49%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income26%Higher-income71%46 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income18%Higher-income58%40 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income19%Higher-income39%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income23%Higher-income39%15 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income21%Higher-income46%24 pp gap