Yu Ming Charter, Oakland CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Yu Ming Charter

Yu Ming Charter is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade charter school in Oakland serving a modest-sized student body drawn from across a wider area. The school sits on Chestnut Street in a part of Oakland characterized by residential blocks and neighborhood life rather than a downtown or commercial spine.

Academically, Yu Ming demonstrates strong performance in mathematics and English language arts across its tested grades. Math proficiency runs consistently high, climbing from solid ground in third grade to very strong proficiency by middle school, with seventh graders showing particularly high attainment. English language arts proficiency is strong overall, though fourth grade shows a dip compared to surrounding grades, which a parent may want to understand directly with the school. Science proficiency, measured in fifth and eighth grades, sits in the mid-to-upper range. When averaged across subjects and grades, Yu Ming's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Alameda County districts, a meaningful position.

The enrollment skews toward younger grades, with kindergarten through second grade making up roughly half the student body. Demographic composition is notably diverse, with Asian students comprising roughly half the enrollment, substantial representation from students of two or more races, and meaningful populations of Black and Hispanic students. About a third of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, suggesting moderate economic need across the enrollment.

Data on students with individualized education programs and English learners was not available, so a parent interested in special education services or English language support should ask the school directly about capacity and approach.

The school is part of the Yu Ming Charter District, a single-school district entity. No recent strategic initiatives or shifts in the district were located, so interested families may want to ask the school about any priorities underway.

Oakland itself is a patchwork of distinct neighborhoods, walkable in its core districts and business downtown but varying by location. Housing costs in the zip code have recently declined modestly, though they remain elevated by state and national standards. The city offers robust transit via BART and bus networks, strong cultural institutions, and outdoor anchors like Lake Merritt, balanced against visible economic inequality and ongoing housing affordability pressures. The charter school's position as an independent entity outside the Oakland Unified School District means no direct relationship to district-level programs or facilities, though Yu Ming serves families across Oakland and draws students who choose the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 383%

School 83% · district not reported

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

Grade 487%

School 87% · district not reported

▲ 49 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 587%

School 87% · district not reported

▲ 56 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Grade 692%

School 92% · district not reported

▲ 62 pts above state median · ▲ 61 pts above county median

Grade 797%

School 97% · district not reported

▲ 67 pts above state median · ▲ 64 pts above county median

Grade 894%

School 94% · district not reported

▲ 66 pts above state median · ▲ 61 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 381%

School 81% · district not reported

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

Grade 475%

School 75% · district not reported

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

Grade 585%

School 85% · district not reported

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

Grade 688%

School 88% · district not reported

▲ 44 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 793%

School 93% · district not reported

▲ 48 pts above state median · ▲ 44 pts above county median

Grade 894%

School 94% · district not reported

▲ 50 pts above state median · ▲ 46 pts above county median

Science

Grade 568%

School 68% · district not reported

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

Grade 877%

School 77% · district not reported

▲ 51 pts above state median · ▲ 47 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-income65%Higher-income90%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income65%Higher-income80%14 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income72%Higher-income89%17 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income69%Higher-income94%25 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income82%Higher-income98%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income69%Higher-income90%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income73%Higher-income94%21 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income61%Higher-income95%34 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income81%Higher-income96%15 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income94%Higher-income98%4 pp gap