Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering, Lancaster CA

Original Research by School Decision on Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering

Fulton and Alsbury Academy of Arts and Engineering is a middle school serving grades six through eight in Lancaster, a mid-sized charter city in the Antelope Valley's high-desert landscape. The school is part of Lancaster Elementary School District and enrolls about that size across its three grade levels, with enrollment divided fairly evenly among sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.

The student body reflects the broader Lancaster community. A large share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the enrollment is diverse across racial and ethnic lines, with white and Hispanic students each representing substantial portions of the school's population, alongside African American students and smaller groups of other backgrounds. Data on English learner and special education populations was not available.

On state testing in English language arts, students show stronger relative performance. Sixth graders posted proficiency results just above half, and both seventh and eighth graders reached proficiency closer to six in ten students. Math proficiency is notably lower across all grades, with sixth-grade math results sitting at a quarter of students proficient, while seventh and eighth graders reached closer to four in ten. In science, tested only in eighth grade, students achieved proficiency at about four in ten. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, the school's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint when compared to other schools across Los Angeles County districts, though the data set and methodology used for that comparison differ from the raw grade-by-grade results above.

The gap between English language arts and mathematics performance is substantial and worth understanding further. A parent considering this school may want to ask leadership directly about how they address mathematics instruction and support, what interventions are in place for students not yet meeting grade-level standards, and what progress the school tracks year to year in this area. The school's name indicates an arts and engineering focus, which may bear on how mathematics and design-thinking are woven through the curriculum.

Lancaster itself is a developing city with substantial infrastructure investment underway. Voters approved a school bond in late 2024 to address aging facilities across the district, with funding for classroom upgrades, science labs, and infrastructure repairs. The city's downtown, anchored by a revitalized boulevard district, sits as a cultural anchor with public institutions and mixed-use development, though most of the city is car-oriented high-desert residential and commercial development. The region's major employers span aerospace and defense, healthcare, education, and retail, creating a mixed economic profile. Housing in the area is more affordable than state and national medians, with monthly rent and home values reflecting a mid-tier market for the Los Angeles region.

The school sits within a district that is actively pursuing facilities modernization and has voter backing for that work. The timing of that bond investment may mean improvements to science labs and technology resources are coming to the school over the next several years. Families considering enrollment should also clarify the nature and depth of the school's arts and engineering programs, how they integrate across subjects, and whether there are pathways into specialized high school programs once students advance.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 625%

School 25% · District 10% · ▲ 15 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 745%

School 45% · District 15% · ▲ 31 pts above district

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

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 10% · ▲ 33 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 651%

School 51% · District 24% · ▲ 28 pts above district

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

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 27% · ▲ 34 pts above district

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

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 26% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Science

Grade 839%

School 39% · District 14% · ▲ 25 pts above district

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

This schoolLancaster Elementary, 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 6Lower-income46%Higher-income72%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income55%Higher-income78%23 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income56%Higher-income74%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income25%Higher-income24%1 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income61%22 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income39%Higher-income59%20 pp gap