Independent Study Sojourner Truth, Oakland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Independent Study Sojourner Truth

Independent Study Sojourner Truth is an alternative school in Oakland serving kindergarten through twelfth grade. It operates as a non-charter public school within Oakland Unified.

The school serves a student population that is economically disadvantaged and highly diverse. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial and ethnic composition is diverse, with substantial shares of Black students, Hispanic students, and White students, along with smaller populations of Asian students and other groups. The school enrolls students across all grade bands, with enrollment concentrated in the middle and high school grades.

On state assessments, proficiency rates are low across tested subjects. In English language arts, students show modest proficiency in the upper middle grades (around thirty percent in grades seven and eight), but proficiency falls much lower in the lower elementary grades (under ten percent in grade three). Mathematics proficiency shows a similar pattern: very low in the early grades and gradually stronger in middle school, reaching the low-to-mid forties in grade seven before declining in grade eight. Science proficiency is substantially higher, reaching around fifty percent when averaged across the two tested grades. Given that this is an alternative school serving a full K-12 span, a parent may want to learn more directly from the school about how it designs instruction across such a broad range, what academic supports are in place, and how it tracks students' progress toward graduation and post-secondary pathways.

The school's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it in the bottom quartile among the county's schools that report data. Proficiency_index data shows it well below the median for schools in Alameda County. No graduation rate data is available; state data was not reported for this entity.

As an alternative school, Independent Study Sojourner Truth likely operates under a different instructional model than traditional public schools, often emphasizing individualized pacing, flexible scheduling, or self-directed learning. The school's name and structure suggest it may serve students who benefit from more customized or independent pathways. For families considering this school, the primary questions are whether its pedagogy and support structure match their student's learning style and needs, and how the school helps students move toward on-time graduation and college or career readiness. The academic performance data shows students are not reaching proficiency benchmarks at rates comparable to other county schools, which warrants direct conversation with school staff about curriculum quality, student support services, and the school's graduation and post-secondary outcomes.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

35-39%Cohort of 65 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 35%

School 5% · District 36% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 38 pts below state median · ▼ 50 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 33% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 31 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 28% · ▼ 23 pts below district

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

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 21% · ▲ 12 pts above district

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

Grade 743%

School 43% · District 25% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 834%

School 34% · District 21% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 39%

School 9% · District 31% · ▼ 23 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 41 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 34% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 36% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 621%

School 21% · District 30% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 730%

School 30% · District 35% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 34% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 515%

School 15% · District 25% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 21% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

This schoolOakland Unified, 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.