Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science, Orange CA

Original Research by School Decision on Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science

Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science is a small elementary school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Orange, a mid-sized suburban city in central Orange County with a dense historic core and predominantly single-family neighborhoods. The school sits in a community anchored by health care employment, particularly UCI Medical Center, and by Chapman University in the preserved Old Towne district. Orange itself has strong walkability in its historic Plaza area and downtown, though most of the city is car-oriented suburban.

The school's enrollment is small, at roughly four hundred students, with an overwhelming concentration of Hispanic students and a very high share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting economic pressures in the immediate area. The data provided does not include counts or rates for students with disabilities or English learners, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about those populations and the support structures available for them.

Academic performance on California state assessments shows a pattern that requires careful attention. English language arts proficiency across tested grades hovers around mid-range: third and sixth graders show stronger results, while fourth and fifth graders are lower. Math is notably weaker. Third grade math proficiency is in the mid-range, but fourth, fifth, and sixth grade results drop significantly, with fifth grade particularly low. Science proficiency in fifth grade, the only grade tested, is also low. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile compared to schools across Orange County's districts. Given that the school's name emphasizes language and computer science, a parent would be wise to ask how the curriculum in those areas aligns with the state assessment results and what the school's strategy is for strengthening math and science outcomes, especially in the upper elementary grades.

The school operates as a regular public school within Orange Unified, which has undergone significant governance shifts recently. In 2023 the district adopted a parental-notification policy regarding student gender identity and name or pronoun use; however, in November 2024 a reconstituted board rescinded that policy following state legislation prohibiting such requirements. This shift reflects a broader change: two board trustees were recalled in March 2024, flipping the board majority and reversing the prior administration's direction on various culture-war issues. These are durable governance changes that shape the district's climate and priorities, and families with concerns about these issues in either direction should understand the current policy landscape.

The housing market in the 92869 zip code is expensive. Home values are substantially above the state median and regional median prices, and monthly rents are also elevated, creating affordability pressure: housing costs consume a very high share of median household income in the area. This shapes the demographics of families the school serves and the economic stability of the community.

A parent visiting Jordan Academy should ask about the school's specific language and computer science curriculum given its mission, what interventions or support the school offers students in math and science, what the school's English learner population looks like and how that group is served, and how the recent district governance changes have affected hiring, curriculum focus, and resource allocation. The data shows a school with low academic performance on state measures and a student population facing significant economic challenges. Understanding how the school is responding to these realities matters.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 54% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 54% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 3 pts above state median · ▼ 13 pts below county median

Grade 524%

School 24% · District 46% · ▼ 22 pts below district

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

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 50% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 52% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 59% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 550%

School 50% · District 61% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Grade 654%

School 54% · District 63% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 42% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

This schoolOrange 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income45%Higher-income87%42 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income48%Higher-income87%39 pp gap