Amador County Special Education, Jackson CA

Original Research by School Decision on Amador County Special Education

Amador County Special Education is a small special education school located in Jackson, the county seat of Amador County in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The school serves students from kindergarten through grade 12, though current enrollment is concentrated in grade 12, with a total student body of about a dozen.

This is a specialized setting designed to meet the needs of students with disabilities who require intensive support and individualized programming. The school is situated in a rural foothill community of modest size where Jackson functions as both a historic Gold Rush town and the administrative hub of the county, anchored by government offices, Sutter Amador Hospital, and the county's main library. Growth in the area is deliberately paced; the city manages new development through a Resource Allocation Program intended to align housing expansion with available infrastructure. The housing market reflects this context, with home values in the immediate area moderate by California standards.

State assessment data from 2018-19 shows very low proficiency rates across tested subjects. In mathematics, reported results ranged from no students proficient at grades 4 and 7 to a small handful proficient at grade 5. English language arts results were similarly low, with single-digit proficiency rates where data was reported. In science, a small fraction of students tested at grade 5 showed proficiency. These numbers reflect the population this school serves: students with significant disabilities who may have intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, or other conditions that substantially affect their ability to access grade-level academic content in the way it is assessed on standardized tests. The data also shows that most testable grade levels had very small numbers of students, with several grades showing no reported enrollment in academic testing.

The school's enrollment is predominantly white, with a smaller Hispanic population. About a quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating some economic need within the families served. Data on English learner status and the full proportion of students receiving special education services was not available.

When positioned against other districts in Amador County on overall proficiency, this school ranks in the bottom quartile, though this comparison should be understood in context: the school serves a fundamentally different population than mainstream district schools. It exists to provide specialized services and appropriate academic pathways for students whose learning needs are not met in general education settings. For families with children who have disabilities, this school represents a specialized resource within the county system. A parent considering placement here would want to learn directly from the school about its curriculum, therapeutic services, transition planning for post-secondary life, and how it approaches both academics and daily living skills in its specialized environment.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

Not publicly reportedCohort of 1 student · Class of 2021

The federal source does not publish a graduation rate for cohorts this small. The cohort size is shown for context.

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 40%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 37 pts below state median

Grade 56%

School 6% · district not reported

▼ 24 pts below state median

Grade 70%

School 0% · district not reported

▼ 30 pts below state median

English language arts

Grade 49%

School 9% · district not reported

▼ 33 pts below state median

Grade 56%

School 6% · district not reported

▼ 39 pts below state median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · district not reported

▼ 21 pts below state median

This schoolAmador County Office of Education, 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.