The top reported proficiency rate is 52% in English language arts. The lowest is 41% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Colorado International Language Academy
Colorado International Language Academy is a public charter elementary school in Colorado Springs, serving kindergarten through fifth grade. It operates under the State Charter School Institute, Colorado’s statewide authorizer, rather than a local school district. For families weighing a charter option for the elementary years, this school offers a distinctive choice built around language immersion, set within a large and growing city.
The school’s enrollment is modest for its grade band. The student body reflects a diversity that stands out among many Colorado Springs elementary schools. Families come from a range of backgrounds, with no single racial or ethnic group making up a majority. White students form a plurality, followed by a substantial share of Hispanic students, a smaller but present Black population, and a notable number of students who identify as two or more races. A meaningful portion of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that the school serves a mix of income levels. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the state data, which a parent may want to ask the school about directly.
On state assessments, Colorado International Language Academy shows a pattern of results that, taken together, place the school above most district-level averages in El Paso County when a combined proficiency index is measured. In English language arts, a majority of students scored at the proficient level or above. In math, the share of students reaching proficiency was lower, landing below the majority mark. In fifth-grade science, roughly half of students hit the proficiency threshold. For a language-immersion school, these numbers offer a starting point for conversation—a parent may want to discuss how the dual-language curriculum interacts with state-tested subjects, given that instructional time is split between languages.
The school is located on Austin Bluffs Parkway on the northeastern side of Colorado Springs. This part of the city sits within a broad, car-dependent metropolitan area that stretches across a high-desert plateau at the foot of Pikes Peak. Housing in the surrounding zip code is priced near the lower end of the Colorado norm but sits slightly above the national median. Rents are also a bit above the national average. The local economy is heavily shaped by the military presence—Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and the U.S. Air Force Academy are all major institutions. Aerospace and defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are large employers, and tourism is a significant economic driver. The city has seen sustained population growth, and residential development continues along the city’s edges and major corridors.
Because this is a K-through-5 school, there is no high school graduation rate to report. The school does not offer courses beyond its grade band, so there are no AP or dual-credit pathways. No data on chronic absenteeism or discipline was available in the state reports. Information on staffing ratios and teacher qualifications was also absent from the data, so a parent considering the school may want to ask about class sizes and teacher retention directly.
The district brief for the State Charter School Institute did not surface any recent changes in property tax policy, curriculum overhauls, or referendum results that would be immediately relevant to a parent. The institute itself is a statewide authorizer, so local school-level decisions and culture tend to matter more than district-wide shifts.
For a family drawn to the idea of an elementary charter with an international language focus, Colorado International Language Academy offers a clear identity and a student body that reflects the broader diversity of the city. The academic results are solid in reading, mixed in math, and near the middle in science. The setting is a fast-growing, military-anchored city where car travel is the norm and the housing market, while not the most expensive in Colorado, still requires a substantial income. The school fits a parent who values a small, mission-driven elementary environment and wants to explore how language immersion shapes the daily academic experience.
See more original research from School Decision →