The top reported proficiency rate is 30% in English language arts. The lowest is 27% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Coperni 3
Coperni 3 is a K-8 charter school in Colorado Springs operating under the State Charter School Institute, which means it is authorized by the state rather than a local school district. The school serves a student population that is diverse and economically varied, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Its enrollment is large enough to offer multiple sections per grade, with class sizes that are typical for a charter school of this scale in the region. The student body is predominantly Hispanic and white, with a noticeable Black population and smaller shares of students identifying as Asian, multiracial, or Native American. Because the school serves grades kindergarten through eight, it does not have a high school graduation rate to report, and no state testing data is available for high school assessments since the school does not offer those grades.
Colorado Springs itself is a large, car-dependent city shaped by major military installations like Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, and the U.S. Air Force Academy. The city's economy is anchored by defense, aerospace, and tourism, and it has seen steady population growth in recent years. Coperni 3 is located east of downtown, in a residential area served by commercial corridors and I-25. Housing in the surrounding zip code carries a value that is near the national median for single-family homes, while rents are modest relative to the broader Colorado Front Range. The area has experienced slight home price declines recently, and the typical mortgage rate context makes affordability a consideration for many families. The school's location within the city means families should expect a car-dependent commute to and from school, though some walkable nodes exist in other parts of Colorado Springs.
On state assessments, Coperni 3's overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades places it above the midpoint among districts in El Paso County. That context is based on the school's performance relative to the broader district-level picture, which is the comparison available. The school's proficiency rates in math and English language arts for grades three through eight show that a minority of students met the state's proficiency bar, with math below that threshold and English language arts slightly higher. Science results, which are tested in grades five and eight, show higher proficiency among eighth graders compared to fifth graders, though both grade levels saw most students not yet meeting the state-defined standard for science. Participation rates on all assessments were very high, indicating that nearly every enrolled student took the tests, so the results reflect nearly the full tested population.
The school does not report data on special education identification rates or English learner status, so a parent wanting to understand how those populations are served may need to ask the school directly. Similarly, information on chronic absenteeism is not available in the data provided. Because Coperni 3 is a charter authorized by the State Charter School Institute, the district-level authority operates a portfolio of schools across Colorado, and no recent district-wide changes such as property tax measures or curriculum shifts were found in publicly available sources.
The school's academic pathway is shaped by its K-8 structure, meaning students go through elementary and middle school in one building before transitioning to high school elsewhere. Families considering Coperni 3 should be aware that the school's state test results indicate room for growth in core academic areas, and the above-midpoint placement relative to the county provides a baseline but does not distinguish performance on specific subjects or grade levels. The school is a regular public charter with no special designation such as magnet or Title I status in the available data. For families weighing this school, the combination of a diverse student body, a moderate-income enrollment profile, and academic results that sit in the middle of the county's range will likely matter most when deciding whether the school fits their child's needs.
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