The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 19% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Academy of Advanced Learning
Academy of Advanced Learning is a K-8 charter school in Aurora, Colorado, operating as part of the Adams-Arapahoe 28J school district. The school serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade, making it a straightforward elementary-middle combination with no high school grades. The school’s name signals an emphasis on academic challenge, though the available data does not include any detail about specific program offerings, advanced coursework, or enrichment activities that would confirm or clarify that orientation.
The student body is diverse and predominantly low-income. A large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The ethnic composition is heavily Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black students, White students, and students of other backgrounds. The school enrolls a substantial number of students for a K-8, with enrollment distributed fairly evenly across the grades.
State assessment results from the most recent year show that proficiency rates across subjects were low. In math, less than a quarter of students in grades three through eight scored at the proficient or above level. In English language arts, the proficiency rate was similarly low. Science performance was also low at both the fifth-grade and eighth-grade levels. These results suggest that a majority of students are performing below state expectations. A parent may want to investigate what academic supports and interventions are in place, and whether the school has made progress or declined in recent years—no trend data was available to show changes over time. Because the school covers only K-8, there is no graduation rate to report, and no data on discipline, attendance, or staffing was provided.
The school is a charter, which means it operates with some autonomy from the district while remaining publicly funded. The charter status itself is a characteristic: families considering it may want to understand how the school’s governance and instructional approach differ from traditional district schools. No information about the school’s specific educational model or pedagogical approach was available.
The broader district context matters. Aurora Public Schools recently passed a voter-approved bond measure for facility improvements, safety upgrades, and school modernization across the district. The district has also been undertaking a school consolidation and repurposing initiative, closing or repurposing underused buildings. These changes can affect school assignments, feeder patterns, and campus availability. As a charter, Academy of Advanced Learning may be less directly impacted by consolidation decisions, but families should be aware that the district landscape is shifting.
Aurora itself is a large, sprawling suburban city, the third largest in Colorado, covering a wide area across three counties. The city lacks a single traditional downtown; civic life and major institutions such as the Anschutz Medical Campus and Buckley Space Force Base are distributed. Housing values in the area around the school are moderate relative to the rest of the state but above the national median. Rents are typical for the region. The city has grown quickly in past decades, and continued growth is expected, particularly along the corridor near Denver International Airport. The built environment is predominantly car-dependent, though light rail and bus service are available.
For a family considering Academy of Advanced Learning, the central facts are that it is a charter school serving a low-income, diverse student population, and its students are performing below state proficiency benchmarks in all tested subjects. Without data on programming, staffing, or trends, it is hard to assess whether the school is improving or what supports it offers beyond the core academic day. A parent would want to visit the school, learn about its curriculum and intervention strategies, and ask how it addresses the academic gaps reflected in the test scores. The district’s ongoing bond-funded improvements and consolidation add a layer of uncertainty about long-term stability. The school may fit a family seeking a charter environment in a growing suburban area, but the low proficiency rates are a soft spot that warrants direct inquiry.
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