The top reported proficiency rate is 26% in English language arts. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Spark Online Academy
Spark Online Academy is a regular public school within Colorado Springs School District 11, serving kindergarten through eleventh grade as a fully online program. The school’s enrollment is small for a full K-11 campus, with students distributed across the grade bands; the middle and high school grades hold the highest counts, while kindergarten and eleventh grade have the fewest. The student body is predominantly white, followed by a substantial Hispanic population, with smaller shares of students who identify as two or more races, Black, American Indian or Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. No data was available on the share of students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals, receive special education services, or are classified as English learners, so a parent cannot assess those dimensions of the school’s population from this information.
Academically, the school’s state testing results present a clear picture. On the Colorado Measures of Academic Success for math and English language arts in grades three through eight, the proficiency rate for all students was well below the midpoint among districts in El Paso County, landing in the bottom quartile. In math, the proficiency rate was very low, and in English language arts it was low as well, roughly a quarter of students meeting the state benchmark. Science results for grades five and eight were suppressed by the state, meaning the tested counts were too small to report publicly. Parents should note that participation rates on these assessments were also low, which means the reported numbers reflect only a portion of enrolled students and may not represent the full school. The school does not serve twelfth grade, so there is no graduation rate to examine.
The school’s online format, operated by a traditional public school district, is its defining characteristic. That model appeals to families seeking flexibility, a home-based learning environment, or a nontraditional schedule, but it also means the peer environment is virtual rather than physical. There is no publicly reported information on course offerings, Advanced Placement or dual-credit programs, extracurriculars, discipline rates, or staffing ratios for this school. The parent district, Colorado Springs School District 11, has recently made some notable changes. It raised the starting teacher salary and implemented broader pay increases, a step intended to improve teacher recruitment and retention. It reduced the number of schools designated as Turnaround or Priority Improvement from nine to three, a sign of improving school performance across the district. It also established the D11 Promise Scholarship with Pikes Peak State College, which allows district high school students to take college-level courses at no cost, a relevant benefit for Spark Online Academy students in the upper grades.
Colorado Springs is a large, sprawling city shaped heavily by its military installations, aerospace and defense contractors, and tourism. The city has seen sustained population growth over the past several decades and remains car-dependent, with a built environment that stretches across a broad high-desert plateau. Housing values in the area are currently above the national median, and rents have been rising, reflecting a competitive market. The school shares a mailing address in the city’s west side, near Garden of the Gods, but as an online program its physical location is administrative rather than instructional.
For a family considering this school, the academic proficiency data is the most concrete signal available, and it suggests that students overall are performing below the levels typical for the county. Parents looking into this option should inquire directly with the school about its curriculum model, how it supports students who are below grade level, and what the daily expectations and live instruction look like, since the state test data alone leaves many practical questions unanswered.
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