Ina A.colen Academy, Ocala FL - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Ina A.colen Academy

Ina A. Colen Academy is a charter school in Ocala, Florida, serving kindergarten through eighth grade. It sits on the southwest side of the city, part of the Marion County school landscape though operating independently as a charter under the Marion district's umbrella. Families choosing it are opting into a publicly funded school that runs outside the traditional district assignment system, which in a fast-growing metro like Ocala means an active, deliberate choice rather than a default enrollment.

The school's academic results on Florida's FAST assessments are genuinely strong in the earlier grades, particularly in math. Third and fourth graders perform at a high level in mathematics, and the results remain solid through sixth grade before settling into the mid-range by seventh and eighth. ELA follows a similar arc: the lower elementary grades post healthy proficiency rates, sixth grade shows a notable uptick, and eighth grade is the softer end of the picture. Science, tested at fifth and eighth grade, sits in the moderate range at both points, with the eighth-grade result being the weaker of the two. The pattern across subjects is worth naming plainly: the school's strongest results are concentrated in the elementary grades, and families with children entering middle school may want to ask the school directly about how it supports students through that transition, since the middle-grade numbers, while not alarming, are meaningfully lower than what the younger cohorts achieve.

Multi-year trend data was not available in what was provided, so it is not possible to say whether these results are improving, holding steady, or shifting.

The student body is mid-sized for a K-8 school, with a mix of white, Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, and Black students. The share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch is notably low relative to what many Florida public schools carry, which is a characteristic of this school's enrollment composition rather than a judgment on it. Data on students with IEPs and English learners was not reported, so those populations' scale and support cannot be characterized here. No program offerings were provided in the data.

Ocala itself is one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the United States, publicly reported as posting the strongest percentage population growth of any U.S. metro in the most recent census estimates. That growth is reshaping the city in tangible ways: housing construction is rapid, suburban corridors are expanding outward from the historic downtown, and the Marion County school district is in the middle of a major capital campaign funded by a half-cent sales tax voters approved in late 2024. That referendum, passed to address badly needed new schools and renovations, will fund several new school buildings and additions over the coming years. Separately, the district's one-mill property tax, renewed in 2022 and running through mid-2027, supports staffing, school safety, and programs including arts, music, and physical education. Both measures affect local tax bills and directly shape the resources available across Marion County schools.

Housing near the school sits below the Florida statewide median and slightly below the national median, with year-over-year values edging downward modestly. Rents are also softening slightly. The price-to-income relationship is relatively accessible by current national standards, though mortgage rates remain elevated. For families relocating to Ocala, the housing market is more affordable than most of coastal Florida, a factor that has clearly contributed to the region's growth.

Because this is a charter school, enrollment is by application rather than by address. Families considering Ina A. Colen Academy should contact the school about its specific curriculum model, application process, and any waitlist, none of which were detailed in the available data.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 385%

School 85% · District 51% · ▲ 34 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 36 pts above county median

Grade 483%

School 83% · District 54% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 573%

School 73% · District 46% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 676%

School 76% · District 46% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

Grade 765%

School 65% · District 44% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 878%

School 78% · District 46% · ▲ 32 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 374%

School 74% · District 45% · ▲ 29 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 31 pts above county median

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 47% · ▲ 26 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 29 pts above county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 47% · ▲ 23 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 682%

School 82% · District 51% · ▲ 31 pts above district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 35 pts above county median

Grade 771%

School 71% · District 50% · ▲ 21 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 864%

School 64% · District 46% · ▲ 18 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Science

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 43% · ▲ 19 pts above district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 856%

School 56% · District 40% · ▲ 16 pts above district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

This schoolMARION, 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income75%Higher-income69%6 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income84%Higher-income65%19 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income83%Higher-income70%13 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income90%Higher-income56%34 pp gap