Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academy, Atlanta GA

Original Research by School Decision on Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academy

Charles Drew Charter JA/SR Academy is a charter middle and high school serving grades six through twelve in southeast Atlanta. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Black, with a smaller share of white students and a small Asian population; about a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The enrollment runs to roughly mid-range size for a combined middle and high school.

In mathematics, the school's proficiency rates are uneven across grades. Sixth graders perform at a level approaching two-thirds; seventh graders drop to about three-fifths; eighth graders rebound to roughly three-quarters. English language arts shows a similar pattern: sixth grade near two-thirds, seventh grade at about three-fifths, eighth grade falling to just under three-fifths. Science proficiency in eighth grade sits at roughly one-third, and social studies at about one-third as well. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile among DeKalb County's districts, a meaningful strength. The math and ELA results suggest the school holds ground through the middle grades, though science and social studies performance is notably weaker and worth monitoring.

High school testing data for grades nine through twelve were not available, so the school's performance pathway into upper grades cannot be assessed from state assessment results. The school does not report a graduation rate in the available data. Information about programs, course offerings, Advanced Placement or other pathway options, staffing depth, attendance patterns, and the school's academic focus or design was not provided.

Atlanta itself is a large, mixed-use city with sharp neighborhood variation, from high-rise commercial cores in Downtown and Midtown to historic residential pockets with bungalows and Victorians, and converted industrial zones now filled with lofts and restaurants. The Atlanta BeltLine, a 22-mile trail loop threading through the city, has become a major driver of both walkability and neighborhood change. The city is one of the fastest-growing major U.S. metros, with substantial new housing concentrated in intown infill and rising high-rise development. Home values in the school's zip code are above the state average, and rents are modest year-over-year.

The broader Atlanta Public Schools district is undergoing significant reshaping. In December 2025, the school board approved a plan to close, merge, or repurpose sixteen schools beginning in 2027-28, with closures concentrated in historically Black northwest and southwest Atlanta neighborhoods. Families should be aware that boundary changes and staff reassignments may follow. The district has also prioritized elementary literacy through a science-of-reading approach and has moved school nutrition in-house after years of outside contracting. Property tax millage has held flat since 2022, though rising home values mean homeowners still see higher tax bills in practice.

A parent weighing Charles Drew should seek clarity from the school directly about what happens to students after grade eight, what the high school program and pathway options look like, what extracurricular and support services are available, and how the school's charter status shapes its curriculum and culture. The middle school performance in math and ELA is solid, but the science and social studies numbers are soft, and the absence of high school testing or graduation data leaves the full picture incomplete.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

>=95%Cohort of 97 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

467 schools plotted. 22 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 26% · ▲ 42 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 49 pts above county median

Grade 760%

School 60% · District 30% · ▲ 30 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 37 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 36% · ▲ 37 pts above district

▲ 31 pts above state median · ▲ 38 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 669%

School 69% · District 37% · ▲ 32 pts above district

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

Grade 761%

School 61% · District 34% · ▲ 27 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 33% · ▲ 27 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 831%

School 31% · District 24% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 26% · ▲ 11 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

This schoolAtlanta Public Schools, 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 6Lower-income31%Higher-income73%41 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income29%Higher-income75%45 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income43%Higher-income69%26 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income34%Higher-income72%38 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income18%Higher-income65%47 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income33%Higher-income74%41 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income36%Higher-income76%39 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income29%Higher-income71%42 pp gap