International Studies Elementary Charter School, Albany GA

Original Research by School Decision on International Studies Elementary Charter School

International Studies Elementary Charter School serves kindergarten through fifth grade in Albany, a mid-sized regional hub in southwest Georgia. The school enrolls a small population across its grade band, with a student body that is predominantly Black, followed by a substantial Hispanic share, with very few white, Asian, or multiracial students. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting concentrated economic need.

The school's academic profile shows low proficiency across tested subjects. In English language arts across grades three through five, proficiency sits in the low range, with particularly weak results in third grade. Math proficiency is similarly low to mid-range across the grade band, hovering below the midpoint in each tested grade. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, is somewhat higher than ELA or math but still reflects that fewer than half of students met the proficiency threshold. An older social studies assessment from 2013-14 showed much stronger results, though this measure is not current and Georgia has since shifted to different assessments.

The school's position relative to other districts in Dougherty County cannot be meaningfully assessed because the county contains only this school in the database universe for comparative purposes. State testing data is available only for the current school year, so no trend information about whether proficiency is rising, falling, or stable is yet available.

The school sits in Albany, a working regional center anchored by health care, education, manufacturing, and military payrolls, with a gradually shrinking population. Downtown Albany has walkable cultural attractions including the Flint RiverQuarium and Thronateeska Heritage Center. Outside the core, the city is car-dependent. Housing in the area is modestly priced relative to state and national benchmarks. The Dougherty County School System has rolled back its property-tax rate steadily over nearly two decades, the most recent reduction in 2023, which represents a sustained effort to lower school-related property taxes for families in the district. The system has also launched the first state-recognized teacher apprenticeship program, a workforce investment to address teacher shortages.

A parent may want to look further into the school's approach to instruction, its support systems for students performing below grade level, and its specific pathways for students who qualify for services, as the available data does not describe classroom practice, special education enrollment, or supports for English learners, all of which would help shape a fuller picture of what the school offers.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 335%

School 35% · District 31% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 30% · ▲ 9 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 7 pts above county median

Grade 537%

School 37% · District 24% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 322%

School 22% · District 23%

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

Grade 427%

School 27% · District 24% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 528%

School 28% · District 29%

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Science

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 39% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Social studies

Grades 3-885%

School 85% · district not reported

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

This schoolDougherty County, 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.