The reported proficiency rate for English language arts is 13%.
Original Research by School Decision on The Academy @ Shawnee
The Academy @ Shawnee is a regular public school in Louisville, Kentucky, serving grades six through twelve within the Jefferson County Public Schools district. With a sizable enrollment that spans middle and high school grades, the school operates as a comprehensive secondary option for families in the western part of the city. The school is not a charter or magnet school, and no information was available about Title I status or any specialized program offerings.
Academic performance data from the state’s Kentucky Summative Assessment paints a clear picture of the challenges the school faces. In English language arts, the share of students scoring at the proficient level or above was low across all tested grades, and the decline from sixth to eighth grade was sharp. Proficiency rates for mathematics, science, and social studies were suppressed in the data, meaning they were not reported, likely due to small group sizes. A parent may want to follow up directly with the school to understand how students are performing in those subjects. When compared with other districts in Jefferson County, The Academy @ Shawnee’s overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades falls in the bottom quartile, a position that families should weigh carefully.
The student body is predominantly Black, with a smaller but noticeable share of white students and a small percentage of Hispanic and multiracial students. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced price lunch, indicating a low-income peer environment. The school is not a small one; its enrollment is large for a combined middle and high school, and the grade distribution shows a significant jump in ninth grade, suggesting that the school draws students from multiple feeder patterns. The school’s location in the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville places it in a part of the city where housing costs are notably lower than the state and national averages. The typical home value in the area is well below the state benchmark, and rents are modest, making this a relatively affordable pocket of the Louisville metro area. The broader Louisville economy is driven by health care, air cargo logistics, bourbon production, and tourism, with major employers including UPS, Humana, and Yum! Brands. The city is spread out and car-dependent outside the urban core, a relevant consideration for families commuting to the school.
The district brief for Jefferson County Public Schools did not surface any recent parent-relevant changes or initiatives, so it is not possible to speak to any current reform efforts or new programs that might be affecting the school. The Academy @ Shawnee’s graduation rate was not available in the data, so a parent would need to ask the school directly about how many students finish high school in four years.
For a family considering this school, the academic context is the most important factor. The school serves a large, predominantly low-income student population, and state test results show low proficiency in reading and writing, especially by eighth grade. The school sits in a relatively affordable housing market within a large, economically diverse city. Without more information about course offerings, extracurriculars, or support services, it is difficult to assess what additional pathways might exist for students. A parent looking into The Academy @ Shawnee should plan to visit, ask about the cause of the suppressed test scores in other subjects, and inquire about the school’s graduation rate and any academic or career programs that may be available to students in the upper grades.
See more original research from School Decision →