The top reported proficiency rate is 13% in Social studies. The lowest is 8% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Louisiana Key Academy Caddo
Louisiana Key Academy Caddo is a public charter school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Shreveport. It opened in 2023 as part of a district of the same name, and its mission is singular: it is a school designed exclusively for students with dyslexia. The school draws families from Caddo Parish and several surrounding parishes, offering a specialized program that is tuition-free.
The school is very small, with an enrollment that matches its focused purpose. Because it serves only early elementary grades, there is no graduation rate to report. The student body is majority white, with a significant Black population and a smaller Hispanic share. A very small fraction of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which is unusual for a public charter school in a city like Shreveport and may reflect the school's specific enrollment criteria rather than the broader community's economic profile. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available, a notable gap given the school's mission; a parent may want to ask the school directly how it classifies students under IDEA versus its dyslexia-specific identification.
On state assessments, the school's results are low relative to state averages. In math, proficiency was in the single digits. In English language arts, the state reported a proficiency range that fell in the lower quarter. Science and social studies proficiency rates were similarly low. Because this is the school's first year of testing, there is no trend to examine. The school's average scale scores in each subject were below the state's proficiency threshold. These figures are the primary available measure of academic performance, and they are soft. A parent considering the school should keep in mind that the tested population is wholly composed of students with diagnosed dyslexia, and the school's instructional model targets that specific learning difference rather than general academic achievement. Whether these test results reflect the school's program or the starting point of its students is something a family would want to discuss with the staff.
The school's program is its defining feature. Students receive daily specialized reading instruction in very small groups from teachers who hold accreditation through a respected literacy-training organization. The school is the only one in Louisiana endorsed by prominent dyslexia researchers. It operates out of a building in Shreveport's Broadmoor neighborhood, a stable residential area of the city. The school's district, Louisiana Key Academy Caddo, is a single-school charter district, meaning the school and the district are the same entity for governance purposes.
Shreveport itself is a city with a complex backdrop. It is the commercial and cultural center of the Ark-La-Tex region but has experienced a long population decline tied to the loss of oil-industry and manufacturing jobs. The city is sprawling and car-dependent, with a downtown riverfront anchored by casinos and a convention center. Barksdale Air Force Base is a major economic force. Housing is affordable by national standards, and the city is actively trying to diversify its economy through logistics and technology sectors. A family moving to Shreveport for this school should know the city faces real challenges with poverty and crime, but the Broadmoor area is a middle-class neighborhood with a mix of older homes and local amenities.
Louisiana Key Academy Caddo fits a specific family: one whose child has a dyslexia diagnosis and needs an intensive, specialized reading program that public schools often cannot provide in a single classroom. It does not fit a family looking for a neighborhood school with broad programming or above-average test scores. The academic numbers are weak, but they come from a population that enters school with a recognized learning disability. A parent should visit, ask about the school's growth measures beyond the state test, and confirm that the model matches their child's needs. For the right student, this school offers a rare public option. For others, it will not be the right fit.
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