Cologne Academy, Cologne MN - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cologne Academy

Cologne Academy is a charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade in the small, family-oriented community of Cologne, roughly thirty miles from Minneapolis. The school’s grade band means there are no high school outcomes to consider, no graduation rate, and no advanced placement or career pathway data typical of secondary schools. The focus here is squarely on the elementary and middle school experience.

The academic picture is strong and remarkably consistent. Across every tested grade, math proficiency was well above what most schools report, and reading proficiency was very solid as well, with the strongest results in the upper grades. Science scores, however, tell a different story. Proficiency there was considerably lower in both fifth and eighth grade, which is a point a parent may want to explore further with the school, especially given that state science assessments underwent changes that year, making year-over-year comparisons uncertain for that subject. Overall proficiency across all subjects and grades landed the school in the top quartile among districts in Carver County, a meaningful achievement given that the county includes several districts with very strong results.

The student body is modest in size for a K-8 school. Most students are white, with a substantial Asian population and smaller shares of Hispanic, Black, and multiracial students. A relatively small share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the housing market in Cologne reflects that economic profile; home values are above the national median. The area has seen rapid population growth over the past decade, which has kept the housing supply tight.

Important recent shifts affect what a family experiences day to day. In 2023, Cologne Academy opened a new commercial kitchen and now provides free breakfast and lunch to every student, removing a cost and logistics burden for families. In 2024, the school launched a Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten program, so a family with a four-year-old can now enter the school before kindergarten. And for families who want flexibility, the school also operates a full-time online program for grades one through eight, a separate option within the same charter.

Cologne itself is a small, traditional town with historic buildings, a handful of parks, and an active community life that includes an annual festival and an amateur baseball team. The town’s compact layout and modest size mean daily errands and school drop-offs are likely short. No walkability scores were available in a search, and the location of the school relative to downtown was not specified, so a family should look at a map to understand the town’s layout.

The school’s status as a charter means it is publicly funded but operates with some independence from the local school district, which may appeal to families seeking an alternative to their zoned district school. The data does not indicate whether there is transportation, so a family should confirm that directly with the school. There is no Title I status noted, no discipline data, no staffing ratios, and no information on student support programs such as special education or English learner services. Parents with specific needs in those areas should ask the school directly.

Cologne Academy offers a clear, academically strong K-8 pathway in a growing small town, with the added benefit of free meals and a pre-K option, but a parent should look into the lower science scores and confirm the school’s support services match their child’s needs.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 386%

School 86% · District 85% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 487%

School 87% · District 87%

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

Grade 582%

School 82% · District 80% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 674%

School 74% · District 73% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 84% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 86% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 376%

School 76% · District 75% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 485%

School 85% · District 85%

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

Grade 583%

School 83% · District 82% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 678%

School 78% · District 80% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 790%

School 90% · District 90%

▲ 54 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 888%

School 88% · District 86% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 538%

School 38% · District 39% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 847%

School 47% · District 47%

▲ 35 pts above state median

This schoolCOLOGNE ACADEMY, 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 3Lower-income75%Higher-income76%1 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income80%Higher-income83%3 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income70%Higher-income80%10 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income75%Higher-income92%17 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income83%Higher-income87%4 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income73%Higher-income83%10 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income80%Higher-income73%7 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income75%Higher-income92%17 pp gap