Gentry Academy Middle, Vadnais Heights MN

Original Research by School Decision on Gentry Academy Middle

Gentry Academy Middle is a public charter school in Vadnais Heights, a suburban community in Ramsey County. It serves grades five through eight and is part of the Gentry Academy Charter School district, which opened in fall 2021. The school uses a model called W.I.N. (What I Need) time, giving students a daily block for self-directed learning focused on skill acquisition and enrichment, alongside a leadership and life skills program. This is a relatively new option for area families, and the school's approach to personalized time is publicly reported as a distinguishing feature.

Academically, the school posts proficiency rates that, taken together across tested subjects and grades, place it in the top quartile relative to districts in Ramsey County. In math, the share of students meeting state standards varies by grade, with some grades showing a stronger showing than others. In English language arts, proficiency also differs by grade level. Science scores are notably lower, particularly for eighth grade, where the proportion of students reaching proficiency is small. Because the school has only been operating for a few years, there is no multi-year trend to examine; this single year of data is the only picture available. The state assessment itself changed in some subjects recently, so comparisons to prior years are not possible.

The student body is small and demographically homogenous. Nearly all students are white. A modest share of students qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a marker of economic need that is relatively low. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not reported, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about supports for those populations.

Vadnais Heights is an auto-oriented suburb with no traditional downtown. Its commercial activity lines County Road E and highway corridors, and the city is well connected by interstates. The area has many parks and trails, including protected land around Vadnais Lake, though the lake itself does not allow boating or swimming. Housing values in the zip code sit above the state typical level, reflecting a relatively affluent suburban market. Rents are also above national norms. The city's population has been stable in recent years. Major employers include corporate headquarters, retail, and medical offices.

As a charter school, Gentry Academy Middle draws students from a wider area than a traditional attendance zone, so families choose to enroll. The district brief notes that the school is authorized by Innovative Quality Schools. There is no graduation rate to report because the school does not serve high school grades; those are covered by the separate Gentry Academy High School within the same charter district. No program offerings, staffing ratios, or disciplinary data were available in the information provided.

This school fits families who are interested in a charter with a personalized learning model that gives students daily choice in how they use instructional time. The academic picture in its early years shows a school performing above many of its Ramsey County peers in overall proficiency, though science results are a soft spot worth investigating. The community context is a stable, car-dependent suburb with good amenities and a relatively high cost of housing.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 553%

School 53% · District 53%

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

Grade 662%

School 62% · District 62%

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

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 49%

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

Grade 862%

School 62% · District 62%

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 60%

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 659%

School 59% · District 59%

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

Grade 748%

School 48% · District 48%

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 843%

School 43% · District 43%

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

Science

Grade 522%

School 22% · District 22%

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

Grade 813%

School 13% · District 13%

even with state median · ▲ 1 pts above county median

This schoolGentry Academy Charter School, 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.