The top reported proficiency rate is 47% in Science. The lowest is 22% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Global Arts Plus Lower
Global Arts Plus Lower is a regular public school in Saint Paul, Minnesota, serving pre-kindergarten through fourth grade. It is part of Saint Paul Public Schools, the district that covers the city. The school sits in a residential neighborhood on the city's near west side, in a ZIP code where home values and rents are above the national median, reflecting the broader Saint Paul housing market. The city itself is Minnesota's capital, a dense, diverse urban center with a strong government employment base, a nationally ranked park system, and a mix of historic and contemporary neighborhoods.
The school enrolls a student body that is racially and ethnically diverse. White students make up the largest single group, followed by Black, Asian, Hispanic, and students who identify as two or more races. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating that a significant portion of families are navigating economic constraints. The school serves pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, so it is an elementary-only setting; there is no graduation rate to report because the school does not serve high school grades.
State testing data is available for math and English language arts for grades three and four. The school's overall proficiency index, which averages results across tested subjects and grades, places it above the midpoint among districts in Ramsey County. That said, the actual proficiency rates are low in absolute terms. In third-grade math, roughly three in ten students met the state standard; in fourth-grade math, about two in ten did. In English language arts, roughly a quarter of third graders and fewer than one in five fourth graders were proficient. These are the most recent results, from a single year, so there is no trend line to examine. A parent may want to discuss with the school how it supports students who are not yet at grade level and what academic interventions are in place.
Science testing data is not available for the current grade range. The only science result on record is from many years ago, when the school served fifth graders, and that data is too old to be meaningful for today's program.
The school is part of Saint Paul Public Schools, a large urban district that has recently opened new magnet options, including an E-STEM middle school and a culturally focused East African Elementary Magnet. The district also renamed one of its middle schools. These changes suggest a district that is actively reshaping its school portfolio, though the direct effect on Global Arts Plus Lower is not clear from the available information.
The school's name signals an arts focus, but the data provided does not include details on the arts curriculum, program offerings, or any specialized instruction. A family interested in the arts emphasis would want to learn more directly from the school about how the arts are integrated into the academic day and what opportunities exist for students.
The neighborhood around the school, in Saint Paul's 55105 ZIP code, has home values and rents that are elevated relative to national averages, consistent with an established urban residential area. The school itself is a regular public school, not a charter or magnet, though its name may suggest a specialized focus. The district brief notes that Saint Paul Public Schools has been opening new magnet schools and converting existing ones, but Global Arts Plus Lower is not identified as a magnet in the data.
For a family considering this school, the key factors are its location in a diverse urban setting, its role as a neighborhood elementary school within a large district, and its academic performance, which shows room for growth in core subjects. The arts focus implied by the name is not elaborated in the available data, so families should seek details directly from the school. The housing market in the surrounding area is expensive, which may be a consideration for families looking to live within the attendance zone.
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