The top reported proficiency rate is 41% in English language arts. The lowest is 18% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on University Academy-middle
University Academy-Middle is a charter school in Kansas City, Missouri, serving grades six through eight. It operates as a regular public school within the University Academy charter network. The school draws from a city that is a major urban center, one with a large footprint, a car-dependent character, and walkable pockets downtown and around the Country Club Plaza and Crossroads district. The city’s growth has been modest but steady, with continued downtown residential development and economic expansion in the metro area.
The school’s enrollment is on the smaller side for a middle school. The student body is overwhelmingly Black, with a very small number of students who are White, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian. Every single student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, which places the school in a high-poverty context. Data on students with disabilities and English learners was not available in the source materials.
State test results from the Missouri Assessment Program give a mixed picture. In mathematics, the share of students scoring proficient or advanced is modest across all three grades, and it dips slightly as grade level rises. In English language arts, performance varies more noticeably by grade. Sixth-grade reading proficiency is higher than sixth-grade math, and by eighth grade roughly half of students reached the proficient mark, a notably stronger result. Science is tested only in eighth grade, and about a quarter of students met the proficiency benchmark. Seventh-grade ELA results were suppressed in the data, so no public figure is available for that grade. Because the school serves only middle school grades, there is no graduation rate to report.
The school’s multi-year academic trend data is limited to a single year, so it is not possible to say whether performance is improving or declining over time. Parents looking for a trend line may want to ask the school directly for earlier results.
When compared with other districts in Jackson County, University Academy-Middle’s overall proficiency index sits above the midpoint among the thirty-two districts in the county. That relative position is meaningful: while the school’s absolute proficiency rates are low, it performs better on this composite measure than many of its neighboring districts, which often serve similarly challenged populations. This suggests that the school’s academic program may be producing results that are competitive within its local peer context, despite the headwinds of high poverty.
The school environment data is thin. There is no information on chronic absenteeism, discipline rates, staffing ratios, or course access, so a parent interested in those dimensions would need to follow up directly with the school. The district brief for University Academy turned up little in the way of recent changes or strategic initiatives, so no major district-level developments are available to report.
Housing in the Kansas City area has seen home values and rents rise somewhat in recent years, broadly in line with national trends. The area surrounding the school at 6801 Holmes Road is within the city limits and reflects the broader metropolitan housing market.
For a family considering this school, the picture is one of a charter middle school serving a high-poverty, predominantly Black student body in a large urban setting. Academic performance is low in absolute terms, particularly in mathematics, but the school’s relative standing among Jackson County districts is above average, and eighth-grade reading is a bright spot. The lack of data on discipline, attendance, staffing, and special populations means families will want to visit, talk to current parents, and ask about these areas directly. The school’s charter status gives it some autonomy in programming and staffing, though specific program offerings were not listed in the available information.
See more original research from School Decision →