The top reported proficiency rate is 40% in Social studies. The lowest is 19% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Graham Elementary and Middle School
Graham Elementary and Middle School is a small K-8 charter school located in central Columbus, serving a student body that is predominantly low-income and Black. The school enrolls a modest-sized cohort across its grade span, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The racial composition is primarily Black students with a smaller White population and very small Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial groups.
State testing results from the most recent year show that Graham's proficiency rates are significantly below county and state averages across tested subjects. In math, roughly one in five students scored at proficient or above on Ohio's State Tests. In English language arts, about one in three students met proficiency. Science proficiency sat near one in four students. These results place Graham in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Franklin County on overall proficiency across subjects and grades.
The school's pedagogical approach centers on what it calls Trauma Responsive Educational Practices, an intentional commitment to supporting students who may carry adverse experiences. The school has developed a structured plan around this framework and tracks student progress in growth mindset, self-efficacy, and sense of belonging through the Panorama survey system. Recently, the school restructured its advisory and community model by organizing Crew classes into Houses, each tied to one of five Habits of Learning: Responsibility, Perseverance, Quality, Teamwork, and Thoughtfulness. This means every student belongs to both a Crew and a House, creating a dual-layer system designed to build belonging and character alongside academics.
The school sits in Columbus, Ohio's largest city and a rapid-growth metro. Columbus has a diverse neighborhood structure ranging from walkable historic districts like German Village to more dispersed residential areas. The area around Graham's location in the 43201 zip code reflects central Columbus's character: mixed-income, with older housing stock. Housing values in the immediate area are modest compared to suburban Columbus, and rental costs are below state and national benchmarks, reflecting the economic profile of the neighborhood and the families the school serves.
A parent considering Graham should understand that the school offers a deliberate cultural and social-emotional focus alongside core academics, grounded in the reality that many of its students face economic hardship and trauma. The school's strength lies in its explicit design around student belonging and character development. The academic results, however, indicate that reading and math proficiency levels are substantially below county medians. A parent would want to discuss with the school how it is working to close this gap and what specific support systems exist for individual learners, particularly in early literacy and numeracy where foundations matter most for later grades. The school's charter status gives it autonomy in hiring, curriculum, and schedule, which it uses to embed its TREP and Houses model throughout the day. For a family prioritizing a school with a strong community and character focus and smaller class settings, and who is committed to engaging with the school around academic support, Graham's approach may align. For families prioritizing high absolute test performance as the primary measure, the data suggests looking further.
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