Summary:
The city of Freedom, California has two schools serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade: Freedom Elementary and Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter. While Freedom Elementary serves a large elementary school population, it has consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of California elementary schools and struggles with low test scores, high chronic absenteeism, and a high rate of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. In contrast, the high school, Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter, faces challenges with a very low 4-year graduation rate and a high dropout rate, despite having a lower rate of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.
The data reveals a stark contrast in the performance and outcomes between the two schools. Freedom Elementary is consistently ranked in the bottom 10-15% of California elementary schools and has significantly lower test scores compared to the Pajaro Valley Unified school district and the state of California. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter has a very low graduation rate and a high dropout rate, indicating significant challenges in student success and college/career readiness.
Both schools serve student populations with high levels of socioeconomic disadvantage, as evidenced by the high free/reduced lunch rates. This suggests that the schools may face additional challenges in supporting their students' academic and social-emotional needs. Additionally, the data shows a significant difference in chronic absenteeism rates between the two schools, with Freedom Elementary having a very high rate of 39% compared to the relatively low rate of 0.5% at Santa Cruz County Career Advancement Charter. This disparity may be an important factor in understanding the schools' performance and outcomes.
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