ASCEND District

The ASCEND District in Oakland, California, has one elementary public charter school, Ascend, which serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Based on the available data, Ascend does not appear to be a standout school within the district or the state of California, as it struggles with low academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and declining statewide rankings.

Ascend's test scores on standardized assessments, such as the Smarter Balanced Assessments and the California Science Test (CAST), are consistently below the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of Ascend students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy ranged from 19.23% (3rd grade) to 50% (8th grade), compared to the state averages of 42.8% to 47.37%. Similarly, in Mathematics, Ascend's proficiency rates ranged from 21.15% (3rd grade) to 43.64% (6th grade), compared to the state averages of 31.57% to 45.64%. Additionally, Ascend has a high chronic absenteeism rate of 35.6%, significantly above the state average.

The data also suggests that Ascend serves a population with significant socioeconomic challenges, as 85.77% of its students receive free or reduced-price lunch. This high percentage of economically disadvantaged students may contribute to the school's academic performance issues. Furthermore, Ascend has a relatively high student-teacher ratio of 22.8 to 1, which could limit the ability of teachers to provide individualized attention and support to students. Overall, the data indicates that Ascend faces significant challenges in providing a quality education to its students, and further investigation into the school's specific needs and strategies for improvement would be necessary to address these concerns.