Downtown Charter Academy

Summary:

Downtown Charter Academy is a high-performing public charter middle school in Oakland, California, serving 259 students in grades 6-8. The school is part of the Downtown Charter Academy District, which is ranked 58 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Downtown Charter Academy consistently ranks among the top middle schools in California, with exceptional academic performance. In the 2023-2024 school year, the school ranked 169th out of 2,777 schools and received a 5-star rating. Its proficiency rates in Smarter Balanced Assessments for English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics were significantly higher than the state averages, at 73.08% and 71.71% respectively, compared to the state averages of 47.04% and 35.54%. The school also outperformed the state in CAST Science assessments, with a proficiency rate of 55.41% compared to the state average of 30.7%. Downtown Charter Academy's performance is particularly strong for English Language Learners and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the top 5% and top 2% of California middle schools for these student groups, respectively.

Compared to nearby public schools, such as Oakland Charter Academy, Edna Brewer Middle, and Bret Harte Middle, Downtown Charter Academy's academic performance is significantly stronger. Despite serving a high proportion of students from low-income backgrounds, the school has been able to achieve exceptional results, suggesting it has effective strategies and resources in place to support these students. Downtown Charter Academy has also maintained a high level of academic performance over time, with consistently strong rankings and proficiency rates across multiple school years.

Detail:

Public, Charter 6-8

2000 Dennison St.
Oakland, CA 94606-5201

(510) 535-1580

District: Downtown Charter Academy District

SchoolDigger Rank:
169^th of 2,777 California Middle Schools

Student/teacher ratio: 17.9

Number of students: 259

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

78.8%

Hispanic:

13.1%

African American:

6.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 57.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Downtown Charter Academy ranks better than 93.9% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 94.52. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

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Teachers

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Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Downtown Charter Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Downtown Charter Academy 169^th of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Downtown Charter Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

Downtown Charter Academy District:

SchoolDigger ranks Downtown Charter Academy District 58^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Downtown Charter Academy

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Rank History for all students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	88.11	304^th	2715	88.8%
2022	92.33	216^th	2740	92.1%
2023	92.26	228^th	2802	91.9%
2024	94.52	169^th	2777	93.9%

See the entire list of California Middle School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	79.73	128^th	1442	91.1%
2022	97.28	18^th	1540	98.8%
2023	98.41	18^th	1529	98.8%
2024	91.66	47^th	1477	96.8%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	96.79	38^th	2369	98.4%
2022	96.42	56^th	2458	97.7%
2023	97.32	54^th	2549	97.9%
2024	98.62	34^th	2575	98.7%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	85.59	307^th	2380	87.1%
2022	90.88	216^th	2509	91.4%
2023	92.12	196^th	2547	92.3%
2024	93.23	175^th	2546	93.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Male students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	87.16	297^th	2407	87.7%
2022	92.12	197^th	2527	92.2%
2023	90.75	231^st	2558	91.0%
2024	93.43	177^th	2547	93.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	59.38	353^rd	745	52.6%
2022	57.14	369^th	733	49.7%
2023	65.04	295^th	718	58.9%
2024	70.00	240^th	741	67.6%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Downtown Charter Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2019	61.82	651^st	2213	70.6%
2022	65.84	590^th	2359	75.0%
2023	59.91	726^th	2391	69.6%
2024	39.15	1332^nd	2383	44.1%

See the entire list of Best California Middle Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Downtown Charter Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2019	5	36	204	52	0	3	5	305
2020	4	31	234	54	0	1	2	326
2021	5	29	232	51	0	1	0	318
2022	4	11	211	40	1	0	4	271
2023	1	12	200	41	0	0	5	259
2024	1	17	204	34	0	0	3	259

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Downtown Charter Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	305	14.0	21.7	78.7
2020	326	n/a	n/a	76.7
2021	318	14.0	22.7	75.8
2022	271	13.4	20.2	67.5
2023	259	11.6	22.3	76.8
2024	259	14.4	17.9	57.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Downtown Charter Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2019	305	14.0	21.7	78.7
2020	326	n/a	n/a	76.7
2021	318	14.0	22.7	75.8
2022	271	13.4	20.2	67.5
2023	259	11.6	22.3	76.8
2024	259	14.4	17.9	57.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Downtown Charter Academy

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 304^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 228^th of 2802 Middle schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Downtown Charter Academy)	64.8	56.4	8.4%
6th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	48.5	44.2	4.3%
6th Grade Mathematics (Downtown Charter Academy)	62.9	66	3.1%
6th Grade Mathematics (California)	38.5	33.2	5.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Downtown Charter Academy)	65.2	77.5	12.3%
7th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	51.4	47.4	3.9%
7th Grade Mathematics (Downtown Charter Academy)	65.2	61.1	4.1%
7th Grade Mathematics (California)	37.9	33.2	4.7%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Downtown Charter Academy)	76.8	73.3	3.5%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Downtown Charter Academy)	68.3	68.1	0.2%
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Downtown Charter Academy)	52.4	59.3	6.9%
8th Grade Science (California)	30.8	28.8	2.1%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	305	259	15.1%
African American	36	12	66.7%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	204	200	2%
Hispanic	52	41	21.2%
Pacific Islander	3	0	100%
White	5	1	80%
Two or More Races	5	5
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	78.7%	76.8%	1.9%

Schools Near Downtown Charter Academy

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Downtown Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	2000 Dennison St.	Oakland	94606	Alameda County	Downtown Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 535-1580	259	14	17.9	57.1%	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.6%)	34 (13.1%)	204 (78.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)	94.5	169^th of 2777 public middle schools	93.9%		92.3	228^th of 2802 public middle schools	91.9%	59	55.4	55.4	75.8	67.7	76.7	73.1	82.2	66.3	65.8	71.7
Epic Charter	Public	6-8	1045 Derby Ave.	Oakland	94601	Alameda County	Alameda County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 689-2035	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Roosevelt Middle	Public	6-8	1926 19th Ave.	Oakland	94606	Alameda County	Oakland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 879-3212	551	33	16.4	97.6%	16 (2.9%)	111 (20.1%)	223 (40.5%)	166 (30.1%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.1%)	28 (5.1%)	19.5	2276^th of 2777 public middle schools	18.0%		27.9	1908^th of 2802 public middle schools	31.9%	368	15.4	15.4	17.8	21.1	23.2	20.9	13.0	19.3	16.2	16.2	$7,310
Urban Promise Academy Middle	Public	6-8	3031 East 18th St.	Oakland	94601	Alameda County	Oakland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 879-5236	371	20	18.6	97.6%	7 (1.9%)	11 (3.0%)	323 (87.1%)	17 (4.6%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.0%)	15.9	2435^th of 2777 public middle schools	12.3%		16.3	2456^th of 2802 public middle schools	12.3%	21	12.7	12.7	19.5	20.3	27.4	22.4	11.3	5.9	12.7	10.1	$6,994
United for Success Academy Middle	Public	6-8	2101 35th Ave.	Oakland	94601	Alameda County	Oakland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 879-3228	356	22	15.9	98.6%	8 (2.2%)	34 (9.6%)	277 (77.8%)	16 (4.5%)	2 (0.6%)	10 (2.8%)	9 (2.5%)	10.8	2635^th of 2777 public middle schools	5.1%		11.1	2669^th of 2802 public middle schools	4.7%	34	1.7	1.7	13.9	22.1	9.0	14.9	8.3	14.4	5.3	9.3	$8,010
Oakland Charter Academy	Public, Charter	6-8	4215 Foothill Blvd.	Oakland	94601	Alameda County	Oakland Charter Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 532-6751	223	7	31.8	70.9%	13 (5.8%)	7 (3.1%)	196 (87.9%)	3 (1.3%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	13.1	2540^th of 2777 public middle schools	8.5%		14.3	2545^th of 2802 public middle schools	9.2%	5	5.1	5.1	7.8	6.1	11.9	8.3	15.2	19.3	11.9	15.8
Edna Brewer Middle	Public	6-8	3748 13th Ave.	Oakland	94610	Alameda County	Oakland Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 879-3210	791	41	19.1	60.9%	158 (20.0%)	141 (17.8%)	214 (27.1%)	160 (20.2%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	115 (14.5%)	79.2	493^rd of 2777 public middle schools	82.2%		82.7	417^th of 2802 public middle schools	85.1%	76	44.5	44.5	56.1	59.2	63.5	59.7	48.8	44.6	49.4	47.7	$6,663
Will C. Wood Middle	Public	6-8	420 Grand St.	Alameda	94501	Alameda County	Alameda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 748-4015	603	27	22.7	57.5%	127 (21.1%)	45 (7.5%)	134 (22.2%)	191 (31.7%)	1 (0.2%)	5 (0.8%)	97 (16.1%)	69.1	696^th of 2777 public middle schools	74.9%		68.4	707^th of 2802 public middle schools	74.8%	11	29.7	29.7	50.8	54.6	52.7	52.7	46.2	46.7	43.2	45.4	$16,212
AIMS College Prep Middle	Public, Charter	6-8	171 12th St.	Oakland	94607	Alameda County	AIMS College Prep Middle District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 893-8701	212	11	18.9	77.8%	12 (5.7%)	72 (34.0%)	25 (11.8%)	85 (40.1%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	16 (7.5%)	72.2	645^th of 2777 public middle schools	76.8%		50	1168^th of 2802 public middle schools	58.3%	523	43.8	43.8	44.0	53.7	59.5	53.4	36.7	43.9	50.7	44.3
Lincoln Middle	Public	6-8	1250 Fernside Blvd.	Alameda	94501	Alameda County	Alameda Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(510) 748-4018	922	41	22.3	24.1%	291 (31.6%)	21 (2.3%)	116 (12.6%)	298 (32.3%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	192 (20.8%)	95.2	143^rd of 2777 public middle schools	94.9%		95.9	121^st of 2802 public middle schools	95.7%	22	64.5	64.5	77.1	80.2	72.5	76.7	65.1	64.2	63.0	64.1	$14,652

Frequently Asked Questions about Downtown Charter Academy

What is the racial makeup of Downtown Charter Academy?

Students at Downtown Charter Academy are 79% Asian, 13% Hispanic, 7% African American, 1% Two or more races.

How many students attend Downtown Charter Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 259 students attended Downtown Charter Academy.

What district is Downtown Charter Academy in?

Downtown Charter Academy District

Is Downtown Charter Academy a good school?

Yes. Downtown Charter Academy ranks in the top 6.1% of California middle schools.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.