Is Madera County Independent Academy a good school?

Madera County Independent Academy ranks in the bottom 2.7% of California alternative schools.

How many students attend Madera County Independent Academy?

In the 2023-24 school year, 62 students attended Madera County Independent Academy.

What is the racial makeup of Madera County Independent Academy?

Students at Madera County Independent Academy are 81% Hispanic, 13% White, 5% African American, 2% Two or more races.

Madera County Independent Academy

Summary:

Madera County Independent Academy is a small alternative public charter school serving grades K-12 in Madera, California, with only 48 students enrolled. The school is part of the Madera County Superintendent of Schools district, which is ranked 1527 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Madera County Independent Academy has faced significant challenges, including highly variable four-year graduation rates ranging from 20.0% to 68.1% over the past few years, which are significantly lower than the nearby Duane E. Furman Independent Study (79.7%) and Pioneer Technical Center (31.3%). Correspondingly, the school has had very high dropout rates, ranging from 26.4% to 80.0%, much higher than the dropout rates of nearby schools like Kerman Unified Online (6.5%) and Crescent View South II (32.5%). The school has also struggled with chronic absenteeism, with rates ranging from 29.3% to 65.7%, significantly higher than the rates of nearby schools like Valley Children's Hospital (0.0%) and Centennial Independent Study (0.0%).

Madera County Independent Academy's test scores on the Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST Science exams are consistently lower than the scores of the Madera County Superintendent of Schools district and the state of California. For example, in 2023-2024, only 14.58% of Madera County Independent Academy students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 13.04% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school's challenges may be exacerbated by its small size, low-income student population, and proximity to other alternative schools like Pioneer Technical Center, which is just 0.03 miles away.

Detail:

Public, Charter, Alternative K-12

1635 East Olive Ave.
Madera, CA 93638-4905

(559) 662-4640

District: Madera County Superintendent of Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
2701^st of 2,777 California Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,816

Student/teacher ratio: 25.8

Number of students: 62

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

80.6%

White:

12.9%

African American:

4.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Madera County Independent Academy to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Madera County Independent Academy ranks worse than 97.3% of middle schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 8.45. (See more...)

Compare Details Madera County Independent Academy ranks worse than 88.5% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 9.53. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Madera County Independent Academy who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

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

Compare Details Madera County Independent Academy has the smallest alternative school student body size in the Madera County Superintendent of Schools District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (80.6%), White (12.9%), African American (4.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Madera County Independent Academy is 25.8, which is the highest among 3 alternative schools in the Madera County Superintendent of Schools District! (See more...)

Compare Madera County Independent Academy employs 2.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Madera County Independent Academy is $11,816, which is the lowest among 3 alternative schools in the Madera County Superintendent of Schools District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Madera County Independent Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera County Independent Academy 2701^st of 2777 California public middle schools. (See Madera County Independent Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera County Independent Academy 2056^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Madera County Independent Academy in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Madera County Superintendent of Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera County Superintendent of Schools 1527^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

What do you think?

Your rating for Madera County Independent Academy?

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Rank History for Madera County Independent Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2010	3.31	2152^nd	2179	1.2%
2011	2.69	2215^th	2236	0.9%
2012	2.00	2247^th	2259	0.5%
2013	5.44	2317^th	2379	2.6%
2015	3.77	2462^nd	2477	0.6%
2016	3.63	2468^th	2497	1.2%
2018	5.28	2447^th	2480	1.3%
2019	5.07	2680^th	2715	1.3%
2022	6.84	2713^th	2740	1.0%
2023	10.97	2678^th	2802	4.4%
2024	8.45	2701^st	2777	2.7%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	5.44	2208^th	2230	1.0%
2019	6.25	2323^rd	2369	1.9%
2022	7.99	2423^rd	2458	1.4%
2024	10.69	2477^th	2575	3.8%

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

Rank History for middle school Female students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	5.29	2367^th	2380	0.5%

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

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	6.26	2051^st	2072	1.0%
2019	3.79	2211^th	2213	0.1%
2022	8.39	2328^th	2359	1.3%
2024	11.75	2271^st	2383	4.7%

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

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

Rank History for Madera County Independent Academy

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Rank History for all high school students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2009	9.58	2028^th	2238	9.4%
2010	17.15	1741^st	2281	23.7%
2011	16.59	1773^rd	2367	25.1%
2012	12.31	1923^rd	2354	18.3%
2013	12.75	1990^th	2426	18.0%
2015	10.25	1829^th	1994	8.3%
2016	9.97	1870^th	2039	8.3%
2017	10.18	1823^rd	2021	9.8%
2018	10.69	1791^st	2017	11.2%
2023	12.55	1923^rd	2348	18.1%
2024	9.53	2056^th	2323	11.5%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	25.40	739^th	938	21.2%

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

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.50	1621^st	1862	12.9%
2023	18.79	1696^th	2247	24.5%
2024	11.74	1876^th	2235	16.1%

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

Rank History for high school Female students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	8.57	1590^th	1760	9.7%
2023	9.49	1924^th	2118	9.2%
2024	6.46	2062^nd	2098	1.7%

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

Rank History for high school Male students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.18	1681^st	1834	8.3%
2023	11.34	1881^st	2207	14.8%
2024	11.64	1822^nd	2172	16.1%

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

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.34	1496^th	1742	14.1%
2023	20.12	1594^th	2142	25.6%
2024	12.84	1751^st	2125	17.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative 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 Madera County Independent Academy

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	6	2	0	33	0	0	0	41
2010	13	2	0	61	2	0	2	80
2011	22	2	1	121	3	1	8	158
2012	28	6	2	172	1	0	2	211
2013	35	8	0	295	3	0	5	346
2014	42	4	0	307	5	0	4	362
2015	27	4	2	319	1	0	4	357
2016	37	5	3	327	4	0	8	384
2017	38	8	1	322	2	0	8	379
2018	37	3	1	225	2	0	24	292
2019	9	5	0	24	2	0	8	48
2020	11	1	0	44	0	0	15	71
2021	9	2	0	35	0	0	12	58
2022	5	1	1	45	0	0	7	59
2023	7	0	0	38	0	0	3	48
2024	8	3	0	50	0	0	1	62

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 Madera County Independent Academy

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	41	2.0	20.5	24.4
2010	80	2.0	40.0	n/a
2011	158	n/a	n/a	43.7
2012	211	6.1	34.3	n/a
2013	346	8.5	40.6	50.9
2014	362	n/a	n/a	93.4
2015	357	13.0	27.4	93.8
2016	384	14.0	27.4	90.9
2017	379	13.4	28.1	90.2
2018	292	11.0	26.5	93.2
2019	48	2.0	24.0	93.8
2020	71	n/a	n/a	80.3
2021	58	3.0	19.3	75.9
2022	59	3.0	19.6	79.7
2023	48	2.0	24.0	81.3
2024	62	2.4	25.8	85.5

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 Madera County Independent Academy

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	41	2.0	20.5	24.4
2010	80	2.0	40.0	n/a
2011	158	n/a	n/a	43.7
2012	211	6.1	34.3	n/a
2013	346	8.5	40.6	50.9
2014	362	n/a	n/a	93.4
2015	357	13.0	27.4	93.8
2016	384	14.0	27.4	90.9
2017	379	13.4	28.1	90.2
2018	292	11.0	26.5	93.2
2019	48	2.0	24.0	93.8
2020	71	n/a	n/a	80.3
2021	58	3.0	19.3	75.9
2022	59	3.0	19.6	79.7
2023	48	2.0	24.0	81.3
2024	62	2.4	25.8	85.5

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.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Madera County Independent Academy

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$11,816

Data source: California Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Madera County Independent 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 2680^th of 2715 Middle schools	Ranks 2678^th of 2802 Middle schools	3.1%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Madera County Independent Academy)	14.8	16.7	1.9%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Madera County Superintendent of Schools)	15.8	11.5	4.3%
8th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	49.4	45.7	3.8%
8th Grade Mathematics (Madera County Independent Academy)	0	0
8th Grade Mathematics (Madera County Superintendent of Schools)	0	0
8th Grade Mathematics (California)	36.6	29.9	6.7%
8th Grade Science (Madera County Independent Academy)	3.9	9.1	5.2%
8th Grade Science (Madera County Superintendent of Schools)	5.4	4.2	1.2%
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	48	48
African American	5	0	100%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	24	38	58.3%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	9	7	22.2%
Two or More Races	8	3	62.5%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	93.8%	81.3%	12.5%

Schools Near Madera County Independent Academy

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking ()				Ranking ()				CAST Science (2024)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	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 ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	SchoolDigger Rating ()	Average Standard Score ()	Statewide Rank ()	State Percentile ()	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th 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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Madera County Independent Academy	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1635 East Olive Ave.	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 662-4640	62	2	25.8	85.5%	8 (12.9%)	3 (4.8%)	50 (80.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.6%)								(n/a)	6.7			10.0		7.1	13.3		14.6		0.0	6.7		4.2							$11,816
Pioneer Technical Center	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1665 East Olive Ave.	Madera	93638	Madera County	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 664-1600	243	12	19.9	92.6%	30 (12.3%)	8 (3.3%)	201 (82.7%)	1 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.2%)								(n/a)			6.5	5.1				19.4	15.9				0.0	0.0							$19,818
Gould Educational Center	Public, Alternative	K-12	117 West Dunham	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 674-0915	360	47	7.6	76.4%	62 (17.2%)	4 (1.1%)	273 (75.8%)	7 (1.9%)	3 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (3.1%)								(n/a)									0.0					0.0	75.9	75.9	75.9	75.9	75.9	75.9	$37,510
Duane E. Furman Independent Study	Public, Alternative	K-12	955 West Pecan Ave.	Madera	93637	Madera County	Madera Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 675-4482	348	20	17.8	92.8%	31 (8.9%)	6 (1.7%)	291 (83.6%)	6 (1.7%)	4 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.9%)								(n/a)	12.0	12.3		12.6	23.1	34.3	13.7	28.1	27.6	14.3	8.6	7.7	1.6	8.2							$2,568
Centennial Independent Study	Public, Alternative	1-12	12150 Road 36	Madera	93636	Madera County	Golden Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 645-3580	20	2	9.7	85.0%	6 (30.0%)	2 (10.0%)	12 (60.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$27,957
Freedom Home	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	16362 Paula Rd.	Madera	93636	Madera County	Golden Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(559) 645-3590	47	2	25.0	53.2%	22 (46.8%)	1 (2.1%)	19 (40.4%)	1 (2.1%)	4 (8.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)				7.1					46.7					6.7							$9,929
Crescent View South II	Public, Charter, Alternative	K-12	4348 West Shaw Ave.	Fresno	93722	Fresno County	Crescent View South II District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 389-7270	1,252	50	24.9	88.3%	118 (9.4%)	60 (4.8%)	955 (76.3%)	28 (2.2%)	7 (0.6%)	2 (0.2%)	68 (5.4%)								(n/a)			19.2	19.2				27.0	27.0				4.2	4.2
Valley Children's Hospital	Public, Alternative	K-12	9300 Valley Children's Pl. Ste	Madera	93636	Madera County	Golden Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 645-3580	6	1	4.0		1 (16.7%)	1 (16.7%)	3 (50.0%)	1 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)																					$49,157
Central Unified Alternative/Opportunity	Public, Alternative	K-12	2698 North Brawley	Fresno	93722	Fresno County	Central Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(559) 276-5230	277	11	24.6	81.2%	30 (10.8%)	27 (9.7%)	198 (71.5%)	15 (5.4%)	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)								(n/a)	12.5	9.7	0.0	8.7			31.3	26.6	28.9			0.0	0.0	2.1							$7,899
Kerman Unified Online	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	15085 West D St.	Kerman	93630	Fresno County	Kerman Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(559) 843-9800	213	4	57.5	90.6%	17 (8.0%)	4 (1.9%)	181 (85.0%)	6 (2.8%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	1 (0.5%)								(n/a)	0.0	3.9		3.7			11.1	41.5	30.3			0.0	0.0	1.1

Madera County Independent Academy

Madera County Independent Academy:

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Madera County Superintendent of Schools:

What do you think?

Rank History for Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for all middle school students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for middle school Female students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for all high school students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for high school English Language Learner students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for high school Female students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for high school Male students at Madera County Independent Academy

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Madera County Independent Academy

Enrollment information for Madera County Independent Academy

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Madera County Independent Academy

Student/Teacher Ratio Madera County Independent Academy

Per Pupil Expenditures for Madera County Independent Academy

Impact of COVID-19 on Madera County Independent Academy

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Madera County Independent Academy

Frequently Asked Questions about Madera County Independent Academy

Rate Madera County Independent Academy!

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