Gordon Parks Academy

Summary:

Gordon Parks Academy is a public magnet elementary school in Wichita, Kansas that serves grades PK-8. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom 10% of Kansas elementary schools over the past decade, with significant underperformance compared to the Wichita district and state averages across all grade levels and subject areas.

Gordon Parks Academy serves a high-need student population, with 90.15% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. While the school has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11:1 and higher per-student spending than nearby schools, these resources have not translated into improved academic outcomes. The school's performance for specific student subgroups, such as African American and Hispanic students, is also mixed compared to the state. Nearby Spaght Multimedia Magnet, Irving Elementary, and Cloud Elementary schools also perform poorly, suggesting systemic issues within the Wichita school district.

In contrast, Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet, another magnet school in the district, outperforms Gordon Parks Academy across most metrics, including test scores and student demographics. This indicates that the magnet school model can be effective in improving student outcomes, but the implementation at Gordon Parks Academy has not been as successful. Addressing the systemic issues within the district and implementing more effective strategies at the school level will be crucial for improving the educational outcomes at Gordon Parks Academy.


Detail:

Public, Magnet PK, KG-8

 2201 E. 25th St.
       Wichita, KS  67219


(316) 973-7500

District: Wichita

SchoolDigger Rank:
607th of 653 Kansas Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $14,730 Help


Students who attend Gordon Parks Academy usually attend:

Middle:    Wells Alternative Middle School
High:    Chisholm Life Skills Center
    Sowers Alternative High School
    Wichita Alternative High

Student/teacher ratio:  11.7 Help
Number of students:  452

Racial breakdown:

African American:
44.2%
Hispanic:
25.4%
White:
15.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  91.2% Help


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Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Gordon Parks Academy ranks worse than 93% of elementary schools in Kansas. It also ranks 32nd among 57 ranked elementary schools in the Wichita School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 10.28. (See more...)
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Compare Details Gordon Parks Academy ranks worse than 93.9% of middle schools in Kansas. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 12.24. (See more...)
Student Body
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Compare Details Student population at Gordon Parks Academy is diverse. Racial makeup is: African American (44.2%), Hispanic (25.4%), White (15%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 91.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Gordon Parks Academy is 11.7, which is the 8th best among 57 elementary schools in the Wichita School District. (See more...)
Help
Compare Gordon Parks Academy employs 38.3 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Gordon Parks Academy is $14,730, which is the 3rd highest among 57 elementary schools in the Wichita School District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Gordon Parks Academy:

SchoolDigger ranks Gordon Parks Academy 607th of 653 Kansas public elementary schools. (See Gordon Parks Academy in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:

SchoolDigger ranks Gordon Parks Academy 340th of 362 Kansas public middle schools. (See Gordon Parks Academy in the ranking list.)

Middle School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Wichita:

SchoolDigger ranks Wichita 252nd of 266 Kansas school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Gordon Parks Academy

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 1.99 611th 621 1.6%
2010 1.63 623rd 630 1.1%
2011 2.11 625th 631 1.0%
2012 8.20 628th 660 4.8%
2013 2.81 655th 668 1.9%
2015 4.03 670th 678 1.2%
2016 4.09 648th 656 1.2%
2017 4.87 648th 659 1.7%
2018 7.12 631st 656 3.8%
2019 5.31 657th 667 1.5%
2021 7.52 637th 670 4.9%
2022 12.69 606th 668 9.3%
2023 13.87 588th 660 10.9%
2024 10.28 607th 653 7.0%
See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 11.25 210th 214 1.9%
2024 13.63 299th 306 2.3%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 16.13 472nd 512 7.8%
2019 11.12 497th 509 2.4%
2021 18.19 448th 494 9.3%
2022 25.78 430th 512 16.0%
2023 25.72 452nd 541 16.5%
2024 19.07 492nd 546 9.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 5.12 564th 574 1.7%
2019 7.15 582nd 591 1.5%
2021 12.81 540th 591 8.6%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2021 11.25 210th 214 1.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 14.78 515th 575 10.4%
2019 9.53 562nd 586 4.1%
2021 7.04 591st 605 2.3%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school African American students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.93 54th 65 16.9%
2019 22.77 61st 73 16.4%
2021 42.04 34th 73 53.4%
2022 42.49 31st 68 54.4%
2023 42.39 37th 74 50.0%
2024 28.27 57th 72 20.8%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 34.52 188th 260 27.7%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for Gordon Parks Academy

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Rank History for all middle school students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2009 5.03 293rd 307 4.6%
2010 2.69 305th 316 3.5%
2011 6.91 297th 320 7.2%
2012 6.78 324th 342 5.3%
2013 8.50 335th 355 5.6%
2015 6.02 362nd 368 1.6%
2016 6.59 337th 343 1.7%
2017 5.92 355th 358 0.8%
2018 14.30 320th 350 8.6%
2019 9.58 354th 368 3.8%
2021 7.70 354th 367 3.5%
2022 22.48 310th 368 15.8%
2023 13.81 341st 362 5.8%
2024 12.24 340th 362 6.1%
See the entire list of Kansas Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2022 33.84 116th 171 32.2%
2023 18.17 174th 178 2.2%
2024 16.01 164th 164 0.0%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Low Socio Economic Status students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.07 215th 255 15.7%
2019 13.71 262nd 270 3.0%
2021 14.08 263rd 275 4.4%
2022 35.66 181st 270 33.0%
2023 24.27 264th 300 12.0%
2024 15.51 278th 296 6.1%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 10.02 264th 275 4.0%
2019 6.34 292nd 294 0.7%
2021 6.95 309th 313 1.3%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.51 213th 280 23.9%
2019 21.29 250th 301 16.9%
2021 12.52 286th 308 7.1%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school African American students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 28.21 45th 57 21.1%
2019 23.33 62nd 69 10.1%
2021 23.40 55th 65 15.4%
2022 37.66 42nd 72 41.7%
2023 39.50 43rd 73 41.1%
2024 25.52 58th 73 20.5%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 40.07 77th 140 45.0%
2024 29.63 111th 144 22.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for middle school White students at Gordon Parks Academy

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Middle Schools KS State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 21.92 301st 349 13.8%
2024 27.66 271st 347 21.9%
See the entire list of Best Kansas Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Kansas State 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.

Gordon Parks Academy Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 









Data source: Kansas State Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4)
0%

100%

0%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, August 25, 2019

Open Quote The school itself and teachers are amazing. There are some really mean students there that do target and bully others. The teachers try to do the best that they can, but I actually blame the parents that raise those kids. The teachers are working hard to put Gordon Parks on the map as an amazing and innovative school. They offer the kids opportunities they would not get in other schools. The school pushes programs like second step and avid to help students mature and develop good study skills to take on to high school. I have been very happy with the school and culture. I just wish parents would work harder to raise children who support each other instead of being so mean. Close Quote


by a teacher
Sunday, February 17, 2019

Open Quote Gordon Parks Academy has changed it focus to become a Media Art STEM school where students focus on Photography, Film and Audio production. We also have robotics where our all of our team qualified for state and three of them for nationals (We only have four teams). Currently we have a waiting list for students to enroll in our middle school and we are a feeder school to Northeast High Magnet School. We've also partnered with Wichita State University where we work with Shocker studios to help our students who would like to earn a degree in any of the media arts field. The school may have has a bad reputation is the past but this has change for the better. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Gordon Parks Academy

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2009 74 254 4 19 2 n/a n/a 43 396
2010 58 254 5 22 3 0 35 0 377
2011 54 238 3 36 3 0 31 0 365
2012 53 225 2 35 2 0 41 0 358
2013 32 357 4 46 3 0 54 0 496
2014 29 272 2 51 3 0 52 0 409
2015 31 284 2 48 5 0 46 0 416
2016 42 300 1 53 7 0 49 0 452
2017 36 296 1 57 3 0 45 0 438
2018 48 277 0 43 3 0 40 0 411
2019 56 237 2 45 1 0 43 0 384
2020 64 224 4 59 3 0 54 0 408
2021 64 203 3 65 3 0 49 0 387
2022 65 206 6 84 2 0 52 0 415
2023 58 195 3 92 2 0 46 0 396
2024 68 200 3 115 6 0 60 0 452

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 Gordon Parks Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 396 9.3 42.6 87
2010 377 n/a n/a 82.5
2011 365 25.4 14.3 86.3
2012 358 27.2 13.1 87.7
2013 496 35.2 14.0 93.1
2014 409 35.3 11.5 92.9
2015 416 36.0 11.5 92.1
2016 452 36.0 12.5 91.4
2017 438 34.3 12.7 93.2
2018 411 32.2 12.7 89.3
2019 384 33.7 11.3 88.5
2020 408 34.7 11.7 90
2021 387 37.5 10.3 89.7
2022 415 32.5 12.7 73.3
2023 396 35.8 11.0 90.2
2024 452 38.3 11.7 91.2

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 Gordon Parks Academy

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2009 396 9.3 42.6 87
2010 377 n/a n/a 82.5
2011 365 25.4 14.3 86.3
2012 358 27.2 13.1 87.7
2013 496 35.2 14.0 93.1
2014 409 35.3 11.5 92.9
2015 416 36.0 11.5 92.1
2016 452 36.0 12.5 91.4
2017 438 34.3 12.7 93.2
2018 411 32.2 12.7 89.3
2019 384 33.7 11.3 88.5
2020 408 34.7 11.7 90
2021 387 37.5 10.3 89.7
2022 415 32.5 12.7 73.3
2023 396 35.8 11.0 90.2
2024 452 38.3 11.7 91.2

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 Gordon Parks Academy

Help

YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $4,301 (29.2%) $10,430 (70.8%) $14,730

Data source: Kansas Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Gordon Parks 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 657th of 667 Elementary schoolsRanks 588th of 660 Elementary schools
 9.4%
Ranks 354th of 368 Middle schoolsRanks 341st of 362 Middle schools
 2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)14.310.5
 3.8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)25.221
 4.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)40.638.1
 2.5%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)16.315.4
 0.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Wichita)30.525.6
 4.9%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Kansas)50.350.4
 0.2%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)11.827
 15.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)30.326.1
 4.2%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)47.642.8
 4.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)5.929.7
 23.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Wichita)17.715.7
 2%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)36.137.6
 1.5%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)18.412.1
 6.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)2821.8
 6.2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)43.539.6
 4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)6.115.2
 9%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Wichita)17.514.7
 2.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.931.3
 0.6%
5th Grade Science (Gordon Parks Academy)18.421.2
 2.8%
   5th Grade Science (Wichita)2723.8
 3.2%
   5th Grade Science (Kansas)43.142.1
 1%
6th Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)16.217.8
 1.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)2118.4
 2.6%
   6th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)38.433.7
 4.7%
6th Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)2.72.2
 0.5%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Wichita)17.313.2
 4%
   6th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)31.929.9
 2%
7th Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)16.711.4
 5.3%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)20.718.5
 2.2%
   7th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)31.831.7
 0%
7th Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)106.8
 3.2%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Wichita)14.413
 1.3%
   7th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)27.927.5
 0.4%
8th Grade English Language Arts (Gordon Parks Academy)1014.9
 4.9%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Wichita)15.111.8
 3.3%
   8th Grade English Language Arts (Kansas)25.220.8
 4.4%
8th Grade Mathematics (Gordon Parks Academy)6.76.5
 0.1%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Wichita)13.311.1
 2.2%
   8th Grade Mathematics (Kansas)25.922.8
 3.1%
8th Grade Science (Gordon Parks Academy)1010.6
 0.6%
   8th Grade Science (Wichita)18.112.3
 5.7%
   8th Grade Science (Kansas)30.722.7
 8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students384396
 3.1%
African American237195
 17.7%
American Indian12
 100%
Asian23
 50%
Hispanic4592
 104.4%
Pacific Islander00
White5658
 3.6%
Two or More Races4346
 7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients88.5%90.2%
 1.6%


Schools Near Gordon Parks Academy









Frequently Asked Questions about Gordon Parks Academy

Gordon Parks Academy ranks in the bottom 7.0% of Kansas elementary schools.

In the 2023-24 school year, 452 students attended Gordon Parks Academy.

Students at Gordon Parks Academy are 44% African American, 25% Hispanic, 15% White, 13% Two or more races, 1% American Indian.


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





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