Twin Cities Academy

Twin Cities Academy is the sole public charter high school serving grades 6-12 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with a diverse student population of 512 students. While the school's small class sizes and racial diversity may be strengths, the data reveals significant academic challenges, with proficiency rates on standardized tests well below state averages, particularly in mathematics.

The Twin Cities Academy student population is 23.24% White, 25.98% African American, 27.34% Hispanic, 16.21% Asian, and 7.23% two or more races. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA-III), is generally lower than the state averages across all grade levels and subject areas. In 2023-2024, the school's proficiency rates ranged from 6.62% in Science (End of Course) to 39.13% in Reading (7th grade), compared to the state averages of 43.47% in Science and 54.54% in Reading (6th grade). The school's math proficiency rates were particularly low, ranging from 7.32% in 6th grade to 15.52% in 11th grade, compared to the state averages of 40.25% to 34.99%, respectively.

Despite the school's relatively low student-teacher ratio of 11.5 to 1, the data suggests that Twin Cities Academy faces significant challenges in supporting the academic success of its diverse and economically disadvantaged student population. The school's four-year graduation rate of 82.7% is lower than the state average, and a significant portion (70.12%) of its students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. While the school's low dropout rate of 1.7% is a positive, the overall data points to the need for more targeted academic interventions and support to improve student outcomes.