Step Up School

Summary:

Step Up School is a public charter elementary school located in Mesa, Arizona, serving grades K-8 with a total enrollment of 63 students. The school is operated by the Mesa Unified District, which is ranked 417 out of 540 districts in Arizona and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Compared to nearby schools, Step Up School has a significantly higher percentage of Hispanic students (74.6%) and a very high percentage of students (93.65%) receiving free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage. Academically, Step Up School's performance is significantly lower than the state and nearby school averages, with the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts and Mathematics ranging from 8% to 50%, compared to the state averages of 37% to 45%. The school also has had relatively high dropout rates, ranging from 0% to 3.2% over the past few years, which is higher than the typical elementary school.

When compared to the nearby schools, such as Gem Charter School, Eisenhower Center for Innovation, and SLAM Arizona Inc., Step Up School consistently ranks lower in the statewide SchoolDigger rankings, with a ranking between 952 and 1204 out of 1245 Arizona elementary schools in recent years. This suggests that the school is underperforming compared to its peers, despite spending significantly more per student ($15,695 to $17,745) than the nearby schools ($4,447 to $10,939 per student).

Detail:

Public, Charter K-8

44 E 5th St
Mesa, AZ 85201-5901

(480) 344-2600

District: STEP UP Schools Inc.

Student/teacher ratio: n/a

Number of students: 64

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.3%

African American:

15.6%

White:

7.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 93.7%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Step Up School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 22.54. (See more...)

Compare Details Step Up School is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2021 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.32. (See more...)

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

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.3%), African American (15.6%), White (7.8%). (See more...)

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Teachers

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Finance

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Schooldigger Rankings:

Step Up School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

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Rank History for Step Up School

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile
2018	9.72	1068^th	1109	3.7%
2021	10.07	1204^th	1226	1.8%
2023	22.54	952^nd	1245	23.5%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school English Language Learner students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	39.67	474^th	975	51.4%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for elementary school Special Education students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	23.66	1053^rd	1201	12.3%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	14.40	779^th	820	5.0%
2023	34.70	724^th	1116	35.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Female students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	12.23	1173^rd	1219	3.8%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	8.51	1214^th	1220	0.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for elementary school Hispanic students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	13.59	1176^th	1198	1.8%
2023	38.44	685^th	1170	41.5%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

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

Rank History for Step Up School

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Rank History for all middle school students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	11.42	662^nd	711	6.9%
2021	30.32	535^th	832	35.7%

See the entire list of Arizona Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school English Language Learner students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	55.66	66^th	606	89.1%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	45.07	342^nd	789	56.7%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for middle school Female students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	7.66	820^th	820	0.0%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for middle school Male students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	31.53	524^th	818	35.9%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for middle school Hispanic students at Step Up School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	AZ State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	32.68	521^st	802	35.0%

See the entire list of Best Arizona Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Data source: test scores: Arizona 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: Arizona Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Step Up School

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Year	White	African American	Hispanic	American Indian	Two or More Races	Total
2013	3	4	54	1	6	68
2014	4	6	64	2	7	83
2015	4	4	78	4	5	95
2016	13	13	65	5	0	96
2017	9	10	70	3	0	92
2018	2	15	67	1	0	85
2019	3	8	46	0	0	57
2020	7	7	37	1	0	52
2021	4	5	36	0	0	45
2022	5	7	43	0	0	55
2023	5	9	47	0	2	63
2024	5	10	45	2	2	64

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 Step Up School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	68	n/a	n/a	n/a
2014	83	n/a	n/a	91.6
2015	95	n/a	n/a	82.1
2016	96	n/a	n/a	91.7
2017	92	n/a	n/a	100
2018	85	n/a	n/a	n/a
2019	57	n/a	n/a	n/a
2020	52	n/a	n/a	92.3
2021	45	n/a	n/a	91.1
2022	55	n/a	n/a	94.5
2023	63	n/a	n/a	93.7
2024	64	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Step Up School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2013	68	n/a	n/a	n/a
2014	83	n/a	n/a	91.6
2015	95	n/a	n/a	82.1
2016	96	n/a	n/a	91.7
2017	92	n/a	n/a	100
2018	85	n/a	n/a	n/a
2019	57	n/a	n/a	n/a
2020	52	n/a	n/a	92.3
2021	45	n/a	n/a	91.1
2022	55	n/a	n/a	94.5
2023	63	n/a	n/a	93.7
2024	64	n/a	n/a	n/a

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 Step Up School

Year	Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from Federal Funds	Total Expenditures from Federal Funds	Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$1,799 (11.5%)	$578 (3.7%)	$4,176 (26.6%)	$10,250 (65.3%)	$3,068 (19.5%)	$13,317 (84.9%)	$15,694
2020	$1,932 (10.9%)	$1,400 (7.9%)	$5,263 (29.7%)	$9,885 (55.7%)	$4,528 (25.5%)	$14,414 (81.2%)	$17,745

Data source: Arizona Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Step Up School

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.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	57	63	10.5%
African American	8	9	12.5%
American Indian	0	0
Asian	0	0
Hispanic	46	47	2.2%
Pacific Islander	0	0
White	3	5	66.7%
Two or More Races	0	2

Schools Near Step Up School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				AASA English Language Arts (2024)				AASA Mathematics (2024)				AzSCI Science (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
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	AASA English Language Arts 3rd Grade	AASA English Language Arts 4th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 5th Grade	AASA English Language Arts 6th Grade	AASA Mathematics 3rd Grade	AASA Mathematics 4th Grade	AASA Mathematics 5th Grade	AASA Mathematics 6th Grade	AzSCI Science 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures: Total	Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Non-Personnel Spending from Federal Funds	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Personnel Spending from State and Local Funds	Non-Personnel from State and Local Funds	Sub-total Spending from State and Local Funds
Step Up School	Public, Charter	K-8	44 E 5th St	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	STEP UP Schools Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 344-2600	64				5 (7.8%)	10 (15.6%)	45 (70.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (3.1%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Eisenhower Center for Innovation	Public	PK, KG-6	848 N Mesa Dr	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-5200	444	31	14.4		36 (8.1%)	55 (12.4%)	308 (69.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (3.6%)	12 (2.7%)	16 (3.6%)	14.1	799^th of 912 public elementary schools	12.4%		28.3	855^th of 1245 public elementary schools	31.3%	56		34.0	24.0	23.0	21.0	20.0				$10,275	$1,148	$344	$2,640	$8,268	$515	$8,783
Heritage Academy Pinnacle	Public, Charter	K-8	32 S Center St	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Heritage Academy Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(623) 537-3535	93				62 (66.7%)	2 (2.2%)	20 (21.5%)	1 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.1%)	7 (7.5%)								(n/a)
SLAM Arizona Inc.	Public, Charter	K-8	305 E Main Street	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	SLAM Arizona Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(702) 431-6260	78				11 (14.1%)	14 (17.9%)	50 (64.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.6%)								(n/a)
Early Education Center	Public	PK	122 N Country Club Dr	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-0000	72				48 (66.7%)	1 (1.4%)	20 (27.8%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (2.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.4%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Edison Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	545 N Horne	Mesa	85203	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-5300	550	34	16.2		116 (21.1%)	18 (3.3%)	369 (67.1%)	1 (0.2%)	28 (5.1%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.1%)	15.9	765^th of 912 public elementary schools	16.1%		21.5	972^nd of 1245 public elementary schools	21.9%	207	25.0	27.0		32.0		21.0				$8,813	$855	$152	$1,863	$7,438	$367	$7,805
Concordia Charter School	Public, Charter	K-6	142 N Date	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Concordia Charter School Inc.	Yes	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 461-0555	78				10 (12.8%)	2 (2.6%)	63 (80.8%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	1 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)										$9,568	$00	$1,565	$1,565	$7,956	$47	$8,002
Franklin Accelerated Academy - Downtown Campus	Public	PK, KG-6	236 S Sirrine	Mesa	85210	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	No	(480) 472-5400	425	23	18.1		176 (41.4%)	16 (3.8%)	185 (43.5%)	4 (0.9%)	8 (1.9%)	2 (0.5%)	34 (8.0%)	85.6	120^th of 912 public elementary schools	86.8%		89.6	123^rd of 1245 public elementary schools	90.1%	3	69.0	73.0	63.0	67.0	58.0	61.0	61.0	62.0	57.0	$7,582	$29	$19	$76	$7,360	$174	$7,534
New Horizon School for the Performing Arts	Public, Charter	K-6	446 E Broadway Rd	Mesa	85204	Maricopa County	New Horizon School for the Performing Arts	Yes	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 655-7444	123				16 (13.0%)	10 (8.1%)	93 (75.6%)	1 (0.8%)	2 (1.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)								(n/a)											$00			$00
Emerson Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-6	415 N Westwood	Mesa	85201	Maricopa County	Mesa Unified District	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(480) 472-4700	728	41	17.8		200 (27.5%)	54 (7.4%)	387 (53.2%)	3 (0.4%)	31 (4.3%)	19 (2.6%)	34 (4.7%)	11.3	853^rd of 912 public elementary schools	6.5%		20.8	990^th of 1245 public elementary schools	20.5%	137	27.0	25.0	16.0	21.0	33.0	14.0	17.0	11.0	19.0	$7,225	$625	$52	$1,302	$6,147	$402	$6,548

Frequently Asked Questions about Step Up School

How many students attend Step Up School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 64 students attended Step Up School.

What is the racial makeup of Step Up School?

Students at Step Up School are 70% Hispanic, 16% African American, 8% White, 3% American Indian, 3% Two or more races.

What district is Step Up School in?

STEP UP Schools Inc.

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