Summary:
Rochester STEM Academy is the only public charter high school serving grades 9-12 in the Rochester, Minnesota area, with a total enrollment of 116 students. Despite its low 1-star rating from SchoolDigger and ranking in the bottom 20% of Minnesota districts, the school stands out for its unique demographics and unexpected student outcomes.
Rochester STEM Academy has a 100% African American student population, which is highly unusual compared to the racial diversity typically seen in most schools. While the school's test scores on the MCA-III assessments are significantly below the state averages across all subjects and grade levels, it boasts an impressive 93.3% four-year graduation rate, which is higher than the state average. Additionally, the school has a 0.0% dropout rate, an excellent outcome.
The contrast between Rochester STEM Academy's low academic performance on standardized tests and its high graduation and low dropout rates suggests the school may be employing effective strategies or interventions to support student success and completion, even if they are not translating to high proficiency on state assessments. Further analysis and investigation would be needed to fully understand the school's strengths, weaknesses, and the factors driving its performance.
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