Independent charter school · Santa Clara County Office of Education · San Jose, California

ACE Empower Academy — Rating & test scores

San Jose · 5–8 · 189 students (2024–25)

625 South Sunset Avenue, 95116acecharter.org ↗(408) 729-3920

11thpercentileNeeds Support

The dots are California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools, placed by Scope Score on spring 2026 tests. How it’s built →

Scope Score

Weighted composite · 2025–26
A weighted mix of six measures.

See this school’s score factors ↓

ACE Empower Academyhigher than 11 of the 100 California dots

California’s public middle schools · 1 dot = 1 in 100

Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100

ACE Empower Academyhigher than 11 of the 100 California dots

California’s public middle schools · 1 dot = 1 in 100

Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100

ACE Empower Academyhigher than 11 of the 100 California dots

California’s public middle schools · 1 dot = 1 in 100

Needs Support25 in 100Developing25 in 100Solid25 in 100Strong25 in 100

Well below California in English (reading and writing) and math, grades 6–8, spring 2026: 20% and 11% scored Proficient or Advanced, against 49% and 37%.

Source

Source: California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students: all students tested in grades 6–8: 205
Comparison: California: CDE’s grade 6, 7 and 8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,254,039 in English and 1,254,800 in math tested).

From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”).

How to enroll

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Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

23 in 100 students (51 of 220) missed 10% or more of school days in 2025–26. That compares with 17 in 100 at the average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school.

Sources

The sentence above: CDE chronic absenteeism file, 2025–26. All students counted for chronic absence (CDE’s eligible enrollment): 220. District and California figures are averages of school rates (8 Santa Clara County Office of Education schools; 2,529 scored California middle schools), our calculation.

Common questions

How do I get in?

Ask ACE Empower Academy how it admits students. Charter schools set their own enrollment steps and dates. Evidence ↓

Is ACE Empower Academy a good middle school?

ACE Empower Academy scores higher than 11 in 100 of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools: 11th percentile, Needs Support, spring 2026. Evidence ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 23 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 17 in 100 at the average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school. 3.2% of students (7 of 221) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. Evidence ↓

Did students here score above what the state expected?

In English, below what the state expected; in math, about as expected. In 2025, students here in grades 6–8 scored −26 points against the state’s expected score in English, which the state calls Minimal. In math, they scored +2 points, which it calls Average.

Included in this measure: 161 students

Evidence ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 16% of low-income students in grades 6–8 at ACE Empower Academy in San Jose scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 39% for the same group across California. Evidence ↓

What does its own plan pay for?

In its 2026–27 plan, $3.1 million is planned for 14 funded actions in 3 goals. That’s 68% of its $4.5 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the charter school reports what it spent in a later plan. Evidence ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Next steps, ready to copy. Evidence ↓

Academic achievement

How did students here do on state tests?

Well below California in both subjects.

State tests (CAASPP), spring 2026

In grades 6–8, spring 2026, 20% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 11% in math, against 49% and 37% across California.

Source

Source: California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students: all students tested in grades 6–8: 205
Comparison: California: CDE’s grades 6–8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,254,039 in English, 1,254,800 in math tested). The comparisons use the same grades and year.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standard

English

Grades 6–8 · spring 2026 · 205 tested

Advanced: 3%
Proficient: 17%
Below the standard: 80%

This school20%

California49%

Santa Clara County Office of Education53%

20% Proficient or Advanced in grades 6–8.

Math

Grades 6–8 · spring 2026 · 205 tested

Advanced: 3%
Proficient: 8%
Below the standard: 89%

This school11%

California37%

Santa Clara County Office of Education48%

11% Proficient or Advanced in grades 6–8.

Results for each grade, spring 2026English and math · grades 5–8 · every level, with tested counts

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
Measure	Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced	suppressed
Advanced	suppressed
Proficient	suppressed
Developing level	suppressed
Minimal	suppressed
Tested	9
California	49%
Difference	—

English, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
Measure	Grade 6	Grade 7	Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced	19%	27%	14%
Advanced	3%	5%	2%
Proficient	16%	22%	12%
Developing level	24%	15%	23%
Minimal	57%	58%	63%
Tested	58	66	81
California	48%	51%	49%
Difference	−29	−24	−35

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
Measure	Grade 5
Proficient or Advanced	suppressed
Advanced	suppressed
Proficient	suppressed
Developing level	suppressed
Minimal	suppressed
Tested	9
California	37%
Difference	—

Math, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
Measure	Grade 6	Grade 7	Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced	3%	18%	11%
Advanced	2%	6%	2%
Proficient	1%	12%	9%
Developing level	25%	32%	15%
Minimal	72%	50%	74%
Tested	58	66	81
California	37%	38%	36%
Difference	−34	−20	−25

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

New to these scores? Read CAASPP scores explained: how to read your child’s report →

Have results changed?

English results were higher than in 2025; math results were similar. English went from 12% to 20% and math stayed at 11%.

English · top two levels · grades 6–8

202512%171 tested

→

202620%205 tested

This school

California, same grades49% → 49%2025 → 2026 · 1,266,619 → 1,254,039 tested

Math · top two levels · grades 6–8

202511%171 tested

→

202611%205 tested

This school

California, same grades36% → 37%2025 → 2026 · 1,272,526 → 1,254,800 tested

Each year is a different group of students.

Did students here score above what the state expected?

In English, below what the state expected; in math, about as expected. California sets an expected score for each student from that student’s own score the year before. In 2025, students here in grades 6–8 scored −26 points against that expected score in English, which the state calls Minimal. In math, they scored +2 points, which it calls Average.

Source

Source: CDE growth model, 2025
Students: students with scores in both years in grades 6–8: 161
Comparison: Points are scale-score points against the state’s expected score for each student; the category is CDE’s, quoted as published. It describes results, not causes.

Grades 6–8 · 2025 · 161 students with scores in both years

Points above or below what the state expected from the same students’ earlier scores.

−26 pts

English

The state calls it Minimal, the lowest of its five growth levels.

+2 pts

Math

The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

Ask: What extra help do students who are behind get, and how do you know it’s working?

All four levelsThe state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal, with tested counts

Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026
Students	Advanced	Proficient	Developing level	Minimal	Tested
English, grades 6–8 · This school	3%	17%	20%	60%	205
English, grades 6–8 · California	19%	30%	23%	28%	1,254,039
English, grades 6–8 · Santa Clara County Office of Education	25%	28%	20%	27%	1,930
Math, grades 6–8 · This school	3%	8%	23%	66%	205
Math, grades 6–8 · California	21%	16%	23%	40%	1,254,800
Math, grades 6–8 · Santa Clara County Office of Education	34%	14%	21%	31%	1,928

Below the standard combines the state’s Developing and Minimal levels, its two lowest. Data source: California Department of Education, spring 2026. The state comparison combines CDE’s rows for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation). The district row combines its public schools in the same grades, weighted by students tested.

Read English and math separately, then look at progress and the courses students can take.

Each grade’s results: English ↑ · Math ↑

Results since 20178 tested years shown · English and math have stayed well below California in every tested year since 2017

Chart and table: 2017–2026.

English top two levels, grades 6–8

This schoolCalifornia

0%50%100%20172022202620%49%

Math top two levels, grades 6–8

This schoolCalifornia

0%50%100%20172022202611%37%

The lines break across the COVID years, when state testing was waived or optional.

In grades 6–8, the share at the state’s top two levels in English went from 22% in 2017 to 20% in 2026. In math, it went from 23% in 2017 to 11% in 2026, with 2025 and 2026 about the same. Each year is a different group of students.

Each year’s results and tested counts

English · top two levels · grades 6–8
Year	This school	California
2017	22% 312 tested	48% 1,377,836 tested
2018	18% 278 tested	49% 1,391,379 tested
2019	20% 256 tested	50% 1,390,416 tested
2022	20% 192 tested	47% 1,277,584 tested
2023	13% 169 tested	46% 1,267,562 tested
2024	12% 165 tested	46% 1,269,432 tested
2025	12% 171 tested	49% 1,266,619 tested
2026	20% 205 tested	49% 1,254,039 tested

Math · top two levels · grades 6–8
Year	This school	California
2017	23% 303 tested	37% 1,383,609 tested
2018	24% 279 tested	37% 1,394,516 tested
2019	19% 256 tested	38% 1,394,239 tested
2022	12% 189 tested	31% 1,279,506 tested
2023	15% 168 tested	32% 1,272,024 tested
2024	11% 170 tested	33% 1,277,570 tested
2025	11% 171 tested	36% 1,272,526 tested
2026	11% 205 tested	37% 1,254,800 tested

How the state’s growth measure worksPoints above or below what the state expected from the same students’ earlier scores

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 26 points below that expected score, and in math 2 points above it. Unlike the growth in our Scope Score, it follows the same students from one year to the next.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Our Scope Score measures growth another way. It compares the latest grade 8 scores here with the school’s grade 6 scores two years earlier (partly different children), then places that change among California schools at the same level. The state’s measure counts only students who took California’s test the year before, so the two can point different ways.

What you can do

Who can act on ACE Empower Academy’s results?

ACE Empower Academy’s own board decides its plan.

The state hasn’t placed ACE Empower Academy in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source

Where is its yearly plan?

What its plan pays for ↓

Santa Clara County Office of Education authorized this charter; its current term ends June 30, 2027.

Authorizer from the California Department of Education’s charter term file; term from its Charter School Database, checked October 22, 2026. Source

Life at school

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

23 in 100 students were chronically absent in 2025–26.

State attendance and suspension records, 2025–26

That means they missed 10% or more of school days. At the average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school, 17 in 100 were. 3.2% of students were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school.

Source

Source: CDE chronic absenteeism and suspension files, 2025–26
Students: chronic absence: 51 of 220 students counted for it; suspension: 7 of 221 students enrolled during the year
Comparison: Each comparison is the rate at the average school (our average of school rates), not a pooled rate. Also: suspensions at the average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school 1.7%.

Chronically absent, 2025–26

23 in 100This school

17 in 100At the average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school

18 in 100At the average California middle school

51 of 220 students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of school days.

Suspensions, 2025–26

3.2%

of students were suspended at least once (7 of 221). Average California middle school 3.7%.

Ask: When a child starts missing school, who calls the family, and how soon?

Chronic absence by grade2025–26 · per 100 students, with counts

Grades 5–6: 26 in 100, 18 of 70
Grades 7–8: 22 in 100, 33 of 150

Ask families and staff yourselfWhat to ask the people at ACE Empower Academy

Ask current families how the school keeps them informed, and what happened when their child needed help. Ask staff how long teachers tend to stay.

Questions for your visit ↓

Have a child here? Answer 7 questions Responder en español

Every learner

How do kids like mine do here?

Three student groups scored below the same groups across California in English.

Student groups, grades 6–8, spring 2026

16% of low-income students scored Proficient or Advanced in English (grades 6–8, spring 2026), against 39% for the same group across California. Hispanic or Latino students and English learners also scored below the same groups across California; the chart gives their figures. Every group’s math results are in the table below.

Source

Source: California Department of Education, CAASPP research file, spring 2026
Students: grades 6–8; each row gives its tested count. Low-income is CDE’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged”.
Comparison: California: the same group in the same grades, CDE’s rows for the whole state combined and weighted by students tested (our calculation).

ACE Empower AcademySame group, California

Hispanic or Latino195 tested17%Same group, California 39%
Low-income179 tested16%Same group, California 39%
Students with disabilities44 tested9%Same group, California 14%
English learners115 tested1%Same group, California 7%

Proficient or Advanced, grades 6–8 English, spring 2026. In math the same groups run from 2% to 10%; every value is in the table below.

Who are the students?

2025–26 · students counted

Hispanic or Latino96%
White—
Asian—
Black or African American—
Filipino—
Two or more races—
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Unallocated share4%

A dash means the share isn’t available; it isn’t zero. The unallocated share is what’s left after the shares we have; it isn’t a student group. Source and comparisons: the full student mix below.

Are English learners moving up on the state’s English test?

28% of English learners here moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026.

Spring 2025 to spring 2026 · English learners with state English test (ELPAC) scores in both years

This school · 36 of 129 English learners28%

Santa Clara County Office of Education · 14 of 4630%

California · 355,274 of 748,91647%

It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Data source: California Department of Education, 2026 Dashboard ↗.

Who are the families and teachers?

93%of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 176 of 189. California: 63%.

11teachers, 2024–25

6 yearsaverage experience, 2024–25

9%in their first year, 2024–25

31%of teaching positions with proper credential and placement, 2021–22

Ask: What extra help is there in English for low-income students and other student groups, and how does the school check that it works?

All group results, district comparisons and sources

Proficient or Advancedgrades 6–8 · spring 2026

Group and subject	Here	vs Santa Clara County Office of Education	vs California
Low-income · 179 tested
English	16%	—	−2339%
Math	10%	—	−1626%
Hispanic or Latino · 195 tested
English	17%	—	−2239%
Math	9%	—	−1625%
English learners · 115 tested
English	1%	—	−67%
Math	2%	—	−57%
Students with disabilities · 44 tested
English	9%	—	−514%
Math	2%	—	−810%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Santa Clara County Office of Education, and across California. No group that is behind across California does 10 or more points better here.

No published rate here for Asian, Black or African American, Filipino, White, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students, students of two or more races and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Full student mix, comparisons and sources, 2025–26

Students, 2025–26	Here
Hispanic or Latino	96%
White	—
Asian	—
Black or African American	—
Filipino	—
Two or more races	—
American Indian or Alaska Native	—
Pacific Islander	—
Not reported	—

Data source: California Department of Education chronic-absence file, 2025–26. Shares are of the students the file counts for attendance (CDE’s “eligible enrollment”); unavailable categories are shown as a dash.

How the credential rate is counted

CDE SARC report 2024–25, measured 2021–22: 31% of teaching positions, 2.6 properly credentialed teaching-position FTE out of 8.5 total position FTE. This measures positions, not individual teachers.

In its own words

What does ACE Empower Academy’s own plan commit to?

Its 2026–27 plan

The plan lists what the school commits to spend and measure.

$3.1 million

planned for 14 funded actions in 3 goals. That’s 68% of its $4.5 million general fund budget. These are planned amounts; the charter school reports what it spent in a later plan.

The 2026–27 plan in short

Source: the charter school’s yearly spending plan (Local Control and Accountability Plan, or LCAP, 77 pages), as posted to the California School Dashboard.

Where the money goes

Three actions take 62% of the money. The plan itself puts 51% of it toward staff.

High Quality Instruction $758,327
Safe and Clean Facilities $708,400
Strengthen Instruction $443,411
11 other actions

Reading, math and catch-up help

3 of the plan’s 14 funded actions name reading, math, catch-up help or English learners in their titles.

Reading $147,420
Math $147,420
Catch-up help $231,007
English learners $16,961

An action naming two of these appears under both.

Largest of these

ELA and Math MTSS Framework Implementation$147,420
MTSS (Culture) {LREBG}$83,587
English Language Development$16,961

For high-need students

It plans $970,134 in extra services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth. For 2025–26, it planned $828,616 and estimates it spent $849,153, $20,537 (2%) more than planned (our arithmetic).

What changed

The total is $840,806 (38%) higher than in the 2025–26 plan. The biggest change in dollars is High Quality Instruction, which went from $409,894 to $758,327.

Largest cuts

Social Emotional Learning−⁠$44,076
Family Engagement and Involvement Program−⁠$8,933

Largest increases

High Quality Instruction+⁠$348,433
Special Education+⁠$230,480
Strengthen Instruction+⁠$196,037

New in the 2026–27 plan

ELA and Math MTSS Framework Implementation$147,420
MTSS (Culture) {LREBG}$83,587

Ask: What did Social Emotional Learning pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $44,076 less?

What its goals measure

Read these state results for this school as context for the goals they measure; results alone can’t show what the plan caused.

The test rows are schoolwide results for every grade the school tests; the source doesn’t list which grades. The headline at the top of this page covers grades 6–8 only: 20% in English and 11% in math, spring 2026.

What its goals measure: state results, 2024–25 and 2025–26
Measure	2024–25	2025–26	Change
English, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 2	12%	20%	up 8 pts
Math, every tested grade: Proficient or Advanced in 2025–26, met or exceeded in 2024–25Goal 2	11%	11%	no change
Chronically absentGoal 1	21 in 100	23 in 100	2 more in 100
Suspended at least onceGoal 1	1.0%	3.2%	up 2.2 pts

Goal 3 isn’t shown because it tracks other measures.

Figures from CDE’s state test, chronic absence and suspension files. Test figures cover every grade the school tests (California tests grades 3–8 and 11), so they differ from a profile’s rated grades. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days.

The plan’s own titles and amounts

High Quality Instruction · $758,327
Safe and Clean Facilities · $708,400
Strengthen Instruction · $443,411

The full plan3 goals, 25 measures and where the money goes

We calculate each action’s share of the plan by dividing its planned amount by the total of the plan’s funded actions ($3.1 million).

Where does the money go?

61% to Goal 2. Each box is one action, sized by its planned dollars and coloured by its change since last year’s plan. Tap a box to open its goal.

Change since the 2025–26 plan, same title

fell 25% or more
fell 10–25%
fell 2–10%
within 2%
grew 2–10%
grew 10–25%
grew 25% or more
new or renamed title
not compared: unconfirmed, or repeated across goals

Every goal, in the plan’s order

Goal 1School structures and systems will promote a positive school culture as well as growth-mindset and sense of…$1.0 million33% of action budgets

“School structures and systems will promote a positive school culture as well as growth-mindset and sense of optimism in students that further promotes engagement, increasing attendance while decreasing chronic absence, suspension, and expulsion rates” p. 11 ↗

4 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $1.2 million (−⁠$177,983)

Largest funded actions

Safe and Clean Facilities$708,400action 1.4 · p. 39 ↗
Social Emotional Learning$107,884action 1.2 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Attendance Intervention$102,318action 1.1 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
MTSS (Culture) {LREBG}$83,587action 1.3 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $35,341 is state funding counted toward those services

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

Social Emotional Learning−⁠$44,076$151,960 → $107,884 · p. 39 ↗
Attendance Intervention+⁠$4,408$97,910 → $102,318 · p. 39 ↗
Safe and Clean Facilities+⁠$300$708,100 → $708,400 · p. 39 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

MTSS (Culture) {LREBG} · $83,587 · p. 39 ↗new or renamed

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 9 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 11 ↗.

Goal 2College Readiness - Students will gain the academic knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in college and beyond$1.9 million61% of action budgets

7 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $965,396 (+⁠$919,945) · p. 17 ↗

Largest funded actions

High Quality Instruction$758,327action 2.1 · p. 39 ↗
Strengthen Instruction$443,411action 2.8 · p. 40 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $413,049 is state funding counted toward those services
Special Education$299,880action 2.7 · p. 40 ↗
Curriculum and Materials$204,342action 2.2 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services · of which $96,487 is state funding counted toward those services
ELA and Math MTSS Framework Implementation$147,420action 2.5 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

2 more funded actions in this goal

English Language Development · action 2.6 · p. 39 ↗$16,961
Assessments & Data Analysis · action 2.3 · p. 39 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services$15,000

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

High Quality Instruction+⁠$348,433$409,894 → $758,327 · p. 39 ↗
Special Education+⁠$230,480$69,400 → $299,880 · p. 40 ↗
Strengthen Instruction+⁠$196,037$247,374 → $443,411 · p. 40 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

Curriculum and Materials · $119,500 → $204,342 · p. 39 ↗+⁠$84,842
ELA and Math MTSS Framework Implementation · $147,420 · p. 39 ↗new or renamed
English Language Development · $18,626 → $16,961 · p. 39 ↗−⁠$1,665
Assessments & Data Analysis · $16,000 → $15,000 · p. 39 ↗−⁠$1,000

A reworded title counts as new.

How the plan measures it · 12 measures · 1 quoted

English learner reclassification rate p. 20 ↗
Baseline
2023 8%
Target for year 3
10%

11 more measures in the plan’s table.

Goal 3ACE Families are empowered through structures that recognize and support them in being full partners in their…$187,9126% of action budgets

“ACE Families are empowered through structures that recognize and support them in being full partners in their children’s education and promote their agency and voice in the life of the school” p. 28 ↗

3 funded actions · 2025–26 plan: $89,068 (+⁠$98,844)

Largest funded actions

Community Engagement$135,277action 3.2 · p. 40 ↗
Family Engagement and Involvement Program$32,635action 3.1 · p. 40 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services
Family Communication$20,000action 3.3 · p. 40 ↗ · marked as contributing to high-need services

Changes from last year’s plan, same title

Community Engagement+⁠$107,777$27,500 → $135,277 · p. 40 ↗
Family Engagement and Involvement Program−⁠$8,933$41,568 → $32,635 · p. 40 ↗

Every other line in this goal, against last year’s plan

Family Communication · $20,000 → $20,000 · p. 40 ↗unchanged

How the plan measures it · 4 measures

None of these has an all-students line we can quote; the plan’s table lists them from p. 28 ↗.

All amounts are planned. We read them from the PDF and added up each goal’s actions ourselves. Page links open the plan at that page.

Next steps

What comes after ACE Empower Academy, and how do I get in?

No assigned next school.

ACE Empower Academy is a charter, so a student’s later schools follow the family’s home address, not this campus, unless the family applies elsewhere. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level.

Elementary
Rocketship Si Se Puede Academy
41st · Developing · 2026Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
Middle · this school
ACE Empower Academy
Grades 5–8
High
University Preparatory Academy Charter
97th · Strong · 2025Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.

Historical links and nearby options · confirm your child’s address and current assignment with the district. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Elementary links

Rocketship Si Se Puede Academy
Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
41st percentile · Developing · elementary · 2026
Rocketship Los Suenos Academy
Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
65th percentile · Solid · elementary · 2026
Rocketship Fuerza Community Prep
Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
55th percentile · Solid · elementary · 2026

High-school links

University Preparatory Academy Charter
Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
97th percentile · Strong · high · 2025
Opportunity Youth Academy
Nearby same-district option · distance estimate, not a confirmed feeder · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
3rd percentile · Needs Support · high · 2025 · within alternative schools

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking.

How do I get in?

Ask ACE Empower Academy how it admits students. Charter schools set their own enrollment steps and dates.

Before you apply

Confirm this school’s current process directly.

Eligibility and entry grades: Which grades are accepting applications, and who is eligible?
Application and lottery: What are the deadlines, enrollment priorities, and lottery or waitlist steps?
The daily logistics: What transportation and before- or after-school options are available?

School website: acecharter.org ↗Office: (408) 729-3920Administrator: Kennedy Hilario

Location and visiting

Get directions

625 South Sunset Avenue, San Jose 95116

Directory location · Explore nearby schools on the map. Confirm enrollment with the school.

Questions for your visit

How much of each day do English learners spend learning English, and how do families see their progress? 28% of English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026 (36 of 129 students); California: 47%
What extra help do students who are behind get, and how do you know it’s working? 80% in English and 89% in math scored at the Developing or Minimal level, grades 6–8, spring 2026 (205 students tested in each); California: 51% and 63%
When a child starts missing school, who calls the family, and how soon? 23 in 100 chronically absent, 2025–26 (51 of 220 students); average Santa Clara County Office of Education middle school: 17 in 100
What did Social Emotional Learning pay for, and what changes now that the 2026–27 plan gives it $44,076 less?
Which math courses can students take, and how are placements decided?
Which electives and high-school transition supports are available?

Office (408) 729-3920625 South Sunset Avenue, directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)

Nearby middle schoolsClosest first, by straight-line distance

The closest middle schools, by straight-line distance from this campus. Distance isn’t an attendance boundary.

Nearby middle schoolsPercentile among California middle schools, 2026

Renaissance at MathsonAlum Rock Union Elementary · 0.2 mi
34thDevelopingScope Score 32
Kipp Prize Preparatory AcademyAlum Rock Union Elementary · 0.8 mi · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
66thSolidScope Score 45
KIPP Heartwood AcademyAlum Rock Union Elementary · 0.8 mi · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
90thStrongScope Score 65
ACE Esperanza MiddleFranklin-McKinley Elementary · 1.4 mi · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
18thNeeds SupportScope Score 25
Ocala MiddleAlum Rock Union Elementary · 1.4 mi
23rdNeeds SupportScope Score 27

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

Explore nearby schools on the map

Source records

Every figure on this page, with its source, grades, year and count.

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #2,242 of 2,529 California middle schools we score · #7 of 8 in Santa Clara County Office of Education

Score factors, 2025–26
Factor	School	Index	Weight
Advancedaverage of English and math	4%	35	42%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math	15%	30	23%
8th graders in 2026 against 6th graders in 2024 (partly different children)	+43 scale-score pts	44	20%
Chronically absent	23 in 100	44	5%
Suspension rate	3.2% (7 of 221)	52	5%
English learners: top level	8%	33	5%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. Growth is the change between the school's earlier and later grade-level groups, in scale-score points; it does not follow the same students.

Scope Score by year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School year	Scope Score	Percentile	Rank	Comparison group
2025–26	22	11	#2242	California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School year	Chronic absence	Suspension	Grade gap (points)
2018–19	not on file	not on file	+7
2021–22	not on file	not on file	−2
2022–23	not on file	not on file	+14
2023–24	30 in 100	0 of 214	+6
2024–25	21 in 100	1.0% (2 of 199)	+6
2025–26	23 in 100	3.2% (7 of 221)	+1

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 6 and grade 8 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).

No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series

Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subject	Students with scores	Top level	Top two levels
2026 · English	214	4%	20%
2026 · Math	214	3%	11%
2025 · English	188	3%	12%
2025 · Math	188	3%	11%
2024 · English	183	1%	11%
2024 · Math	190	2%	9%
2023 · English	187	1%	13%
2023 · Math	186	4%	14%
2022 · English	210	4%	19%
2022 · Math	207	4%	11%
2019 · English	286	2%	20%
2019 · Math	286	7%	18%
2018 · English	323	3%	17%
2018 · Math	324	7%	23%
2017 · English	361	3%	21%
2017 · Math	352	5%	20%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subject	Students with scores	Met or exceeded
2025 · Grade 5 · English	17	12%
2025 · Grade 6 · English	53	6%
2025 · Grade 7 · English	67	13%
2025 · Grade 8 · English	51	18%
2025 · Grade 5 · Math	17	12%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math	53	11%
2025 · Grade 7 · Math	67	10%
2025 · Grade 8 · Math	51	12%
2024 · Grade 5 · English	18	0%
2024 · Grade 6 · English	66	11%
2024 · Grade 7 · English	48	12%
2024 · Grade 8 · English	51	14%
2024 · Grade 5 · Math	20	0%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math	67	9%
2024 · Grade 7 · Math	52	6%
2024 · Grade 8 · Math	51	18%
2023 · Grade 5 · English	18	11%
2023 · Grade 6 · English	58	9%
2023 · Grade 7 · English	55	11%
2023 · Grade 8 · English	56	20%
2023 · Grade 5 · Math	18	6%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math	58	7%
2023 · Grade 7 · Math	55	15%
2023 · Grade 8 · Math	55	24%
2022 · Grade 5 · English	18	6%
2022 · Grade 6 · English	59	15%
2022 · Grade 7 · English	63	22%
2022 · Grade 8 · English	70	21%
2022 · Grade 5 · Math	18	0%
2022 · Grade 6 · Math	57	12%
2022 · Grade 7 · Math	63	24%
2022 · Grade 8 · Math	69	1%
2019 · Grade 5 · English	30	13%
2019 · Grade 6 · English	76	18%
2019 · Grade 7 · English	81	19%
2019 · Grade 8 · English	99	23%
2019 · Grade 5 · Math	30	7%
2019 · Grade 6 · Math	76	14%
2019 · Grade 7 · Math	81	19%
2019 · Grade 8 · Math	99	23%
2018 · Grade 5 · English	45	9%
2018 · Grade 6 · English	88	14%
2018 · Grade 7 · English	98	15%
2018 · Grade 8 · English	92	25%
2018 · Grade 5 · Math	45	18%
2018 · Grade 6 · Math	89	13%
2018 · Grade 7 · Math	98	23%
2018 · Grade 8 · Math	92	34%
2017 · Grade 5 · English	49	14%
2017 · Grade 6 · English	106	20%
2017 · Grade 7 · English	99	21%
2017 · Grade 8 · English	107	24%
2017 · Grade 5 · Math	49	2%
2017 · Grade 6 · Math	99	24%
2017 · Grade 7 · Math	98	17%
2017 · Grade 8 · Math	106	27%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026

Science (CAST)	Tested	Advanced	Proficient	Developing level	Minimal
Schoolwide	90	2%	9%	46%	43%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California

Group · English	Tested	Proficient or Advanced	vs district	vs California
Low-income	179	16%	—	−23
Hispanic or Latino	195	17%	—	−22
English learners	115	1%	—	−6

Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score

Group	English	n	CDE category	Math	n	CDE category
All students	−26	161	Minimal	+2	161	Average
Hispanic or Latino	−26	155	Minimal	+4	155	Average
Low-income	−25	154	Minimal	+4	154	Average
English learners	−27	133	Minimal	+8	133	Accelerated
English learners only	−30	97	not categorized	+5	97	not categorized
Long-term English learners (grades 6–8 only)	−22	69	Minimal	+11	69	Accelerated
Recently reclassified as fluent in English	−7	36	not categorized	+17	36	not categorized
Students with disabilities	−17	33	Moderate	−1	33	Average
English-only students	−17	14	not categorized	−20	14	not categorized

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. Long-term English learner counts cover grades 6–8 only (CDE’s rule), so that row is not comparable to the All students row. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 6–8. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure, and grade 8 against the same school’s grade 6 two years earlier, partly different children · two different measures

Grade 8 in 2026 against grade 6 in 2024 · English

English · 2024 · Grade 6

exceeded standard · 11% met or exceeded

CDE CAASPP 2024 · 66 English test records with scores

English · 2026 · Grade 8

Advanced · 14% Proficient or Advanced

CDE CAASPP 2026 · 81 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 67 (school-grade cohort proxy).

These paired percentages describe English results for grade groups at this school in two years. The groups are not matched students. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different school-level scale-score proxy across English and math; California's matched-student model is a separate measure.

California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English−26 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 6–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 6–8

161 students

CDE growth category: Minimal

State model · math+2 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 6–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 6–8

161 students

CDE growth category: Average

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California middle school records, the median English estimate is −2 and the middle half fall between −10 and +5 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 6–8, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 21 in 100 → 2025–26 · 23 in 100 · +2 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 1.0% (2 of 199) → 2025–26 · 3.2% (7 of 221) · +2.2 percentage points

Group	2018–19	2025–26	Change
Female	—	25 in 100	—
Male	—	22 in 100	—
Hispanic or Latino	—	22 in 100	—
Students with disabilities	—	24 in 100	—
English learners	—	24 in 100	—
Low-income	—	23 in 100	—
All students	—	23 in 100	—

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$131,345 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 1,518 pupils

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation

Instruction 37%Instruction support 19%Student services 18%Administration 21%Buildings & maintenance 4%Other 1%

The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
Group	Dollars	Share, to two decimals	Printed
Instruction	$119,858,498	37.35%	37%
Instruction support	$61,576,552	19.19%	19%
Student services	$56,803,246	17.70%	18%
Administration	$66,652,934	20.77%	21%
Buildings & maintenance	$11,411,775	3.56%	4%
Other	$4,594,660	1.43%	1%
Total	$320,897,664	100.00%	100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $320,897,664 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021

2021$131,345 per pupil

2018$15,891 per pupil

2017$16,175 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders38.2%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 95116 · not the school’s students

American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 95116 area
Measure	Estimate
Median household income	$85,818
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)	21%
ZIP-area population	48,042
Median age	37.5 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 95116 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

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Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

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ACE Empower Academy — Rating & test scores

Compare schools

Spring 2026 state test results

Common questions

How do I get in?

Is ACE Empower Academy a good middle school?

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

Did students here score above what the state expected?

How do kids like mine do here?

What does its own plan pay for?

What should I ask on a visit?

How did students here do on state tests?

English

Math

Have results changed?

English · top two levels · grades 6–8

Math · top two levels · grades 6–8

Did students here score above what the state expected?

English

Math

Each year’s results and tested counts

Who can act on ACE Empower Academy’s results?

Where is its yearly plan?

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

Chronically absent, 2025–26

Suspensions, 2025–26

How do kids like mine do here?

Who are the students?

Are English learners moving up on the state’s English test?

Who are the families and teachers?

What does ACE Empower Academy’s own plan commit to?

The 2026–27 plan in short

Where the money goes

Reading, math and catch-up help

For high-need students

What changed

What its goals measure

Where does the money go?

Every goal, in the plan’s order

What comes after ACE Empower Academy, and how do I get in?

Elementary links

High-school links

How do I get in?

Before you apply

Location and visiting

Questions for your visit

Source records

Scope Score

Grade 8 in 2026 against grade 6 in 2024 · English

Per-pupil spending

Additional workforce records

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