School Profile · San Jose
ACE Empower Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
ACE Empower Academy posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 6.2pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
625 South Sunset Avenue, 95116 (opens in new tab)·Santa Clara County Office of Education·San Jose·Grades 5-8·189 students·93% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 729-3920·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
24
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,861 statewide · #6 of 9 in Santa Clara County Office of Education
ACE Empower Academy scores 24 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 17th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “12% proficient” and call it done. ACE Empower Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Jose, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
As a charter, ACE Empower Academy enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
94%
Grade 6 · 6% proficient
12%
87%
Grade 7 · 13% proficient
12%
82%
Grade 8 · 18% proficient
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
3.1%
State 16.8%
13.7pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
11.7%
State 39.3%
27.6pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+6.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
21.1%
State 18.5%
2.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.2%
State 3.7%
2.4pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 52
KIPP Heartwood Academy
Alum Rock Union Elementary · 0.8 mi
Strong
71/100
Kipp Prize Preparatory Academy
Alum Rock Union Elementary · 0.8 mi
Developing
47/100
Sunrise Middle
Santa Clara County Office of Education · 1.6 mi
Developing
39/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 60
Alpha: Cornerstone Academy Preparatory
Santa Clara County Office of Education · 1.7 mi
Solid
62/100
Vinci Park Elementary
Berryessa Union Elementary · 2.7 mi
Solid
61/100
Rocketship Discovery Prep
Santa Clara County Office of Education · 1.4 mi
Solid
57/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic96.8%
Asian2.1%
Other1.1%
GenderFemale 47.1%Male 52.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 93.1% (29pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
189
671 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$131,345
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$81,491 – $152,166
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At ACE Empower Academy in San Jose, 13.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 12.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. ACE Empower Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (10.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 9.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 177 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−9.6pp
2.6% vs 12.1% overall · n=111
1 more gap by subject
Math · English Learner−7.7pp
3.6% vs 11.3% overall · n=111
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income177 tested
ELA 13.0%·Math 11.3%· +0.6pp vs district
Hispanic180 tested
ELA 10.0%·Math 10.6%· -4.5pp vs district
English Learner122 tested
ELA 2.5%·Math 4.1%· -2.9pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 12.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$86K
$818 above CA median
Median Home Value
$861K
$202K above CA median
Bachelor's+
21%
14pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
6.0 years avg experience
11 teachers · 9% first-year · 18% second-year
Teacher Credentials
31% fully credentialed
38.2% on intern/emergency permit
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
3.1%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
11.7%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 28th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+6.2pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
21.1%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 46th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.2%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 60th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 17 | 0% | 12% | 0% | 88% | 12% | −36 |
| Grade 6 | 53 | 2% | 4% | 23% | 72% | 6% | −41 |
| Grade 7 | 67 | 1% | 12% | 18% | 69% | 13% | −34 |
| Grade 8 | 51 | 6% | 12% | 22% | 61% | 18% | −28 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 17 | 0% | 12% | 0% | 88% | 12% | −24 |
| Grade 6 | 53 | 2% | 9% | 28% | 60% | 11% | −24 |
| Grade 7 | 67 | 1% | 9% | 15% | 75% | 10% | −24 |
| Grade 8 | 51 | 6% | 6% | 31% | 57% | 12% | −21 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 68 | 0% | 4% | 59% | 37% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 177 | 13.0% | +1 | −25 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 180 | 10.0% | −5 | −29 |
| English Learners | 122 | 2.5% | −3 | −8 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE Empower Academy ← | — | 24 | 3.1% | 11.7% | +6.2 | 1.2% |
| KIPP Heartwood Academy | 0.8 mi | 71 | 43.7% | 67.6% | +4.5 | 1.0% |
| Kipp Prize Preparatory Academy | 0.8 mi | 47 | 22.8% | 46.2% | −13.2 | 1.3% |
| Sunrise Middle | 1.6 mi | 39 | 13.0% | 35.6% | +5.6 | 2.3% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1674 → #1876 → #1581 → #1822 → #1861
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 25 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is ACE Empower Academy a good middle school?
ACE Empower Academy has a Scope Score of 24 out of 100, placing it in the 17th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,861 statewide. 3.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.7 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are ACE Empower Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 11.7% of students at ACE Empower Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 3.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 8.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 3.1% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 342 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does ACE Empower Academy rank in California?
ACE Empower Academy ranks #1,861 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 17th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is ACE Empower Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at ACE Empower Academy increases by 6.2 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at ACE Empower Academy?
21.1% of students at ACE Empower Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 1.2%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does ACE Empower Academy compare to other schools in San Jose?
ACE Empower Academy scores 24/100 (17th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 189 students. Use the schools in San Jose page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does ACE Empower Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At ACE Empower Academy in San Jose, 13.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 12.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. ACE Empower Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (11.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (10.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 9.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 177 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.