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School Profile · San Jose

KIPP Heartwood Academy: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

KIPP Heartwood Academy posts 43.7% exceeding the standard — versus 16.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

1250 South King Road, 95122 (opens in new tab)·Alum Rock Union Elementary·San Jose·Grades 5-8·423 students·74% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 926-5477·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
71
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #149 statewide · #1 of 8 in Alum Rock Union Elementary

KIPP Heartwood Academy scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd 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 →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “68% proficient” and call it done. KIPP Heartwood Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Jose, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 43.7% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 16.8%.

As a charter, KIPP Heartwood 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 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

37%
31%
32%
Grade 6 · 68% proficient
42%
36%
22%
Grade 7 · 78% proficient
38%
27%
35%
Grade 8 · 65% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 1.6pp across grades; the floor slips 2.3pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

65.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

KIPP Heartwood Academy's most underrated number

65.6% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

KIPP Heartwood Academy low-income: 65.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
43.7%
State 16.8%
26.9pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
67.6%
State 39.3%
28.3pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+4.5pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
7.0%
State 18.5%
11.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 3.7%
2.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Your other options

All schools in San Jose →

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 Score

Student demographics

Hispanic64.8%
White0.5%
Asian29.3%
Black0.2%
Other5.2%
GenderFemale 47.0%Male 53.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 73.5% (10pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
423
437 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,303
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$69,440 – $129,227
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At KIPP Heartwood Academy in San Jose, 65.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. KIPP Heartwood Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 41.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (60.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 308 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−43.7pp
26.8% vs 70.5% overall · n=85
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−38.6pp
0.8% vs 39.4% overall · n=85
Math · English Learner−40.4pp
23.8% vs 64.1% overall · n=85
Math Exceeded · English Learner−42.5pp
6.6% vs 49.1% overall · n=85

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income308 tested
ELA 65.6%·Math 60.4%· +41.8pp vs district
Hispanic267 tested
ELA 61.0%·Math 50.9%· +38.1pp vs district
Asian114 tested
ELA 87.7%·Math 89.5%· +29.9pp 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 falls by 2.3pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +2.8pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 63%Support 32%Other 5%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$104K
$19K above CA median
Median Home Value
$873K
$214K above CA median
Bachelor's+
19%
16pp 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
24 teachers · 17% second-year
Teacher Credentials
50% fully credentialed
15.8% 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 nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
43.7%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 80th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
67.6%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 72th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+4.5pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
7.0%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 61th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 510041%30%12%17%71%+23
Grade 610637%31%18%14%68%+21
Grade 710142%36%11%12%77%+30
Grade 89938%27%20%14%66%+20
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 510051%11%23%15%62%+27
Grade 610645%13%26%15%58%+23
Grade 710149%18%19%15%66%+32
Grade 89952%18%12%18%70%+37
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1119928%28%39%6%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged30865.6%+42+27
Hispanic/Latino26761.0%+38+22
Asian11487.7%+30+13
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
KIPP Heartwood Academy ←—7143.7%67.6%+4.51.0%
Kipp Prize Preparatory Academy0 mi4722.8%46.2%−13.21.3%
Sunrise Middle2 mi3913.0%35.6%+5.62.3%
August Boeger Middle2.3 mi319.7%26.6%+8.83.4%
California average—4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
67%71%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #189 → #274 → #140 → #92 → #149
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
How to get into a charter school in LA →

Frequently asked questions

Is KIPP Heartwood Academy a good middle school?
KIPP Heartwood Academy has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #149 statewide. 43.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 26.9 percentage points above 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 KIPP Heartwood Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 67.6% of students at KIPP Heartwood Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 43.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 43.7% 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. 612 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does KIPP Heartwood Academy rank in California?
KIPP Heartwood Academy ranks #149 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 KIPP Heartwood Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at KIPP Heartwood Academy increases by 4.5 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 KIPP Heartwood Academy?
7.0% of students at KIPP Heartwood Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 1.0%, 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 KIPP Heartwood Academy compare to other schools in San Jose?
KIPP Heartwood Academy scores 71/100 (93rd 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 423 students. Use the schools in San Jose page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does KIPP Heartwood Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At KIPP Heartwood Academy in San Jose, 65.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. KIPP Heartwood Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 41.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (60.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (61.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 308 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.
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