School Profile · Hayward
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy posts 27.0% meeting the standard — versus 42.7% 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.
585 Willow Avenue, 94541 (opens in new tab)·Hayward Unified·Hayward·Grades K-8·645 students·82% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(510) 397-2524·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
36
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,438 statewide · #5 of 21 in Hayward Unified
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 40th percentile of 5,744 California elementary 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 “27% proficient” and call it done. Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Hayward, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: +9.3pp separates this year's grade 3 from its grade 5. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Following the same students from 2023 G3 → 2025 G5 points the same way.
As a charter, Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) 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.
9%
13%
78%
Grade 3 · 22% proficient
13%
13%
74%
Grade 4 · 26% proficient
26%
67%
Grade 5 · 33% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 2.4pp across grades; the floor rises 10.4pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
9.8%
State 21.3%
11.5pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
27.0%
State 42.7%
15.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-9.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
23.8%
State 17.9%
5.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 1.6%
0.7pp 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.
Planning ahead? 4 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 63
Chabot Elementary
Castro Valley Unified · 2.2 mi
Solid
65/100
Marshall Elementary
Castro Valley Unified · 2.3 mi
Solid
63/100
Vannoy Elementary
Castro Valley Unified · 3 mi
Solid
61/100
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
Hispanic66.2%
White14.4%
Asian5.6%
Black5.6%
Other8.2%
GenderFemale 51.6%Male 48.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 81.7% (18pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
645
Near CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
26:1
5 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,824
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$82,468 – $137,376
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy in Hayward, 33.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 24.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 335 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−24.6pp
10.5% vs 35.1% overall · n=143
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−7.4pp
2.2% vs 9.5% overall · n=143
Math · English Learner−14.9pp
9.8% vs 24.8% overall · n=141
Math Exceeded · English Learner−8.6pp
2.6% vs 11.2% overall · n=141
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income335 tested
ELA 33.7%·Math 23.8%· +4.3pp vs district
Hispanic277 tested
ELA 31.8%·Math 20.0%· +5.1pp vs district
English Learner156 tested
ELA 11.5%·Math 12.5%· +4.8pp 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 11.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.4pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$106K
$21K above CA median
Median Home Value
$812K
$153K above CA median
Bachelor's+
31%
4pp 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
11.2 years avg experience
25 teachers · 8% first-year
Teacher Credentials
80% fully credentialed
4.0% 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%
9.8%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 39th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
27.0%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 38th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-9.3pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 73th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
23.8%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 40th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 56th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 89 | 9% | 13% | 22% | 55% | 22% | −21 |
| Grade 4 | 79 | 13% | 13% | 24% | 51% | 25% | −19 |
| Grade 5 | 76 | 7% | 26% | 28% | 39% | 33% | −15 |
| Grade 6 | 52 | 6% | 19% | 29% | 46% | 25% | −22 |
| Grade 7 | 69 | 10% | 42% | 29% | 19% | 52% | +4 |
| Grade 8 | 46 | 13% | 41% | 20% | 26% | 54% | +8 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 88 | 14% | 26% | 26% | 34% | 40% | −6 |
| Grade 4 | 78 | 10% | 21% | 45% | 24% | 31% | −11 |
| Grade 5 | 75 | 7% | 4% | 35% | 55% | 11% | −25 |
| Grade 6 | 52 | 8% | 12% | 27% | 54% | 19% | −16 |
| Grade 7 | 69 | 9% | 12% | 28% | 52% | 20% | −14 |
| Grade 8 | 44 | 20% | 7% | 30% | 43% | 27% | −5 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 119 | 7% | 14% | 61% | 18% |
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 | 335 | 33.7% | +4 | −4 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 277 | 31.8% | +5 | −7 |
| English Learners | 156 | 11.5% | +5 | +1 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy ← | — | 36 | 9.8% | 27.0% | −9.3 | 0.9% |
| Chabot Elementary | 2.2 mi | 65 | 42.4% | 70.9% | +8.3 | 0.1% |
| Marshall Elementary | 2.3 mi | 63 | 41.9% | 66.3% | −7.0 | 0.3% |
| Vannoy Elementary | 3 mi | 61 | 37.6% | 67.9% | −2.8 | 0.6% |
| California average | — | 43 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #4809 → #3022 → #3408 → #5112 → #3438
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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 Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy a good elementary school?
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 40th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,438 statewide. 9.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.5 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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 Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 27.0% of students at Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 17.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.8% 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. 485 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy rank in California?
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy ranks #3,438 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 40th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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 Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy decreases by 9.3 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary 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 Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy?
23.8% of students at Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, 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 Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy compare to other schools in Hayward?
Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy scores 36/100 (40th percentile) among California elementary 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 645 students. Use the schools in Hayward page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy in Hayward, 33.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Knowledge Enlightens You (KEY) Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (31.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 24.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 335 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.