A charter school in Akron, Ohio, that is funded by the LeBron James Family Foundation made headlines after student test results revealed that hardly any students were proficient in English or math.
The results drew significant attention to the I Promise Academy and highlighted a mixed track record for celebrity-funded charter schools.
EMPLOYMENT GROWTH SLOWING WITH 187,000 JOBS ADDED IN JULY
The schools are public but operate independently of the regular public school system and, due to their celebrity benefactors, receive significantly more funding than public schools.
A mixed track record of student success despite higher funding prompted Terry Schilling, the president of the American Principles Project, to note that parental involvement is ultimately the most important barometer of student achievement.
“The failure of these elite-run, celebrity schools is proof that the most important factor in educational success is engagement from parents,” Schilling told the Washington Examiner. “These schools are flush with cash but are doing worse than public schools. Why is that? When it comes to achievement, there’s no substitute for loving and involved parents.”
Caroline Moore, the vice president of the parent activist group Parents Defending Education, said that despite the shortcomings of the schools, they are typically held to higher standards when compared to other schools due to their celebrity benefactors.
“We’ve seen time and time again, all schools, including charter schools started with the best of intentions, face many of the same setbacks as public schools during the pandemic in regard to tailoring functional education to children who were forbidden from attending class,” Moore said. “For whatever reason, schools with famous investors face unprecedented scrutiny simply because it is easier to place blame on the school’s visible celebrity founder. It’s unfair to hold these schools to higher standards. Instead, this should give all districts pause and prioritize getting all students up to speed this academic year.”
Here’s a look at how some prominent celebrity schools have fared:
LeBron James’s I Promise Academy in Akron, Ohio
According to the Ohio Department of Education’s report card, the proficiency rates at the I Promise Academy in math and English language arts are significantly lower than the state average and even the average for the local school district. The trends hold regardless of grade level.
According to state data, third graders at I Promise Academy have an 11.5% proficiency rate in math and fourth graders have a 9.9% proficiency rate, while students in fifth and seventh grade have a 1% proficiency rate and zero students in sixth grade met proficiency standards.
The results lag the I Promise Academy far below the state averages, which range from a 45% proficiency rate for seventh grade students to a 62.5% proficiency rate for fourth graders. Student proficiency in English language arts was moderately better, but only 8.2% of seventh grade students at the academy were deemed proficient in the subject.
Nicole Neily, the president of Parents Defending Education, noted that the I Promise Academy is flush with funding, but despite the excess cash, it has not been able to improve student outcomes.
“This is a school that benefitted from a tremendous influx of money and resources, something that we always hear schools need, yet in this case, didn’t move the needle for kids,” she said.
Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit
The Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit opened in 2011 with the support of NBA legend Jalen Rose. The school boasts a 97% graduation rate and a 100% “college and post secondary acceptance” rate. But the school’s academic achievements, according to state assessments, paint a less rosy picture.
According to the Michigan school data website, the academy has an abysmal 2.42% proficiency rate in math and a 28.73% proficiency rate in English language arts. The data website places the target proficiency for math at 47.55% and 60% for English. A breakdown by grade level was not available.
Sean “Diddy” Combs’s Capital Preparatory School in Harlem, New York
Capital Preparatory Charter School in New York was founded in 2016 with the backing of rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs. The school has fared significantly better academically than the Rose or James academies in Ohio and Michigan.
According to data from the New York State Department of Education, Capital Preparatory Charter School registered a 79% proficiency rate among eighth graders in English language arts and a 30% proficiency rate in math. The school also recorded a 38% proficiency rate in science courses.
Pitbull’s Slam Academies
Rap artist and Miami native Pitbull founded the first Slam Academy in Miami in 2012. The SLAM Foundation now operates 14 schools in Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Georgia.
The original school in Miami has become a community staple and has formed partnerships with numerous organizations, including professional sports teams such as the NBA’s Miami Heat and the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The school’s record of student achievement has largely tracked with state averages, according to the Florida Department of Education. For English language arts, 48% of students met or exceeded grade standards, while the state average is 53%.
In math, the results were more mixed. Seventy-nine percent of students did not meet grade standards for math and were considered “likely to need substantial support for the next grade.” Meanwhile, the state average of students who do not meet grade standards is 47%.
