Great Hearts Academies

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Great Hearts Academies is a non-profit charter school management organization which operates charter school "preparatory academies" (grades 6 to 12) in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area.

The member schools -- Veritas Preparatory Academy, Chandler Preparatory Academy, Mesa Preparatory Academy, Glendale Preparatory Academy and Scottsdale Preparatory Academy -- are substantially outperforming other public schools, according to Great Hearts Academies, with a model of schools that are smaller, more efficient, and set higher expectations for all students through a core, liberal arts curriculum. Tempe Preparatory Academy is the founding model and affliated sister school.

[edit] Results

Great Hearts' students score near the highest in the state on standardized tests, with nationally-norm referenced test performance across grades and subjects typically in the 80th to 95th percentile.

In 2006, Chandler Prep and Veritas Prep had pass rates of 98.7% and 96.7% respectively on the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test, placing them in the top 1.5% of schools state-wide.

Over the past six years, the average Great Hearts student has scored between 600 and 690 on each of the SAT subtests (Reading, Mathematics, and Writing).

Nearly 20% of Veritas Prep’s class of 2007 are National Merit finalists. Over the past four years, 11% of Great Hearts graduates have received National Merit Scholarships.

Over 90% of Great Hearts graduates attend 4-year colleges after graduation, more than 55% of them on full or partial scholarships, and about 70% of Great Hearts graduates are admitted to “more” or “most” selective colleges and universities. Of the Great Hearts graduates who attend Arizona State, nearly a third are admitted to the Barrett's Honors program.