Students at LeBron James' I Promise School Have Shown Dramatic Improvement in Test Scores

In the short time since Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James opened his innovative I Promise School in Ohio, its at-risk students have already exceeded expectations.

According to a new report from the New York Times, children at the Akron-based school have seen their math and reading scores skyrocket since its opening in July 2018. After participating in the Measures of Academic Progress assessment, which scores efficiency in reading and math, 216 of 240 students were found to have met or exceeded their expected growth at the mid-year mark.

Coming into the school, reading comprehension scores for third- and fourth-grade students were in the lowest percentile, the Times reported. Today, third graders have advanced to the ninth percentile, while fourth graders rose to the 16th. In math, third graders were in the first percentile and have since jumped to 18th. Fourth graders went to the 30th percentile after being in the second.

“These kids are doing an unbelievable job, better than we all expected,” James, 34, told the newspaper of the children’s progress. “When we first started, people knew I was opening a school for kids. Now people are going to really understand the lack of education they had before they came to our school.”

“People are going to finally understand what goes on behind our doors,” he continued.