Lebron James’ ‘I Promise’ School Students Excelling On Tests

The MAP scores showed great improvement for the 240 3rd and 4th graders during the fall to winter period at the school.

Contributed by Taylor Ardrey

Lebron James is offering students a promising future.


James’ ‘I Promise’ School students, which he founded last year to helped challenge students with support and education in Akron, have earned phenomenal test scores since its opening in August.

The MAP scores showed great improvement for the 240 3rd and 4th graders during the fall to winter period at the school. According to USA Today, this means:

  • 90% of students – who started the school year at least one year behind grade level – met or exceeded their expected growth in math and reading.
  • Test scores increased at a rate higher than 99 out of 100 schools, per Northwest Evaluation (NWEA) school norms.
  • Third-graders went from the first percentile to the 18th percentile in math, moving from intensive tier of support to targeted levels of support.
  • Fourth-graders went from the second percentile to the 30th percentile in math, going from intensive tier of support to low universal tier of support.
  • All IPS students were below grade level in reading, and in the latest testing scores, 23% of students scored at or above the 25th percentile in reading, putting them at or near grade level.

“We are going to be that groundbreaking school that will be a nationally recognized model for urban and public school excellence,” I Promise School principal and Akron native Brandi Davis said in August.

The school allows students to make a commitment to “promise” to go to school, listen to their teachers and parents, be respect to others and live a healthy life.

Great job Lebron and keep up the good work! This legacy is bigger than basketball!