Summary:
This analysis examines 14 elementary schools within the Pasadena Unified School District for the 2024-2025 school year, serving grades K-5 (with one K-8 school), revealing significant performance disparities across the district.
Standout high-performing schools include Field (Eugene) Elementary and Sierra Madre Elementary, which rank in the 90th+ percentile statewide with strong test scores and notably low chronic absenteeism. In contrast, schools like Madison Elementary and McKinley rank in the bottom quartile, with much lower proficiency rates and higher absenteeism. Interestingly, higher per-student spending does not correlate with better outcomes, as some of the highest-funded schools have the lowest performance.
Key findings show chronic absenteeism is a strong indicator of school performance, with the best schools having attendance rates far better than the district average. There is also a concerning drop in 5th-grade math scores across most schools. While magnet schools like Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary perform near district averages, the Washington Elementary STEM Magnet underperforms, indicating specialized programs yield mixed results. Hamilton Elementary demonstrates that success is possible even with a higher percentage of students qualifying for free lunch, outperforming many peers.
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