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Alvarado Elementary

Public Grades K-5
1967th
SchoolDigger Rank ?
of 5,804 California Elementary Schools
Better than 66% of California elementary schools
Summary

Alvarado Elementary is a K–5 school in Signal Hill, in the Long Beach Unified district, with 390 students. The clearest overall finding is that it leads nearby K–5 schools in English language arts and science and ranks second in math, though chronic absenteeism remains a concern.

In 2025–26, 57% of Alvarado students were proficient in English language arts, above the state at 49% and district at 51%; it had the highest result among nearby K–5 schools, whose average was 36%. Math proficiency was 46%, beating the state by 8 percentage points and the district by 6, and placing second locally behind Lincoln Elementary. Science is a more mixed result: Alvarado’s 30% was below the state’s 36% and the district’s 31%, but higher than every nearby K–5 school; their average was 20%. Fourth-grade math is another specific concern: Alvarado’s 38% was below the district’s 45% and state’s 42%.

Science proficiency has fallen from 34% in 2022–23 to 30% in 2025–26, while chronic absenteeism, though much improved, remains high: it dropped from 50% in 2021–22 to 29% in 2025–26, still 4 points above the district and 11 above the state. SchoolDigger gives Alvarado 3 stars and a statewide ranking at the 66th percentile, tied for the highest nearby percentile with Lincoln. Its student–teacher ratio was 26:1 in 2024–25, slightly above the nearby average of 25.3:1. SchoolDigger’s statewide measure of how well Alvarado serves Asian Students is at the 30th percentile, compared with 66th overall; its ranking for Hispanic Students has fallen from the 91st percentile in 2023–24 to the 71st in 2025–26.

390
Students ?
26.0
Student/teacher ratio ?
$28,660
Per pupil spending ?
78.5%
Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?
All students in California receive free school meals.
 1900 East 21st St.
       Signal Hill, CA  90755-5858

(562) 985-0019

District: Long Beach Unified


Students who attend Alvarado Elementary usually attend:

Middle:    Jessie Nelson Academy
High:    Wilson High
Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
49.0%
Asian:
25.6%
African American:
12.6%
more
 See top rated California elementary schools

 Compare Alvarado Elementary to nearby elementary schools!
At a glance
▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 63rd percentile in 2016 → 66th in 2026
Strengths
✓Test scores above the California average (49% vs 42% meeting standards)
✓Above the California median (66th percentile)
Worth a look
!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 18% California)
!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing
!Large classes — about 26 students per teacher
Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?
This school49%
District avg43%
California avg42%
1,967th of 5,804
California public elementary schools ?
Top 34%▲ up 4 pts since 2016
From top 37% (2016) to top 34% (2026)
See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →
★★★★★
SchoolDigger rating ?
24th of 52Elementary Schools in the Long Beach Unified
396th of 968Long Beach Unified among California districts
Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)
Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202662.31967 of 580466.1%★★★☆☆
202570.91555 of 585773.5%★★★★☆
202475.31355 of 586976.9%★★★★☆
202365.41785 of 585969.5%★★★☆☆
202262.01946 of 588366.9%★★★☆☆
202154.6582 of 141758.9%★★★☆☆
201968.51675 of 578971.1%★★★★☆
201878.61197 of 566278.9%★★★★☆
201776.61266 of 569277.8%★★★★☆
201657.62101 of 561462.6%★★★☆☆
201564.61724 of 561169.3%★★★☆☆
201358.32222 of 553059.8%★★★☆☆
201250.72572 of 539052.3%★★★☆☆
201155.22277 of 537757.7%★★★☆☆
200664.01579 of 481867.2%★★★☆☆
200564.41566 of 482267.5%★★★☆☆
200460.51687 of 480964.9%★★★☆☆

Asian

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202639.0846 of 120729.9%★★☆☆☆
202543.8807 of 120332.9%★★☆☆☆
202447.9783 of 120535.0%★★☆☆☆
202331.7904 of 119024.0%★☆☆☆☆
202228.1912 of 115421.0%★☆☆☆☆
201940.2819 of 114928.7%★☆☆☆☆
201857.9578 of 107146.0%★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202383.9210 of 324593.5%★★★★★
202260.1753 of 331177.3%★★★★☆
201962.0761 of 327576.8%★★★★☆

Female

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202666.91630 of 556970.7%★★★★☆
202575.01287 of 559777.0%★★★★☆
202470.91455 of 561274.1%★★★★☆
202362.41836 of 560967.3%★★★☆☆
202253.02264 of 563559.8%★★★☆☆
202134.9778 of 126738.6%★★☆☆☆
201959.91970 of 549264.1%★★★☆☆
201876.01241 of 541377.1%★★★★☆

Hispanic

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202664.31494 of 508570.6%★★★★☆
202579.0786 of 510784.6%★★★★☆
202487.4456 of 510791.1%★★★★★
202370.51164 of 508777.1%★★★★☆
202269.41185 of 508476.7%★★★★☆
201969.31206 of 496375.7%★★★★☆
201880.7661 of 483086.3%★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202667.11467 of 541272.9%★★★★☆
202582.1691 of 546087.3%★★★★☆
202486.0592 of 551789.3%★★★★☆
202381.8702 of 536386.9%★★★★☆
202284.5565 of 526489.3%★★★★☆
202186.394 of 111091.5%★★★★★
201978.9771 of 517385.1%★★★★☆
201888.2356 of 508493.0%★★★★★

Male

YearAvg scoreStatewide rankCalifornia percentileRating
202653.42319 of 559058.5%★★★☆☆
202561.51909 of 562866.1%★★★☆☆
202475.91245 of 564377.9%★★★★☆
202366.51664 of 563870.5%★★★★☆
202269.91531 of 566373.0%★★★★☆
202171.7327 of 127274.3%★★★★☆
201974.11343 of 551075.6%★★★★☆
201878.61119 of 543179.4%★★★★☆
How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)
English Language Learner (2023)94th percentile+24 vs school
Low Socio Economic Status (2026)73rd percentile+7 vs school
Female (2026)71st percentile+5 vs school
Hispanic (2026)71st percentile+5 vs school
Male (2026)59th percentile-8 vs school
Asian (2026)30th percentile-36 vs school
By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?
English Language Arts/Literacy57%+8 vs state
Mathematics46%+8 vs state
Science30%-6 vs state

5.0
1 rating · 1 written review
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What people are saying
by a parent
Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Open Quote As a parent of two Alvarado students and one graduate, I am very pleased with the education available at Alvarado. It is a small school FULL of caring teachers. Teachers use Columbia University's Teacher's College Reading and Writing Project to teach language arts. They also have started a math project, CGI, to teach math. Neither of the programs are complicated but I have learned how to write, right along side my daughter. I am a highly educated person, yet no one ever taught me what writers do in order to complete a story, essay, etc. As my son graduated and moved on to middle and high school, he has taken the basics he learned at Alvarado and successfully built a strong background in all academic areas. I am very pleased with my children's experience, now and in the past, at Alvarado. I hope that the new principal brings the school to even higher levels. Close Quote





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Frequently Asked Questions about Alvarado Elementary

Alvarado Elementary ranks 1967th of 5804 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Students at Alvarado Elementary are 49% Hispanic, 26% Asian, 13% African American, 7% White, 6% Two or more races.

In the 2024-25 school year, 390 students attended Alvarado Elementary.

Students who attend Alvarado Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Jessie Nelson Academy
High : Wilson High

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Latest California data All new data »
2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026
2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026
2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026
2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026


SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.

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