Summary:
This analysis examines 12 elementary schools (primarily grades K-5, with one K-8) in the 90022 zip code of Los Angeles, an area where all schools serve a high-need population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 80% to over 96%.
Academic performance varies widely across these schools. Morris K. Hamasaki Elementary stands out as the highest performer in the area, with strong test scores in English, Math, and Science, and is ranked in the 67th percentile statewide. Brooklyn Avenue (a K-8 school) also excels, particularly in English, and has an exceptionally low chronic absenteeism rate of just 3.2%. In contrast, Winter Gardens Elementary and Arts In Action Community Charter face significant challenges, ranking in the bottom 18% of California schools.
Notably, higher per-student spending does not guarantee better results, and some schools show impressive improvement, like Ford Boulevard Elementary, which rose from the 22nd to the 55th percentile in recent years. Schools in the Los Angeles Unified district generally outperform those in Montebello Unified, though both districts have schools making progress. Science scores are an area of concern across nearly all schools in the zip code.
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