Summary:
This analysis covers five public schools in the Tarzana area (zip code 91356), all part of the Los Angeles Unified district, serving grades from elementary through high school with a total enrollment of nearly 3,000 students.
Among these schools, Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle stands out as the highest performer, consistently ranking in the top 15% of the state with test scores well above district and state averages, even with a significant population of economically disadvantaged students. Wilbur Charter for Enriched Academics also shows strong, consistent results. In contrast, Virtual Academy of Business & Entrepreneurship faces major challenges, including very high chronic absenteeism and a low graduation rate, while Nestle Avenue Charter and Tarzana Elementary show average to slightly above-average performance.
Key takeaways for parents include the strong performance of charter schools in this area, with Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle demonstrating that high achievement is possible across diverse student populations. Interestingly, higher per-student spending and lower student-teacher ratios, as seen at Tarzana Elementary, did not correlate with higher rankings in this group. The data reveals a wide range of educational experiences and outcomes within this single zip code, highlighting the importance of looking beyond general district ratings to individual school performance.
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