Back to class: San Francisco's top-rated and most-improved public elementary schools

Back to class: San Francisco's top-rated and most-improved public elementary schoolsPhoto: Unsplash
Hoodline
Published on August 22, 2019

How do the public elementary schools in San Francisco stack up?

We analyzed newly released data from Niche.com — including comprehensive report cards, rankings and reviews — to find out how schools in the area are performing, and which have made the biggest leaps over the past year.

According to Niche's data, Glen Park Elementary School's overall rating improved the most among similar schools in San Francisco, rising from a C+ to a B.

For the 2019-2020 school year, the school, located at 151 Lippard Ave., will enroll 352 students. Glen Park Elementary School serves a diverse population: 49% of students identify as Hispanic, 24% identify as white and 11% identify as black. Niche graded the school a B- for academics (on an A-D scale).

The overall ranking comes from Niche's proprietary algorithms. A school's ranking might change due to many factors, including the relative rankings of similar schools, and whether a school gained or lost peers due to openings or closings. Other numbers come from current public data from the U.S. government.

Academically, 37% of Glen Park Elementary School's students scored as proficient or above in math, and 27% did so in reading. That's compared to city averages of 46% in math and 46% in reading. The school's improved overall rating is notable in that it serves a less-affluent population, with 62% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

It's not the only school that's climbed in Niche's rankings this year. Malcolm X Academy saw its overall rating go from a C+ to a B. The school, located at 350 Harbor Road, is much smaller than Glen Park. It currently serves 86 students, of whom 58% identify as black, 16% identify as multiracial and 15% identify as Pacific Islander.

Niche graded Malcolm X Academy a B- for academics on an A-D scale. The school's latest math proficiency percentage was at 45%, and reading proficiency was 25%. It also serves a less-affluent population, with 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced lunch.

Edward R. Taylor Elementary also saw improvement in its overall rating, from B to B+. The school, located at 423 Burrows St., has 660 students currently enrolled, of whom 58% identify as Asian and 31% identify as Hispanic.

Niche graded Edward R. Taylor Elementary a B for academics on an A-D scale. Its latest math proficiency percentage was at 54%, and reading proficiency was 43%. It's also heavily low-income: when it comes to free or reduced lunch, 77% of students qualify.

While some public elementary schools in San Francisco are moving up the ranks, others are consistently top-rated overall, including:

  • Lafayette Elementary School, with an overall rating of A.
  • Clarendon Alternative Elementary School, with an A rating overall.
  • Alamo Elementary School, rated A overall.

Want more of the latest intel on San Francisco schools? Hoodline also analyzed the latest Niche ratings for the city's public high schools.


This story was created automatically using data from Niche.com, then reviewed by an editor before publication. Click here for more about how and why Hoodline is automating local news. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.