Advertisement

GreatSchools Rating

Columbia Elementary School

Public | K-6 | 539 students

Last modified
Community Rating

5 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
Based on 1 rating
2011:
No new ratings
2010:
Based on 1 rating

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

Rate this school

Click on stars to rate
Please select a star rating for this school.
    Helpful reviews answer questions:
  • What do you think others should know?
  • What do you like?
  • How could your school improve?
    Review Guidelines
    GreatSchools won’t post reviews that contain:
  • Inappropriate language
  • Allegations of criminal conduct
  • Names of students, teachers or staff
1200 characters remaining
Please indicate your relationship to the school.
Please read and accept our Terms of Use to join GreatSchools.
Indicates a required field

14 reviews of this school


Sort by:
Show reviews by:
Posted April 9, 2012

My kids are in thier second year at Columbia and we love it! The teachers and staff are amazing!!! One of my children has had some learning difficulties and the principal, spec ed team, speech teacher, etc have gone above and beyond to make sure he gets the help that he needs!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 5, 2010

I have my daughter for the second year at Columbia and cannot be happier with it. I love the possibility to be involved as a volunteer and both year this was really encouraged by the teachers. What I see every week when I go is a great group of skilled teachers taking great care of the kids, a principal talking with the kids during recess, and another bunch of parents helping around. Academically is excellent, but she also gets to learn how to be compassionate, gentle, strong and healthy. I truly recommend Columbia to anybody and I can t wait for my other 2 kids to start K in this great school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 11, 2009

My daughter attends Columbia. The school is awesome. The teachers are great and really push the children to exceed thier goals. Mr Jager is the Principal, I have never seen a prinipal who interacts with the children and thier families as he does. Columbia is wonderful I would recommend it to everyone!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 17, 2008

I have 2 kids that went k-6 at Columbia. The incredible support from the top on down made the difference in my kids being the success that they now are. My daughter just graduated high school and was ranked #4 in her class with a 4.45. This is due in a very large part to the wonderful, giving, and dedicated staff at Columbia. Thank you... from the bottom of my heart!!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted July 6, 2007

Columbia Elementary is an amazing school in every way. Our principal is a moral and compassionate person who sets high standards for himself, staff and students and makes himself available to anyone with concerns. The entire staff is dedicated to every child on campus and this often means extra time given for extra help, after-school clubs, our carnival or other activities. We've had only excellent experiences for the past five years. There is much parent/family participation in and out of the classroom and in fact we feel a part of the entire Columbia/Fruitvale family. We absolutely would (and do) recommend Columbia to everyone looking for an excellent educational experience for their child.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted July 6, 2007

Columbia Elementary is a wonderful school. The teachers are all very good. The principal's exemplary leadership is such a positive asset to the students. Parental involvement, as well as grandparents and siblings, is seen everyday throughout the school. Having been involved with Columbia Elementary for the past 5 years, I cannot give enough thanks to the whole staff for a great educational experience. If there is any doubt, just look at past academic accomplishments, Distinguished School Award etc.
—Submitted by Karen, a parent


Posted July 28, 2006

My children and I love Columbia! It's like a family where staff,parents,and students care for one another. Students are taught to respect each other. teachers keep parents well informed with weekly newsletters.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 25, 2006

An awesome school. Great teachers
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 12, 2005

Columbia is awesome. There is lots of parent envolvment. The teachers encourage this. The principal is envolved in the children's activities. I have had a great 3 years here at columbia
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 2, 2005

Although this school is in a great district, the lack of leadership and professionalism from the principal and those above him is astounding. For an elementary school whos purpose is to mold our youth, they are greatly lacking.
—Submitted by Carrie Abshier, a parent


Posted March 16, 2005

Overall, Columbia is an good school. My son had a kindergarten teacher that was inexperienced and ineffective in the classroom, but she is no longer teaching. His 1st-grade teacher is excellent. There are lots of extracurricular activities for the children to participate in. Parental involvement is strong, although I feel the PTO is clique-ish, and there seem to be certain parents that get to do all the fun stuff - accompany children on field trips, attend parties, etc. Columbia is certainly one of the better schools in the Bakersfield area.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 21, 2005

Columbia Elementary is an excellent school. The teachers are excellent. It is nice to have a music class, the kids really love it. Any time you go to the campus there are always parents that are involved whether it be helping out in the classroom or volunteering time for various other school activities (track meet, bake sales, etc.).
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 29, 2004

We really enjoy Columbia. It has parent participation like I have never seen. The Principal is the greatest. At the assemblies you can hear a pin drop. These kids are well disciplined.
—Submitted by sherry ramirez, a parent


Posted June 20, 2003

Columbia Elementary School is an absolutely wonderful school. From extraordinary parental participation to great teachers, Columbia has made my first year of public school experience with my child an excellent one.


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.

The API reflects year-over-year schools performance based on STAR test score results from spring 2012.

This school's
API score

838

Change from
2011 to 2012

-27

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

8 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

7 / 10


API Growth scores over time

Did this school meet the API goal this year?
The state goal for API is 800. All schools that are below 800 are assigned an API improvement target each year.
  • This school met the state goal of 800.

API Growth scores by subgroup

In addition to schoolwide API scores, each student subgroup receives an API score.
Did this school meet all the API goals for student subgroups this year?
The state goal for the API is 800. All the student subgroups at a school that are below 800 are assigned an API improvement target each year.
  • This school met all student subgroup API targets for 2012

This school's
API score

838

What is the API?
The Academic Performance Index (API) is a single number assigned to each school by the California Department of Education to measure overall school performance and improvement over time on statewide testing. The API ranges from 200 and 1000, with 800 as the state goal for all schools.
Change from
2011 to 2012

-27

Change from 2011 to 2012
Comparing the API Growth to the Base shows whether or not this school’s test score performance improved between Spring 2011 and Spring 2012. The API ranges between 200 and 1000, with 800 as the statewide goal for all schools. Schools scoring below an 800 are given at least a 5 point target for the next year.
API Statewide Rank
(2011)

8 / 10

API Statewide Rank (2011)
The API Statewide Rank ranges from 1 to 10. A rank of 10, for example, means that the school’s API fell into the top 10% of all schools in the state with a comparable grade range. The 2011 rank is based on results from tests students took in Spring 2011.
API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

7 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)
The API Similar Schools Rank ranges from 1 to 10. It shows how the school compares to other schools with similar student demographic profiles. The California Department of Education uses parent education level, poverty level, student ethnicity and other data to identify similar schools.
English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 58% in 2012.

63 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
71%

2011

 
 
51%

2010

 
 
68%

2009

 
 
61%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

63 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
65%

2011

 
 
54%

2010

 
 
67%

2009

 
 
69%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 48% in 2012.

71 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
44%

2011

 
 
59%

2010

 
 
57%

2009

 
 
58%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

71 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
76%

2011

 
 
91%

2010

 
 
87%

2009

 
 
86%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 67% in 2012.

75 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
81%

2009

 
 
72%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

75 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
94%

2011

 
 
89%

2010

 
 
88%

2009

 
 
78%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 63% in 2012.

85 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
65%

2011

 
 
69%

2010

 
 
71%

2009

 
 
77%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

86 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
61%

2011

 
 
74%

2010

 
 
77%

2009

 
 
83%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

85 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
50%

2011

 
 
63%

2010

 
 
57%

2009

 
 
68%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 59% in 2012.

72 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
82%

2011

 
 
76%

2010

 
 
78%

2009

 
 
64%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

72 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
72%

2011

 
 
73%

2010

 
 
79%

2009

 
 
52%
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students71%
Females64%
Males79%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino63%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)79%
Economically disadvantaged66%
Non-economically disadvantaged77%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability77%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only71%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)64%
Parent education - college graduate64%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students65%
Females56%
Males76%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino50%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)75%
Economically disadvantaged53%
Non-economically disadvantaged79%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability67%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only66%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)57%
Parent education - college graduate71%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students44%
Females31%
Males57%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino45%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)38%
Economically disadvantaged38%
Non-economically disadvantaged47%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability48%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only43%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)33%
Parent education - college graduate59%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate64%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students76%
Females75%
Males77%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino77%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)76%
Economically disadvantaged77%
Non-economically disadvantaged76%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability80%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only77%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)74%
Parent education - college graduate73%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate91%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students84%
Females87%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino84%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)86%
Economically disadvantaged76%
Non-economically disadvantaged88%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability86%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only85%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)95%
Parent education - college graduate79%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students94%
Females95%
Males94%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino100%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)95%
Economically disadvantaged96%
Non-economically disadvantaged94%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability97%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only95%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)100%
Parent education - college graduate95%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students65%
Females71%
Males62%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino62%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)69%
Economically disadvantaged59%
Non-economically disadvantaged70%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability66%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only67%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate23%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)77%
Parent education - college graduate59%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students61%
Females61%
Males60%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino46%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)67%
Economically disadvantaged55%
Non-economically disadvantaged64%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability63%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only61%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate43%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)60%
Parent education - college graduate59%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate86%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students50%
Females53%
Males47%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino38%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)56%
Economically disadvantaged44%
Non-economically disadvantaged53%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability51%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only50%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate15%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)43%
Parent education - college graduate48%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

English Language Arts

All Students82%
Females87%
Males76%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino83%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)79%
Economically disadvantaged83%
Non-economically disadvantaged82%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability85%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only82%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)88%
Parent education - college graduate79%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate83%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students72%
Females72%
Males73%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino74%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)67%
Economically disadvantaged78%
Non-economically disadvantaged69%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only72%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)72%
Parent education - college graduate71%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate75%
Parent education - declined to staten/a
Scale: % proficient or advanced

About the tests


In 2011-2012 California used the California Standards Tests (CSTs) to test students in English language arts in grades 2 through 11; math in grades 2 through 7; science in grades 5, 8 and 10; and history-social science in grades 8 and 11. Middle and high school students also took subject-specific CSTs in math and science, depending on the course in which they were enrolled. The CSTs are standards-based tests, which means they measure how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of California. The goal is for all students to score at or above proficient on the tests.

The different student groups are identified by the California Department of Education; if there are fewer than 10 students in a particular group in a school, the state doesn't report data for that group.

See California's state standards

Source: California Department of Education

Breaking down the GreatSchools Rating

GreatSchools Ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results for schools. Use the breakdown ratings below to compare types of students at this school. Learn more »


Student ethnicity

Ethnicity This school State average
White 54% 28%
Hispanic or Latino 33% 49%
African American 3% 7%
Asian 3% 8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 2% 1%
Filipino 2% 3%
Multiple or No Response 2% 3%
Pacific Islander 0% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 14%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 231%N/A52%
Source: 1 CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009
Source: 2 NCES, 2008-2009

Home languages of english learners

Language This school State average
Spanish 79% 85%
Filipino (Pilipino or Tagalog) 8% 1%
Korean 8% 1%
All other non-English languages 4% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Average class size

  This school District averageState average
Average class size 22N/A25
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Average years teaching in district 10N/A11
Average years teaching 13N/A13
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Teacher credentials

  This school District averageState average
Full credential 100%N/A96%
Emergency credential or waiver 0%N/A2%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

703 Mondavi Way
Bakersfield, CA 93312
Website: Click here
Phone: (661) 588-3540

ADVERTISEMENT

Compare this school
to nearby schools

Compare schools »

Compare

Add this school to compare

Nearby schools

ADVERTISEMENT