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GreatSchools Rating

Ralph Emerson Elementary School

Public | K-5 | 554 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
No new ratings
2010:
Based on 4 ratings

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Parent involvement

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17 reviews of this school


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Posted December 13, 2010

We considered sending our daughter to a private school. After much research and debate we decided to go with Emerson. We are thoroughly impressed with the teacher quality and level of caring. There is active parental involvement, which is a huge plus. Barring any serious changes, we won't hesitate to send our second child there as well!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 9, 2010

All three of my children have attended this school for several years and absolutely love it, though my oldest promoted to middle school last year. It's a wonderful neighborhood school. The principal, Ms. Acuff is kind and understanding, loves children but runs a tight ship.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 12, 2010

My daughter is currently a 2nd grader. I like this school a lot. Everything seems to be intended to promote education and help students to build self-confidence. I am noticing how my daughter's reading, writing, problem-solving and other skills are improving every day. Isn't it what we (the parents) want?
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 16, 2009

Emerson have wonderful teachers and they are very nice with our kids. Thnaks
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 3, 2008

My daughter has attented this school from K-5 and the school is great. They have wonderful teachers there and I feel my child is safe. I'm not very fond of Linda (princpal). She needs come back to reality and get a grip.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 22, 2008

Emerson is the best school. Kindergarten teachers works with their heart and soul and kids are benefited. They have wonderful playground.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 15, 2007

The Principal should be less of a boss and more of a mentor. Emerson is not a Fortune 500 company
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 5, 2006

I think Emerson is the best! You should check out our Chalk day tomorrow October 6th. We have many programs reguarding the arts and I would like to know why Great Schools list the most negative comment first. Shame on you! No school is perfect, but we come pretty close.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 19, 2006

Wonderful teachers and parent participation. However, the principal regularly curtails learning opportunities.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 13, 2006

I think Emerson is a great school, but I think they should have more of a music program. The parent involvement is absolutely the best I have seen and the teachers are awesome.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 5, 2006

Teachers are well trained and motivated. Parents are involved and create programs that augment kids' learning experiences beyond the classroom. Think anyone interested in learning about Emerson should speak directly to teachers and parents.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 7, 2006

Our children collectivly were at Emerson for 8 years. There are many good teachers and parents are involved for the good of all the students. However, the principal has curtailed many learning opportunities. The popular Outdoor Science School program was recently stopped. There also used to be tutoring in reading at the library before school. Today with the drop in enrollment overall, I would reccomend investigating the opportunity to attend a different school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 23, 2006

Good school. Teachaers accessible and well trained.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 9, 2006

My daughter has attended Emerson for 3 years now, from kindergarten to 2nd grade. She has been very happy there. Her teachers have been qualified and dedicated. The school has continued to improve over the 3 years. The musical program/arts program could be better but overall, it has been a good experience for us. There is a high level of parent involvement within the school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 30, 2005

Very good school. Nice teachers, excellent library, big parent involvement. The parents even came and taught us music (violin).
—Submitted by a former student


Posted September 9, 2004

We have had two daughters go through K to 5th at this school and have been generally very happy. The older teachers who were burned out have left, and the younger ones appear well qualified, energetic, and enthusiastic about teaching. We are generally very happy with the faculty and staff. Parent involvement is very high, although we've encountered parents who were intrusive to school administration. That is probably not specific to this school, though the demographics of the neighboring families might have some effects.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 11, 2004

A lot of single parent apartments feed the school. Very diverse. Conflict resolution inconsistent. Great parent art program not enough parent participation from the population. Great resources. Some really good teachers.
—Submitted by a parent


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

875

Change from
2011 to 2012

-7

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

9 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

6 / 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 did not meet all student subgroup API targets for 2012

This school's
API score

875

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

-7

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)

9 / 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)

6 / 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.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
66%

2010

 
 
65%

2009

 
 
67%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
69%

2011

 
 
85%

2010

 
 
75%

2009

 
 
80%
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.

84 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
62%

2011

 
 
50%

2010

 
 
53%

2009

 
 
71%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

84 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
81%

2010

 
 
70%

2009

 
 
82%
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.

92 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
71%

2010

 
 
85%

2009

 
 
76%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

94 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
82%

2011

 
 
79%

2010

 
 
91%

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.

111 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
72%

2009

 
 
64%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

113 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
71%

2011

 
 
82%

2010

 
 
71%

2009

 
 
65%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

111 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
73%

2009

 
 
66%
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 Students68%
Females73%
Males64%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino78%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)69%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged69%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learner51%
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)73%
Parent education - college graduate79%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate89%
Parent education - declined to state27%

Math

All Students69%
Females73%
Males67%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino72%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)70%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged70%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability75%
English learner56%
Fluent-English proficient and English only80%
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)80%
Parent education - college graduate79%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate83%
Parent education - declined to state33%
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 Students62%
Females67%
Males57%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino53%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)60%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged63%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability63%
English learner37%
Fluent-English proficient and English only69%
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)68%
Parent education - college graduate62%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate63%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students79%
Females79%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino74%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)81%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged81%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability82%
English learner63%
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)86%
Parent education - college graduate71%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate83%
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 Students77%
Females85%
Males69%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino80%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)74%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability79%
English learner46%
Fluent-English proficient and English only88%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate65%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)74%
Parent education - college graduate86%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate83%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students82%
Females83%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino80%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)83%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged83%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability83%
English learner67%
Fluent-English proficient and English only87%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate76%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)67%
Parent education - college graduate92%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate92%
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 Students77%
Females81%
Males75%
African Americann/a
Asian69%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino67%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)81%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged77%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability77%
English learner43%
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)77%
Parent education - college graduate81%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate83%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students71%
Females73%
Males69%
African Americann/a
Asian54%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino57%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)77%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged71%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability72%
English learner40%
Fluent-English proficient and English only76%
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)69%
Parent education - college graduate74%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate79%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students79%
Females77%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asian69%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino52%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)88%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged79%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability79%
English learner36%
Fluent-English proficient and English only86%
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)77%
Parent education - college graduate81%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate92%
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 68% 28%
Hispanic or Latino 19% 49%
Asian 8% 8%
African American 2% 7%
Filipino 2% 3%
Multiple or No Response 2% 3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0% 1%
Pacific Islander 0% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 123%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 222%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
Armenian 48% 1%
Spanish 24% 85%
Korean 12% 1%
Arabic 5% 1%
Filipino (Pilipino or Tagalog) 3% 1%
Russian 2% 0%
Thai 2% 0%
All other non-English languages 1% 1%
Assyrian 1% 0%
Farsi (Persian) 1% 0%
French 1% 0%
Mandarin (Putonghua) 1% 1%
Portuguese 1% 0%
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 13N/A11
Average years teaching 15N/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!

720 East Cypress Avenue
Burbank, CA 91501
Website: Click here
Phone: (818) 558-5419

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