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GreatSchools Rating

Vista Square Elementary School

Public | K-6 | 601 students

Last modified
Community Rating

3 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
Based on 3 ratings
2012:
Based on 2 ratings
2011:
Based on 1 rating
2010:
Based on 1 rating

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11 reviews of this school


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Posted April 30, 2013

80% of the students are Hispanic, everyone speak spanish and is nothing bad, see that as skill for the future, be proud to be spanish speaker, kids will learn english, love spanish. Please come to our ELAC meetings.you will learn a lot. As a parent love those committees Im english lerner too. and Im proud..
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 30, 2013

Vista square is a very nice school. My daughter has been there for about 5 years, they really support her. I highly recommend Vista Square.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 30, 2013

About past comments! If you don't like the school, only tranfer your child it is not ok to ranking a school based in a few bad comments, I had been there about 8 years, since MOMY and Me Classes and never had any problem , our secretary is wonderful person and our principal,Staff and parents are great!.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 27, 2012

My son has been a student at Vista Square for going on 4 years (k-3). We've always had amazing teachers and classroom aides. In kinder his teacher noticed early that he had a speech delay problem. She immediately got him set up with speech therapy. The therapist reviewed him and set up meetings with me, the teacher, and the Principal. His speech has drastically improved over the years. I've noticed that bullying has been mentioned in many reviews. We have had 2 incidents involving bullying. In both cases I emailed my son's teacher the same day my son told me about it and in both cases the teacher took immediate action to make sure that behavior ended. Overall my son has been given a great education and even got a perfect score on his Presidential Testing/CST in second grade. Now for the bad. I have a very big issue with the principal. She really doesn't seem to involved in the student's daily lives. Unfortunately, the principal has never shown up to a speech meeting. With 6 of them over 3 years you would think she would a least show up to one. Also in talking to teachers and other staff it seems she has a bad rapport with every staff member.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 29, 2012

I'll start with the positive: this school has a great program for those who are deaf and hard of hearing. They are initially given instruction in ASL, then are blended into other classrooms as they get older. Teachers & staff are friendly and seem to know all the students by name. Where they can improve: While teachers maintain close bonds with their students, Vista Square doesn't appear to have a unified action/consequence policy in place and it's reflected in many of the students' inappropriate and bullying behaviors toward each other and even to their teachers. My main concern is the VERY LOW academic bar for their students. Near the end of the school year, many upper-grade students are still struggling to write complete & coherent sentences, let alone multiple-paragraph essays. It is a disservice to the students to set the bar so low and allow students to get by with minimal effort. It IS possible to cater to English Learners while maintaining high academic expectations for ALL students
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 25, 2011

This school is a joke. The kids are all speaking spanish and the place is rampant with bullies. Mrs. Woods is a hoke of a woman. She has not a clue as to what gies on around her and she has not class. The educational values dont exist in this school. Do yourself a favor a keep your kids away from here.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted November 28, 2010

This school could be so much better if they did not only cater to their "English as a second language" students. My brother went to this school and, despite not doing well in some of his subjects, was allowed to move on to the next grade. In my opinion, this school needs to develop a balance between catching up their "ESL" students in the English language and helping their English-speaking students in the other subjects offered at the school.


Posted December 10, 2007

My kids came to Vista Square in 2003-2004, for 2nd & 3rd grade. Unfortunately we only have bad memories of that one year. There was alot of bullying and bad behavior. The staff was aware of it, however they didn't do much to make it better. Academically my kids were not challenged.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 15, 2007

I think Mrs. cristianson is the best teacher i have ever met.
—Submitted by a student


Posted March 29, 2006

I have substituted on and off for the CVESD for about 3 years. Vista Square is my favorite school because the principal is the most amazing principal -- I think she is the reason that it is so great. She is always there, she knew my name from the beginning, she lets you know she is there to help and when you need her help, she follows through. She is an amazing presence at the school and from her the rest of the school just glows.
—Submitted by a teacher


Posted April 5, 2005

I think this school is great. I have substituted at this school many times and find the staff very dedicated and honorable. They work very long hours and conduct, in their free time, workshops, music classes, various intermural athletic teams and tutoring. I recommend this school especially because the discipline is strong and consistent and the principals really rock!
—Submitted by a teacher


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

840

Change from
2011 to 2012

+38

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

5 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

8 / 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

840

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

+38

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)

5 / 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)

8 / 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.

94 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
35%

2010

 
 
57%

2009

 
 
41%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

94 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
54%

2010

 
 
62%

2009

 
 
65%
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.

57 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
32%

2011

 
 
39%

2010

 
 
23%

2009

 
 
36%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

57 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
63%

2011

 
 
55%

2010

 
 
56%

2009

 
 
62%
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.

77 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
78%

2011

 
 
76%

2010

 
 
69%

2009

 
 
68%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

78 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
81%

2011

 
 
87%

2010

 
 
75%

2009

 
 
74%
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.

74 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
64%

2011

 
 
63%

2010

 
 
65%

2009

 
 
58%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

73 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
74%

2011

 
 
59%

2010

 
 
61%

2009

 
 
71%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

78 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
46%

2011

 
 
63%

2010

 
 
49%

2009

 
 
46%
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.

75 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
60%

2011

 
 
50%

2010

 
 
51%

2009

 
 
58%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

75 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
46%

2011

 
 
48%

2010

 
 
52%

2009

 
 
63%
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%
Females67%
Males68%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino67%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged67%
Non-economically disadvantaged69%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability69%
English learner64%
Fluent-English proficient and English only74%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduate67%
Parent education - high school graduate65%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)67%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state72%

Math

All Students77%
Females69%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino74%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged75%
Non-economically disadvantaged81%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability78%
English learner80%
Fluent-English proficient and English only71%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduate75%
Parent education - high school graduate73%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)75%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state81%
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 Students32%
Females35%
Males29%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino29%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged33%
Non-economically disadvantaged29%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability30%
English learner31%
Fluent-English proficient and English only32%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate21%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state22%

Math

All Students63%
Females54%
Males71%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino58%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged63%
Non-economically disadvantaged65%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability63%
English learner66%
Fluent-English proficient and English only59%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate71%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state52%
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 Students78%
Females80%
Males75%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino75%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged75%
Non-economically disadvantaged88%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability80%
English learner70%
Fluent-English proficient and English only86%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate73%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)77%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state81%

Math

All Students81%
Females75%
Males87%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino77%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged77%
Non-economically disadvantaged94%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability82%
English learner73%
Fluent-English proficient and English only89%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate73%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)93%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state81%
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 Students64%
Females65%
Males62%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino64%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged66%
Non-economically disadvantaged56%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability66%
English learner54%
Fluent-English proficient and English only73%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate55%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)73%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state71%

Math

All Students74%
Females76%
Males72%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino74%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged73%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learner69%
Fluent-English proficient and English only78%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate61%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)82%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state94%

Science

All Students46%
Females38%
Males54%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino48%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged43%
Non-economically disadvantaged56%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability49%
English learner32%
Fluent-English proficient and English only60%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate35%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)82%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state42%
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 Students60%
Females52%
Males71%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino56%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged60%
Non-economically disadvantaged60%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability61%
English learner30%
Fluent-English proficient and English only77%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduate63%
Parent education - high school graduate63%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)76%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state36%

Math

All Students46%
Females39%
Males58%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino51%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged45%
Non-economically disadvantaged50%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability47%
English learner33%
Fluent-English proficient and English only54%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduate56%
Parent education - high school graduate42%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)57%
Parent education - college graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state27%
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
Hispanic or Latino 80% 49%
White 8% 28%
African American 4% 7%
Filipino 4% 3%
Multiple or No Response 2% 3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1% 1%
Asian 1% 8%
Pacific Islander 0% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 150%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 265%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 96% 85%
Filipino (Pilipino or Tagalog) 2% 1%
All other non-English languages 0% 1%
Cantonese 0% 2%
Cebuano (Visayan) 0% 0%
Greek 0% 0%
Hindi 0% 0%
Ilocano 0% 0%
Lao 0% 0%
Polish 0% 0%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Average class size

  This school District averageState average
Average class size 19N/A25
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Average years teaching in district 9N/A11
Average years teaching 9N/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

School basics

School Leader's name
  • Anateresa Herrera-Wood
Special schedule
  • Year-round
Fax number
  • (619) 691-1086
School leaders can update this information here.
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

540 G Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910
Website: Click here
Phone: (619) 422-8374

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