Adams Elementary School

THIS IS A 5 STAR/10 RATED SCHOOL in my eyes! I don't know where this "greatschools.org", third party site gets its "judging criteria", but its not from experienced educators! Its all advertising and the only people who are complaining here are the disgruntled parents that blame everyone else but themselves for their child's failure to thrive (um, get involved and stop complaining)! Look at our test score and stats break down...ESL students get the support and intervention they need and the English-as-a-first-language students are obviously being challenged. Diversity is the spice of life and we all learn and grow from stepping outside of our bubble once in awhile. We are a school that is united and NOT divided. My children are not only getting a high -quality academic experience, but also being taught the value of loving and respecting and making friends with ALL types of people from many different backgrounds and walks of life....and THAT is what makes Adams experience far superior to any other school!
—Submitted by a parent

Best school EVER! Wonderful staff/teachers, wonderful parents, wonderful PTA and wonderful student body! We came from Mariners and this school exceeds every high expectation I had (and I had lots). Our principal (Mr. Del Real) is absolutely amazing at his job and has the patience and dedication it takes to make a difference....and make a difference he does! We love you Adams!
—Submitted by a parent

My son is currently in his 2nd year at Adams and I could not be happier with the quality of teachers at Adams. He has excelled well beyond my expectations as a student and continues to learn at a rapid pace.
—Submitted by a parent

I feel very blessed to have a sixth grader at Adams Elementary School. We have been here since Kinder, and our daughter has excelled in so many ways! We all love this school, especially because of the exceptional teachers and staff. Our principal, Mr. Del Real, is an amazing asset to our school. He is always eager to encourage and listen to all the students and is very aware of their growth individually. I am proud to be an Adams parent!
—Submitted by a parent

Adams is an outstanding school! Its the best thing that has happened to my children! For my daughter, learning comes easily and they have tons of enrichment to challenge her. My son, needs more time absorbing concepts and gets intervention often to keep his self esteem high and at his grade level. He loves learning and gets so much positive support. Our principal, Mr. Del Real does a stellar job and we are all behind him 100%! He is taking this school in a new and positive direction. Diversity is such an important value in our family and Adams has such a well-rounded student body. We really love our school!
—Submitted by a parent

I am a proud Adams parent of two children at this school a Kinder and a 1st grader with special needs. The principal, teachers and staff have gone above and beyond to understand my daughter and give her the most comfortable and conducive learning eviornment possible. My Kinder is so excited to go to school everyday because he loves his teacher so much! He is already learning to read and I can't believe how much he has learned so for this year. I couldn't be happier with the communication that takes place between teacher and parent. I highly reccomend Adams to any one!
—Submitted by a parent

ADAMS ROCKS! I have a 2nd grader at this school. We've have been here since kinder and have the BEST experience! I was in the process of moving right before my son started kindergarden and was willing to move to any school district (and even considered Davis and Haas) but chose Adams and it was the best choice for BOTH me and my son. He could barely write his name in chicken scratch before kinder and now hes reading at a 5th grade level and done with his 2nd grade math library, moving onto 3rd grade math and its only half way through the school year! I love the staff, teachers and especially our principal Mr. Gabe Del Real who is dedicated to learning through literature and technology and I swear he knows every child and parents name at the school (I don't know how he does it!). Accelerated Math and Reading provides a tailored program for every kid...as well as one-on-one tutoring, intervention when needed and the overall diverse culture is AWESOME! The school is set in a beautiful and safe neighborhood and the grounds are always clean and kept. I can't say enough about the academics, PTA and pride I have about being an Adams parent!!!!!
—Submitted by a parent

The focus of the Special Education team at Adams Elementary is centered around positive reinforcement for students, collaboration within the Special Education team and General Education population, and our dedication to academic growth.
—Submitted by a teacher

The teachers at Adams are extremely dedicated to their students. There is a common concern for all students' improvement and achievement, regardless of grade level. Adams school opened a new computer lab with 40 computers last year, where students make weekly visits to work on enrichment projects. I'm proud to be a part of this dedicated team of teachers and staff!
—Submitted by a teacher

The fifth grade at Adams School collaborates daily in providing individualized instruction for all students. Students who are struggling are grouped for extra support, while students who perform at or above grade level are offered enrichment opportunities. Students use Accelerated Math and Accelerated Reader to extend leaning through the use of technology. All students use Smart Boards, classroom computers, responders, and a 40 station computer lab daily. Adams teachers are extremely professional and consistently collaborate on all assignments. Adams Elementary is a great place to work.
—Submitted by a teacher

I have a second grader and a kindergartner at Adams. I couldn't be happier with the education they are receiving from the dedicated teachers. The class size is small compared to neighboring school districts so the teachers have time to focus on each student. My kids are being challenged and are motivated to do their best. Adams is a great school!
—Submitted by a parent

I moved my children when I moved house from what was considered a sought after school within the district. I have to say that Adams Elementary far superceded the sought after school. The students are far better behaved and I have nothing but rave reviews for the teachers and principle. My two children have been very happy at Adams and are thriving. Great location too! The PTA parents are dedicated and the school has a real sense of family.
—Submitted by a parent

This school is just HORRIBLE....my kids were very unhappy because most of the kids in this school are non-English Speaking kids and the teaching level or standard at this school is extremly LOW because most of the students are still learning to speak, read and write English. The parents involment are low and most of the teachers are Burned Out and I do not blame them.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is attending kindergarten @ Adams & as parents we are truly not a happy with this school enviornment. We dont feel our son is being challenged enough. Not enough homework coming home, the teacher complains that our son is annoying or irritates her. The principal had been out most of the school year. We overall are dissatisfied with Adams & dont like the way things are handled @ this schoo. We are looking into options now in switching him to another school to start his 1st grade year.
—Submitted by a parent

My children have had an exceptional experience at Adams. The teachers are concerned and caring. My children were challenged and motivated to do their best. I have seen growth in each child. I feel fortunate my children attend this school.
—Submitted by a parent

I agree with the courtesy call if your child is not at school, buyt overall the school has been great. My daughter had attended kindergarten at Adams and had to change teachers in the middle of the year, that was hard on the children as well as the parents,but she learned new words, some reading and more respect for others and herself. Also she shows me alot more responsability. We are returning and hope we have another great year.Keep it up Adams:)
—Submitted by a parent

Not happy at all about how often my son has a substitute teacher in the class room. There is not enough consistency. The teachers belong in the class room NOT in district classes during the school day. Find another time to send them on these outings. Our children are suffering because of it. The staff does not seem concerned when a student does not show up for school .no call to the parent(s) letting them know that their child never made it to school. I will not enroll my son at Adams next year. I ll work three jobs if it means putting my son in a school were he means something to the staff.
—Submitted by a parent

My child is currently enrolled at Adams and I have expressed concern over his math scores and his teacher is extremely slow to offer any help. My spouse and I are considering moving him to another school, perhaps a private school. Another issue we have with this school is the behavioral problems and how the staff attends to these issues. They 'punish' the entire class for the actions of a few rebellious students.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended Adams for a year and a half and I was pleased with the academics. Unfortunately I saw that their behavioral management strategies which included rewards/punishments and writing names on the board for having to go to the bathroom during class were undermining the good work they were doing academically. Although the teachers claim that their behavioral management system focuses on behavior and not the individual, kindergarteners and first graders did not understand it that way and were coming to view themselves as 'good' or 'bad'.
—Submitted by a parent

My child attended Adams for one year shortly after moving to Costa Mesa, and the experience was awful enough that we gave up on Newport Mesa School District and moved to private school. The ungated campus concerned me. I was also really surprised at the low parental involvement. Her class work was not challenging. But my main concern were the serious behavioral issues that were going on between the kids. I had no support from her teacher after countless discussions. The school is in a beautiful neighborhood, so I expected a nice school. I saw a couple of impressive speeches and science fair projects. But over-all, we ended up seriously disappointed.
—Submitted by a parent