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GreatSchools Rating

Pioneer Elementary School

Public | K-6 | 548 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
Based on 3 ratings
2010:
No new ratings

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Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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12 reviews of this school


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Posted September 18, 2011

My son has attended K-2nd and has LOVED this school. The PTA is very active and truly cares about and supports the students. The principal isn't very visionary, but the teachers are fabulous. I haven't witnessed snobbery, but that may happen more in the upper grades.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 27, 2011

Pioneer has several excellent, dedicated teachers. There is also a group of parents who give generously of their time and money. However, there is a widespread bullying problem that the principal does not acknowledge.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 6, 2011

My oldest child attended Pioneer from 2nd through sixth. And my youngest child from K - 2nd. I moved my youngest not because of the academics, which are strong, but the climate & culture of the environment. Pioneer has an "elitist" feel to it. Not sure if it is because the GATE program resides on campus, or perhaps a higher concentration of wealthy families attend Pioneer. The PTA is very strong at Pioneer. It's a great money maker, but leaves many families excluded as their yearly fundraising auction is truly for people who have the extra money to spend. My children & I find the kids at Pioneer are more cliquey and exclusionary. FYI: GATE does segregate it's students in self contained classes, including eating lunch separately. My oldest is a GATE alumni, my younger is moved to a non-GATE school and is happier for it. Regardless of my younger child's test scores, we chose to not enroll in GATE again.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 21, 2009

My older daughter used to attend this school. The teachers were great but the kids in general were somewhat stuck up. I think it's because a lot of kids came from El Macero.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 14, 2008

As a parent at Pioneer for the last 5 years, I have overall been satisfied with this school. Although there are some areas that can be improved. For example...the physical education program is severely lacking. Also there should be more support & supervision for students on the play ground.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 3, 2008

Pioneer Elementary is great. I have two students (6th grade and 1st grade) there and it has been a wonderful experience so far. The teachers are really open to input from the parents and are positive and supportive overall. They are collaborative. They seem in tune with the students' individual needs (which is amazing!). Pioneer has a gifted and talented program, band, choir, gardening, and many other options (even a knitting crocheting club!). If you are looking at moving to Davis - the school district is very strong so you really can't go wrong. The Pioneer PTA is top notch and that adds another positive element to the school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 5, 2007

My daughter had to be moved to another school because the teasing and harassment got so bad. The principal at that time did nothing about it. My son is doing better, but has few friends. He has ADD.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 23, 2006

Excellent teachers. Highly motivated students. Very involved parents make for a conducive environment for academics.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 22, 2006

One of the best in Davis. Everything is great.Higly recommended for parents seeking both academical and fun environment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 14, 2005

Average academic programs, Music, art & sports is available. High level of parent involment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 29, 2005

Good school, safe, quality education. But the sense that Davis schools are the best in the state is a myth - the homogenous population (ethnically and financially) is what makes the difference here. Parental involvement is extremely high. But when we moved to Oakland, believe it or not, we found the academics more challenging!
—Submitted by Christopher Harmon, a parent


Posted July 8, 2004

Pioneer Elementary School is a warm, friendly, and relaxing atmosphere. My child loves all the teachers and has made some very nice friends. I find Pioneer to be on the cutting edge of technology, diversity and continuous growth of the campus. Dr. Bryant, the Principal is not only a very nice man, I see him knowing each student by name. He has a very gentle dispostion that is not intimadating to the children. The staff in the office is equally as friendly and helpful. Pioneer teachers are highly qualified educationally but not out of touch with meeting the children's needs. If you are considering making Pioneer a 'home' for your children, consider yourself quite lucky to be apart of a great 'family'.
—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

893

Change from
2011 to 2012

+8

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

9 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

1 / 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

893

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

+8

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)

1 / 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.

70 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
70%

2011

 
 
58%

2010

 
 
74%

2009

 
 
82%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

70 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
76%

2011

 
 
60%

2010

 
 
77%

2009

 
 
84%
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

 
 
76%

2011

 
 
75%

2010

 
 
72%

2009

 
 
70%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

57 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
89%

2011

 
 
81%

2010

 
 
89%

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 67% in 2012.

82 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
88%

2011

 
 
87%

2010

 
 
81%

2009

 
 
86%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

82 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
76%

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 63% in 2012.

89 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
80%

2011

 
 
75%

2010

 
 
81%

2009

 
 
76%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

88 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
83%

2011

 
 
77%

2010

 
 
69%

2009

 
 
83%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

89 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
74%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
76%

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 59% in 2012.

82 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
76%

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
84%

2009

 
 
88%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

82 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
66%

2011

 
 
74%

2010

 
 
87%

2009

 
 
83%
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 Students70%
Females82%
Males58%
African Americann/a
Asian79%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)73%
Economically disadvantaged36%
Non-economically disadvantaged76%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability76%
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)n/a
Parent education - college graduate35%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate88%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students76%
Females82%
Males69%
African Americann/a
Asian92%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)78%
Economically disadvantaged64%
Non-economically disadvantaged79%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability82%
English learnern/a
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)n/a
Parent education - college graduate35%
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 Students76%
Females84%
Males69%
African Americann/a
Asian91%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)74%
Economically disadvantaged73%
Non-economically disadvantaged76%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability79%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only79%
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)n/a
Parent education - college graduate63%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate85%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students89%
Females96%
Males84%
African Americann/a
Asian92%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)88%
Economically disadvantaged82%
Non-economically disadvantaged91%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability94%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only90%
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)n/a
Parent education - college graduate88%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate93%
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 Students88%
Females98%
Males79%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino92%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)88%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged89%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability90%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only88%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented95%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate84%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate95%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students77%
Females90%
Males64%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino67%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)77%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability79%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only77%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented87%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate68%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate86%
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 Students80%
Females84%
Males77%
African Americann/a
Asian89%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)82%
Economically disadvantaged55%
Non-economically disadvantaged85%
Students with disability73%
Students with no reported disability84%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only84%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate67%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate86%
Parent education - declined to state85%

Math

All Students83%
Females86%
Males79%
African Americann/a
Asian95%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)85%
Economically disadvantaged36%
Non-economically disadvantaged90%
Students with disability87%
Students with no reported disability82%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only85%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented97%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate67%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate86%
Parent education - declined to state95%

Science

All Students74%
Females80%
Males67%
African Americann/a
Asian84%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)77%
Economically disadvantaged45%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disability73%
Students with no reported disability75%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only76%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented97%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)n/a
Parent education - college graduate44%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate84%
Parent education - declined to state80%
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 Students76%
Females71%
Males79%
African Americann/a
Asian88%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino39%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)87%
Economically disadvantaged43%
Non-economically disadvantaged82%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability80%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only78%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented97%
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 graduate65%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate88%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students66%
Females50%
Males77%
African Americann/a
Asian81%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino28%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)76%
Economically disadvantaged36%
Non-economically disadvantaged72%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability70%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only67%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented92%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)36%
Parent education - college graduate47%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate81%
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 65% 28%
Asian 17% 8%
Hispanic or Latino 9% 49%
Multiple or No Response 4% 3%
African American 2% 7%
Filipino 2% 3%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1% 1%
Pacific Islander 0% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 15%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 212%N/A52%
Source: 1 CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009
Source: 2 NCES, 2008-2009

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 17N/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!

5215 Hamel Street
Davis, CA 95616
Phone: (530) 757-5480

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