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GreatSchools Rating

Pony Express Elementary School

Public | K-6 | 409 students

Last modified
Community Rating

5 stars

Community Rating by Year
2013:
No new ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
Based on 3 ratings
2010:
Based on 1 rating

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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12 reviews of this school


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Posted November 7, 2011

Good school. Offers a great amount of parent involvement. Concerened that they are putting students that should not be in GATE Program with the others who are.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 11, 2011

The best school in this city, we love it!!!!!! The principal really cares about every child, very warm envirnment. Very high vevel of discipline.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 17, 2011

Great staff involvement. Access to staff is simple. Respect at all levels is evident. Academics is very important but the school also hosts lots of fun things for families too.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 29, 2010

Pony is a great school. My kids are in the GATE program, but I find that all of the classes are well structured. The kids are very respectful due to the presence of a great principal, Ms. Williams. They have lots of school activities, like plays, family nights, etc. The PTA is VERY active and the parents are as well. I honestly can't believe anyone would rate parent involvement anything less than 5 stars. We chose Pony over Dideon and Matsuyama.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 9, 2010

Great teachers and principal, great classified staff and PTA and GREAT kids and parents!!!
—Submitted by a teacher


Posted April 7, 2010

My child has attended Pony Express for one year. I am so pleased with how well-rounded her education has been. This is a small school with teachers that care. The administrators fully participate and are fully accessible. Academics are not taught in an agressive way but children learn in ways that are not off putting.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 7, 2009

I love Pony Express Elementary School. The Teachers ,Staff , Principal, and The PTA are all wonderful. I highly recommend this school for anyone who values their child's education.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 25, 2008

High achieving school with high expectations. Best elements: diversity, leadership by principal and teachers, parent involvement and advisory committees, and GATE program. Pony Express is a safe environment for your child to learn.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 4, 2008

My Son has been attending this school since kindergarten and is now in 3rd grade. He has struggled in reading (but does very well in math) I was very impressed on how involved the teacher/principal and other staff members were in on helping him overcome his difficult area. I highly recommend this school to any parent who is interested in higher learning for their child. I wish they had more after school programs such as music/art or sports but thats okay because education comes 1st.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 21, 2008

I had to move my son to Pony Express since we moved, and I was afraid of change. Since I walked into the main office of Pony Express the first day though, it really had an effect. It's a cute place, my son's teacher is really sweet and very good at what she does, and everyone is just wonderful. I highly recommend this school. (My son is autistic as well and their special education is wonderful).
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 9, 2006

Excellent school. The principal has kept on improving this school which continues to out-perform surrounding public and private schools
—Submitted by a parent


Posted July 1, 2005

This is a gret little school with low enrollment and wonderful teachers! They host GATE classes with comprehensive curriculums. The principal is very ono on one with all the kids who attend and knows them all by name. The only shortcoming that I know of, is one that all Sacramento schools suffer from; lack of extracurricular funding. The PTA tries to pick up the slack in that area, by providing decent budgets for each class annually for filed trips and events.
—Submitted by Joey, 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

872

Change from
2011 to 2012

+6

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

8 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

5 / 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

872

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

+6

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)

5 / 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.

56 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
65%

2010

 
 
69%

2009

 
 
50%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

56 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
71%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
79%

2009

 
 
57%
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.

74 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
62%

2011

 
 
55%

2010

 
 
47%

2009

 
 
44%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

76 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
81%

2011

 
 
74%

2010

 
 
62%

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 67% in 2012.

48 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
89%

2011

 
 
66%

2010

 
 
78%

2009

 
 
76%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

48 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
86%

2011

 
 
71%

2010

 
 
74%

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 63% in 2012.

72 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
63%

2011

 
 
74%

2010

 
 
81%

2009

 
 
75%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

73 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
61%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
78%

2009

 
 
75%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

72 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
64%

2011

 
 
58%

2010

 
 
80%

2009

 
 
60%
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.

61 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
80%

2011

 
 
80%

2010

 
 
81%

2009

 
 
84%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

63 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
59%

2011

 
 
74%

2010

 
 
80%

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

All Students68%
Females64%
Males71%
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)n/a
Economically disadvantaged48%
Non-economically disadvantaged84%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability70%
English learner63%
Fluent-English proficient and English only70%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)54%
Parent education - college graduate83%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state70%

Math

All Students71%
Females68%
Males74%
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)n/a
Economically disadvantaged56%
Non-economically disadvantaged84%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learner74%
Fluent-English proficient and English only70%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)62%
Parent education - college graduate92%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state70%
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%
Females64%
Males61%
African Americann/a
Asian56%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino64%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)86%
Economically disadvantaged46%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability61%
English learner27%
Fluent-English proficient and English only71%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented89%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate62%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)47%
Parent education - college graduate92%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state71%

Math

All Students81%
Females79%
Males84%
African Americann/a
Asian89%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino80%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)87%
Economically disadvantaged74%
Non-economically disadvantaged89%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability83%
English learner80%
Fluent-English proficient and English only82%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate86%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)76%
Parent education - college graduate83%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state88%
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 Students89%
Females93%
Males86%
African Americann/a
Asian80%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino100%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged84%
Non-economically disadvantaged96%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability89%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only93%
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 graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state100%

Math

All Students86%
Females81%
Males90%
African Americann/a
Asian80%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino85%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged80%
Non-economically disadvantaged91%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability87%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only90%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented96%
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 graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state93%
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 Students63%
Females67%
Males58%
African American36%
Asian75%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino63%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)58%
Economically disadvantaged53%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability63%
English learner17%
Fluent-English proficient and English only72%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented93%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate64%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)43%
Parent education - college graduate85%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state63%

Math

All Students61%
Females61%
Males62%
African American25%
Asian88%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino63%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)50%
Economically disadvantaged52%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability63%
English learner50%
Fluent-English proficient and English only64%
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)27%
Parent education - college graduate85%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state69%

Science

All Students64%
Females58%
Males69%
African American36%
Asian71%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino68%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)67%
Economically disadvantaged51%
Non-economically disadvantaged85%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability64%
English learner25%
Fluent-English proficient and English only72%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate55%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)43%
Parent education - college graduate85%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to state63%
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%
Females93%
Males69%
African American54%
Asian89%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged83%
Non-economically disadvantaged78%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability83%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only83%
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 graduate87%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate82%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students59%
Females62%
Males56%
African American21%
Asian72%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantaged53%
Non-economically disadvantaged64%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability61%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only61%
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)55%
Parent education - college graduate73%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate71%
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
Asian 28% 8%
Hispanic or Latino 26% 49%
African American 20% 7%
White 20% 28%
Filipino 3% 3%
Pacific Islander 2% 1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 1% 1%
Multiple or No Response 0% 3%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 116%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 247%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 41% 85%
Hmong 23% 1%
Cantonese 19% 2%
Japanese 5% 0%
Tongan 3% 0%
All other non-English languages 2% 1%
Filipino (Pilipino or Tagalog) 2% 1%
Hindi 2% 0%
Ilocano 2% 0%
Punjabi 2% 1%
Vietnamese 2% 2%
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 12N/A11
Average years teaching 13N/A13
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Teacher credentials

  This school District averageState average
Full credential 95%N/A96%
Emergency credential or waiver 0%N/A2%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

1250 56th Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95831
Phone: (916) 433-5350

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