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GreatSchools Rating

Murdock-Portal Elementary School

Public | K-5 | 536 students
 

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  • I was little worried about my daughter when she got admission to Portal...

  • Overall, I think this is good school. My daughter has been there for some...

  • The multi-age, village based learning environments are just one of the few...

  • Portal school has good staff and better education.

  • My kids learn a lot from the multi-age class.The teachers and the staff are...

 

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Last modified
Community Rating

5 stars

Based on 26 ratings
Community Rating by Year
2013:
Based on 2 ratings
2012:
No new ratings
2011:
Based on 1 rating
2010:
Based on 3 ratings

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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29 reviews of this school

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Posted March 21, 2006
Report it

The academic quality is very high for this school, I believe it has to do with the school's philosophy. The school struggles a bit with the kids that are at the low end of the standard. There aren't many of these kids so it makes it tough for the teachers. Great music and art programs, all funded by the parents. The parent community also funds extra physical education for all k-5 students, they enhance the district funding. Parental involvement is expected but not required. Some parents spend many hours helping, others only when they can.
—Submitted by a parent

Write your own review
Posted January 12, 2006
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High academic standard yet encourages extra-curricular activities.
—Submitted by a parent

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Posted August 19, 2005
Report it

Academic programs are very comprehensive. Extracurricular activities aren't as available though there seems to be an effort to add more after school activities this school year.
—Submitted by a parent

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Posted June 22, 2005
Report it

Portal is an exceptional school that is very focused on achieving high academic ratings. Originally, this alternative school was all about improving the educational experience, however it seems to have given that over to pursuing high test scores. Parents used to much more involved 4-5 years ago, however that is no longer true. A great school, however not the same school as originally envisioned. The school is now much more like the other Cupertino schools like Faria than McAuliffe.
—Submitted by a parent

Write your own review
Posted February 26, 2005
Report it

The one thing that hits you immediately about this school is how genuinely happy the teachers at the school are. The teaching methods are very creative and hands on. The other dominant point is the extremely high level of parent involvement which typically translates into some very useful after school programs and sufficient fund raising to support the various after school programs. The third thing that stands out is the use of multi-age classrooms which translates into effective social skills. Kids are exposed to literature circles, creative projects, useful field trips and math explorations. There is no gate program per se but all kids are given eqaul access to demanding work. Greater capability gets more demanding work. The school plays are outstanding. The teachers are very nice.
—Submitted by a parent

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Posted February 26, 2005
Report it

Portal has a very good academic program. The level of parent involvement is high. School does provide a music program which is nice.
—Submitted by a parent

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Posted February 26, 2005
Report it

The school has high parent involvement. The teacher are very good. Creativity is definitely promoted. The school plays are fantastic. The teachers put in a lot of effort into teaching.
—Submitted by a parent

Write your own review
Posted January 7, 2005
Report it

Academic programs at Portal are excellent. I am very impressed with the methods of teaching and the content. I have compared what is taught at Portal to some of the other schools and I am happy that my daughter goes to Portal. Music, art and sports is part of their weekly activities. They also have performances where students perform in front of parents. Once a year Portal has cultural programs where students display a performance from their own culture. Parent involvement is a major part of Portal. Parents are involved from helping in class to raising funds, organizing events etc. In fact parents are a part of everything that happens at Portal.
—Submitted by Sandra, a parent

Write your own review
Posted June 10, 2003
Report it

Both my kids go to there. Best thing about the school is every child is considered special. Ever since my son started going there as third grader his grades have consistently improved. Ofcourse the credit goes to encouraging and hardworking teams of teachers. It is amazing to see how they work in teams and our child gets the best.

Write your own review

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

997

Change from
2011 to 2012

-1

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

10 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

10 / 10

What do these numbers mean? »

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

997

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

-1

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)

10 / 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)

10 / 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.
Back to top ↑
English Language Arts

The state average for English Language Arts was 58% in 2012.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
96%

2011

 
 
96%

2010

 
 
97%

2009

 
 
98%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
99%

2011

 
 
99%

2010

 
 
97%

2009

 
 
98%
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.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
95%

2011

 
 
95%

2010

 
 
94%

2009

 
 
95%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

96 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
99%

2011

 
 
99%

2010

 
 
97%

2009

 
 
97%
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.

91 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
100%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
99%

2009

 
 
100%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

91 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
99%

2011

 
 
98%

2010

 
 
99%

2009

 
 
99%
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.

88 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
99%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
100%

2009

 
 
99%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

88 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
100%

2011

 
 
100%

2010

 
 
100%

2009

 
 
100%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

88 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
100%

2011

 
 
99%

2010

 
 
100%

2009

 
 
100%
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 Students96%
Females94%
Males98%
African Americann/a
Asian97%
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 disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged96%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability97%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only97%
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 graduate91%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate96%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students99%
Females100%
Males98%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
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 disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged99%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability100%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only99%
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 graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate99%
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 Students95%
Females100%
Males90%
African Americann/a
Asian95%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged95%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability96%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only95%
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 graduate96%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate95%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students99%
Females100%
Males98%
African Americann/a
Asian99%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged99%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability100%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only99%
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 graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate99%
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 Students100%
Females100%
Males100%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged100%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability100%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only100%
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 graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students99%
Females100%
Males98%
African Americann/a
Asian99%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged99%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability99%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only99%
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 graduaten/a
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate99%
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 Students99%
Females100%
Males98%
African Americann/a
Asian99%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged99%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability99%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only99%
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 graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate99%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students100%
Females100%
Males100%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged100%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability100%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only100%
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 graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students100%
Females100%
Males100%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)n/a
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged100%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability100%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only100%
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 graduate100%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
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 91% 8%
White 8% 28%
Hispanic or Latino 1% 49%
African American 0% 7%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0% 1%
Filipino 0% 3%
Multiple or No Response 0% 3%
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 20%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
Mandarin (Putonghua) 42% 1%
All other non-English languages 21% 1%
Hindi 13% 0%
Cantonese 8% 2%
Rumanian 4% 0%
Arabic 2% 1%
Chamorro (Guamanian) 2% 0%
Japanese 2% 0%
Korean 2% 1%
Russian 2% 0%
Taiwanese 2% 0%
Urdu 2% 0%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Average class size

  This school District averageState average
Average class size 22N/A25
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Teacher experience

  This school District averageState average
Average years teaching in district 9N/A11
Average years teaching 10N/A13
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Teacher credentials

  This school District averageState average
Full credential 96%N/A96%
Emergency credential or waiver 0%N/A2%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

School basics

School Leader's name
  • Julie Ales
Special schedule
  • Year-round
Fax number
  • (408) 973-8259
School leaders can update this information here.

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1188 Wunderlich Drive
San Jose, CA 95129
Phone: (408) 973-8191

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