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GreatSchools Rating

Sakamoto Elementary School

Public | K-6 | 605 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

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

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16 reviews of this school


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Posted August 8, 2011

Sakamoto has one of the best Parent Teacher (PTO) Organizations around. They are very proactive and have a great working relationship with the teachers and principal. As a result the school has an amazing amount of extra support. My kids have been on the receiving end of this support with a new computer lab, Science Program, PE Program, Art Program. It is diverse and offers the children a very well rounded experience both academically and socially. As a professional with a Master's Degree, who is VERY connected to my children's long term academic success I am very pleased with the foundation my children receive here.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 14, 2010

Sakamoto is a great school because so many of the parents participate in helping make the school a great place for the kids to learn.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 22, 2009

My daughter started kindergarten this year and has had such a positive experience. She has a wonderful teacher, good friends, and the parents I have met have all been friendly and helpful. I have had an even better experience than expected sending her to this school!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 20, 2008

My child has been at his school since K and she is now in 5th grade. She has had a great experience so far. Every teacher has been able to give her extra challenging work to meet her needs. The school also has a great art program for the lower grades 1st to 3rd ran by parent volunteers and a visual performing arts program ran by professionals for the upper grades 4rd to 6th. For extra curricular activities they offer Spanish (extra cost), Music Matters (extra cost), and for the upper grades they offer chorus, no cost ( 4rd to 8th grades), and for 6th grade they offer Band, no cost. We also have a good Gate program ( thanks to parent involvement) The teachers are caring and interested to see the students succeed. This year we have a P.E. teacher, that is exciting!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 18, 2008

There seems to be a revolving door as far as principals are concerned. There have been four in the past six years. The climate of the school is totally dependant on the principal, so it changes each time there is a new principal.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 26, 2007

My son joined the school in the 3rd grade and now is in the 5th grade. The teachers are able to give individual attention and give incremental classwork to students who are capable of doing more than the class average. This type of distinction helped my kid to keep moving up in his reading/writing/math skills instead of just getting stuck in what the whole class is doing. Currently my son is a 5th/6th combo class and he is all excited to be with higher grade kids and is confident that he is going to be learning more this year with his teachers and fellow 6th grade students. I am very happy with our school choice. The Gate program is satisfactory but is currently limited due to funds availability and parent volunteer efforts ( I am culprit too, I could not volunteer, yet). Great school, overall.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 4, 2007

My son is in 5th grade and joined Sakamoto in the 2nd grade from private school. Good solid school- excellent teachers, good community involvement and a safe, nourishing and positive environment with good parental involvement.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 13, 2006

We are in our second year (1st grade) at Sakamoto and have been very please with the school and the teachers. We would recommend the school highly. Physical education is a weak point, that is true, but the academics are more important to us and their scores remain quite high for a public school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 28, 2005

Sakamoto is a great learning enviroment. The teachers really care about the students success. GATE activities are great - the parents and home & school club have worked together to provide a wonderful creative learning enviroment.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 15, 2005

My son is a 3rd grade student at Sakomoto. We've been happy with the school so far. There could be improvements, but, overall, I think Sakomoto is a bit above average in most areas.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 9, 2005

My son went to Sakamoto for Kindergarden. It was a good experience in general. I like the program designed by the teacher, although at K level, the goals were not all that clear. One of the things I found missing is a focus on excellence. At K level, this is probably not as important as helping the children develop social skills to fit in. My son wanted more structured activities. He was a little confused about what he was suppoed to do to be 'best'. I think other kids seem to enjoy the less structured setting. I guess it depends on the personality of the child.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 25, 2005

Quality of academics is above average, level of parent involvement is above average. Extracurricular activities needs improvement.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 3, 2004

My child has been at Sakamoto since First grade and is now going into Third. He has loved it there and has had a very positive experience so far. We have been very pleased with his teachers as well as the academic curriculum at this school. I would highly reccomend this school to anyone I know.
—Submitted by Liz Wallsom, a parent


Posted June 20, 2004

This is a very nice school, my son was in kindergarten and I was very pleased with what he learned. I had some concerned and they were handled in a very good manner. The teacher was excellent. There was a lot of parents involvement.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted February 9, 2004

I am not a parent but I am a student. I go to this school. I have seen alot of things at this school, about 80% or 70% of them are nice. There is not alot of p.e in my class if we ever have it we only have it at least 3 to 4 times a month. I think we should have more p.e and nicer teachers.
—Submitted by a former student


Posted May 2, 2003

It's a very nice public school. It does well academically while maintaining a diverse student body. The staff is very accommadating and easily accessable. You really get the sense that the people who are there really want to be there. The school is also very clean and well kept. The janitor and grounds keeper does a great job. I've even checked out the boys bathroom.


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

887

Change from
2011 to 2012

+27

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

8 / 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

887

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

+27

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)

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.

90 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
81%

2010

 
 
74%

2009

 
 
61%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

90 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
81%

2010

 
 
80%

2009

 
 
73%
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.

81 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
71%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
53%

2009

 
 
60%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

81 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
89%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
71%

2009

 
 
70%
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.

89 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
88%

2011

 
 
73%

2010

 
 
73%

2009

 
 
70%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

89 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
59%

2010

 
 
69%

2009

 
 
69%
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.

62 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
75%

2011

 
 
70%

2010

 
 
75%

2009

 
 
68%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

63 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
59%

2011

 
 
67%

2010

 
 
64%

2009

 
 
67%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

62 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
66%

2011

 
 
61%

2010

 
 
62%

2009

 
 
58%
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.

59 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
84%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
70%

2009

 
 
70%
Math

The state average for Math was 55% in 2012.

59 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
80%

2011

 
 
61%

2010

 
 
63%

2009

 
 
69%
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 Students84%
Females80%
Males87%
African Americann/a
Asian89%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino76%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)83%
Economically disadvantaged67%
Non-economically disadvantaged87%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability88%
English learner71%
Fluent-English proficient and English only87%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate67%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)77%
Parent education - college graduate90%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate95%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students79%
Females78%
Males80%
African Americann/a
Asian89%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino71%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)77%
Economically disadvantaged73%
Non-economically disadvantaged80%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability83%
English learner67%
Fluent-English proficient and English only83%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate58%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)86%
Parent education - college graduate81%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate82%
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 Students71%
Females80%
Males59%
African Americann/a
Asian93%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino50%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)78%
Economically disadvantaged52%
Non-economically disadvantaged77%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability71%
English learner45%
Fluent-English proficient and English only74%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate63%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)47%
Parent education - college graduate78%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students89%
Females93%
Males84%
African Americann/a
Asian100%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino73%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)94%
Economically disadvantaged81%
Non-economically disadvantaged92%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability89%
English learner91%
Fluent-English proficient and English only88%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate75%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)89%
Parent education - college graduate96%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate94%
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%
Females88%
Males90%
African Americann/a
Asian97%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino69%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)94%
Economically disadvantaged75%
Non-economically disadvantaged93%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability90%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only89%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate64%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)83%
Parent education - college graduate95%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students84%
Females82%
Males85%
African Americann/a
Asian94%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino50%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)91%
Economically disadvantaged65%
Non-economically disadvantaged88%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability84%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only85%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented100%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate57%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)61%
Parent education - college graduate95%
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

English Language Arts

All Students75%
Females67%
Males81%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino67%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)79%
Economically disadvantaged67%
Non-economically disadvantaged77%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only78%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented94%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)60%
Parent education - college graduate84%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students59%
Females53%
Males64%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino33%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)66%
Economically disadvantaged33%
Non-economically disadvantaged69%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability59%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only61%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented88%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)43%
Parent education - college graduate84%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students66%
Females60%
Males72%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino44%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)72%
Economically disadvantaged39%
Non-economically disadvantaged77%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability66%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only71%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talented91%
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)45%
Parent education - college graduate89%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
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 Students84%
Females88%
Males82%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino80%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)89%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged87%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability89%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only86%
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)80%
Parent education - college graduate86%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students80%
Females77%
Males82%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino73%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)85%
Economically disadvantagedn/a
Non-economically disadvantaged81%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability82%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only81%
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)80%
Parent education - college graduate77%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduaten/a
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 43% 28%
Hispanic or Latino 23% 49%
Asian 18% 8%
African American 7% 7%
Multiple or No Response 4% 3%
Filipino 3% 3%
Pacific Islander 1% 1%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0% 1%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
English language learners 113%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 218%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 8N/A11
Average years teaching 11N/A13
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009

Teacher credentials

  This school District averageState average
Full credential 96%N/A96%
Emergency credential or waiver 4%N/A2%
Source: CA Dept. of Education, 2008-2009
Notice an inaccuracy? Let us know!

6280 Shadelands Drive
San Jose, CA 95123
Website: Click here
Phone: (408) 227-3411

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