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GreatSchools Rating

Oster Elementary School

Public | K-5 | 474 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

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

Teacher quality

Principal leadership

Parent involvement

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15 reviews of this school


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Posted September 26, 2012

My twin daughters go to Oster since Kindergarten and now they are in 3rd grade. We love oster community. I really hope that the new principal is also as friendly as Mr. Martino
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 5, 2012

The school has a real sense of community with the teachers and parents working together to help a very diverse group of kids. Positive attitudes and appreciation all around.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 7, 2011

My kids attend Oster elementary. Overall the teachers are good. But I am disappointed about the administration and curriculum. No P.E. no art class, music class only once a month due to the budget cut. The current principal is very difficult to communicate with. It's sad to see many good families are leaving. I think our children deserve better education.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 25, 2010

Though now in middle and high school, all 3 of my children attended Oster from Kinder through 5th grade. My oldest is off to UC Berkeley in the fall. The education they received through our public schools in this district have been exceptional. Teachers are dedicated and caring, leadership (both parent and administration) is effective, and the community is involved and proactive.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 4, 2010

My daughter transferred in when she was in fourth grade. Her teacher was incredible, and my daughter flourished. The private school education my daughter had received from Pre-K -third grade was good, but I have to say, her experiences in fourth and fifth grade at Oster were phenomenal. Oster exceeded my expectations; for that, I am truly grateful!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 15, 2009

Oster Elementary School is just the best! The teachers are excellent and curriculum allows for creative children to flourish.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 6, 2008

Wow! This school is the best! We have a fifth grade student and a third grade student and we have been here at Oster since kindergarten. We love the school and the teachers. The school has a great GATE program. I am a very active parent and the school and classrooms welcome the help and support. The test scores are high and getting higher!
—Submitted by Jacquie Armendariz, a parent


Posted May 23, 2008

This school is great. The new principal is the best!! He's so involved with the students at all activities and events going on..As far as teachers my child has been lucky and had two of the best.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 17, 2006

This school has fantastic parent involvement. There are always lots of after school/ outside of school activities. Small town atmosphere in Silicon Valley.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 21, 2006

Excellent academic programs, great extra curricular activities and stable, experienced teachers.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 3, 2006

This is a great school which has lot of extra activities. Academic programs and teachers are great. Parents participation is very good.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted January 12, 2006

January 2006- This school is great, however I have observed that it is a little behind in some things. They still have lunch tickets instead of the electronic lunch card system (almost like a credit card) to make it easier on both student and teacher. This years teacher is o.k. but I think she can improve on motivating the students a little more. My son seems to be a little bored sometimes and makes him feel like he does not want to go to school. The academic program seems to be working very well, he brings home homework and does lots of writing in class. He is doing very well in Math too. Two thumbs up for Oster.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 16, 2005

My 2 children love this school. The parents and staff make it feel like family there. I really love the integration of sign language in each class. My children will be bilingual by the time they leave Oster!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 21, 2005

Excellent academic programs and tremendous extracurricular activities including band, dance, chess, science and computer club. Great parent involvement, Xilinx partnership and Washington Mutual partnership. Undergoing renovation summer 2005.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 15, 2003

This is a wonderful elementary school. The enrollment seems lower then most schools in the Union School District because of the mature (older) neighborhood. My son has received an excellent education here and has matured and improved academically each year. The teaching staff is exceptional! My son praises his teachers daily! He has been attending this school from 3rd to 5th grade and has the very BEST TEACHER (by far) in the school district! The teachers make learning fun and motivate the students to strive to do thier best without compromising their high standards. I am very impressed with this school overall.
—Submitted by Patti Barron, 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

925

Change from
2011 to 2012

+24

API Statewide Rank
(2011)

9 / 10

API Similar Schools Rank (2011)

9 / 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

925

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

+24

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)

9 / 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.

91 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
86%

2011

 
 
72%

2010

 
 
60%

2009

 
 
60%
Math

The state average for Math was 64% in 2012.

91 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
86%

2011

 
 
78%

2010

 
 
59%

2009

 
 
62%
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.

80 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
74%

2011

 
 
82%

2010

 
 
50%

2009

 
 
60%
Math

The state average for Math was 69% in 2012.

80 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
86%

2011

 
 
90%

2010

 
 
63%

2009

 
 
74%
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.

79 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
91%

2011

 
 
68%

2010

 
 
83%

2009

 
 
81%
Math

The state average for Math was 71% in 2012.

79 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
92%

2011

 
 
83%

2010

 
 
89%

2009

 
 
93%
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.

74 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
85%

2011

 
 
79%

2010

 
 
91%

2009

 
 
81%
Math

The state average for Math was 65% in 2012.

74 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
77%

2011

 
 
79%

2010

 
 
89%

2009

 
 
84%
Science

The state average for Science was 60% in 2012.

75 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
81%

2011

 
 
82%

2010

 
 
88%

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 Students86%
Females86%
Males88%
African Americann/a
Asian94%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)94%
Economically disadvantaged73%
Non-economically disadvantaged89%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability91%
English learner75%
Fluent-English proficient and English only89%
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)86%
Parent education - college graduate89%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate90%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students86%
Females86%
Males86%
African Americann/a
Asian94%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latinon/a
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Other Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)90%
Economically disadvantaged80%
Non-economically disadvantaged87%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability87%
English learner81%
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 graduaten/a
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)93%
Parent education - college graduate86%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate87%
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 Students74%
Females74%
Males73%
African Americann/a
Asian80%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino38%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)88%
Economically disadvantaged47%
Non-economically disadvantaged82%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability74%
English learner43%
Fluent-English proficient and English only85%
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)64%
Parent education - college graduate83%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate84%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students86%
Females88%
Males84%
African Americann/a
Asian90%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino63%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)91%
Economically disadvantaged74%
Non-economically disadvantaged90%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability89%
English learner71%
Fluent-English proficient and English only92%
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)86%
Parent education - college graduate96%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate87%
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 Students91%
Females86%
Males94%
African Americann/a
Asian94%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino86%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)92%
Economically disadvantaged80%
Non-economically disadvantaged94%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability93%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only93%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate92%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)92%
Parent education - college graduate87%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate100%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students92%
Females86%
Males96%
African Americann/a
Asian94%
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino86%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
White (not Hispanic)97%
Economically disadvantaged87%
Non-economically disadvantaged94%
Students with disabilityn/a
Students with no reported disability93%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only93%
Migrant educationn/a
Gifted and talentedn/a
Parent education - not a high school graduaten/a
Parent education - high school graduate92%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)75%
Parent education - college graduate97%
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 Students85%
Females85%
Males85%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino70%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)95%
Economically disadvantaged67%
Non-economically disadvantaged91%
Students with disability73%
Students with no reported disability87%
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 graduate82%
Parent education - some college (includes AA degree)95%
Parent education - college graduate86%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate88%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Math

All Students77%
Females82%
Males72%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino48%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)92%
Economically disadvantaged60%
Non-economically disadvantaged83%
Students with disability73%
Students with no reported disability78%
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)77%
Parent education - college graduate86%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate88%
Parent education - declined to staten/a

Science

All Students81%
Females90%
Males72%
African Americann/a
Asiann/a
Filipinon/a
Hispanic or Latino61%
American Indian or Alaska Nativen/a
Pacific Islandern/a
Samoann/a
White (not Hispanic)95%
Economically disadvantaged60%
Non-economically disadvantaged89%
Students with disability58%
Students with no reported disability86%
English learnern/a
Fluent-English proficient and English only86%
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)95%
Parent education - college graduate82%
Parent education - graduate school/post graduate88%
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 47% 28%
Hispanic or Latino 25% 49%
Asian 15% 8%
African American 5% 7%
Filipino 3% 3%
Multiple or No Response 3% 3%
Pacific Islander 2% 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 124%N/A24%
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 222%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 11N/A11
Average years teaching 15N/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!

1855 Lencar Way
San Jose, CA 95124
Website: Click here
Phone: (408) 266-8121

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