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GreatSchools Rating

Taylor Ranch Elementary School

Public | PK-5 | 680 students

Last modified
Community Rating

4 stars

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

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31 reviews of this school


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Posted January 31, 2013

My husband and I are extrodinarily impressed with Taylor Ranch. We were apprehensive at first. After having our child attend Taylor Ranch for some time now, we have very little, if any complaints. The staff in the office are always up-beat and willing to help in anyway. The current principal is hard working, fair, and willing to listen to parent's needs/concerns. Most of the teachers show exceptional care and concern for the children they teach. Our child has excelled more at Taylor Ranch than any other school attended thus far. 4 thumbs up from my husband and me.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 16, 2012

My children attended Garden a few years back, and were extremely unhappy there. I quickly learned that if your child enjoys the school, their work efforts show in a positive way. It is true that TR does little advancement testing, but that's because they offer Differential Learning. I also volunteer there often, and have seen for myself that the teachers will modify their curriculum for those students who are more advanced, including the lower grades, like Kindergarten. Overall, I am very pleased with the communication and encouragement from the teachers and staff, and highly recommend.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted November 15, 2010

Sending my son to Taylor Ranch was a HUGE mistake! They pushed him through the 3rd grade so that they would not look too bad as a school. My son graduated the 3rd grade having not learned a thing the entire school year. Even though it was nothing but C's and D's on his work, he was not held accountable by his teacher. She clearly didn't care. Moved him to Venice Christian School for 4th grade and, let me tell you, it is like night & day! This school wants what is best for my son. It is all about caring! VCS is a parents dream come true. Taylor Ranch is a NIGHTMARE!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted October 10, 2010

***** My daughters have gone to several schools but none as great as Taylor Ranch!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 24, 2010

My 4 children attended TRS last year. My oldest was tested and moved to there gift/ advanced program. The teacher is an amazing teacher. My son loved going to her everyday. He excelled very quickly. My other 3 loved there teachers. My youngest loved his kindergarten teacher she is an amazing, caring teacher. My 2, 3rd graders had speech issues. The speech teacher was great with them. Very caring and helpful staff. The principal needs to lighten up a little but over all a great school.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted April 14, 2010

Both my children attended this school and I also volunteered there.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted December 9, 2009

Our daughter is in first grade and so far the quality of education has been top notch! Amazing teachers, both in K and 1st grade!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted August 5, 2009

I sent my child here for one year and one year only. The quality of education there is not up to par, there is not enough one-on-one attention, and the learning pace was extremely slow for my child. No testing was offered for advanced placement, therefore my child was bored most of the school year, and did not want to go to school at all. Send them to Garden!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 10, 2009

We had a bad experience with teachers and the principal of TR. If you were lucky to have had a good experience with the school, it is easy to blame the student or his parents for the problems and overlook the general uncourteous behavior of staff.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 9, 2009

This is a school you can trust,the teachers are great,my 2 children went to this school they loved it this elementry is the best
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 18, 2008

In response to the last few reviews-It doesn't suprise me that some people have poor experiences at the same school so many people have awesome experiences with. But let's keep in mind that we as parents only get out of our relationships with the teachers and staff what we put into it. I have two teens and a 2nd grader presently attending TRS and We have had excellent communication and academic success for all three kids. But we treat them with the respect and communication necessary to forge a positive interaction. Unfortunately some parents act no better then their kids attending so I can relate to the ongoing challenges.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted September 16, 2008

My son only attended this school for five months before I pulled him out. I was extremely dissatisfied with the lack of communication from the teacher to administration. My son's teacher was hardly qualified to work with children. The leadership attempted to pacify me and skirted around his incompetencies. I was not ever granted an oportunity to speak to the Principal, including not even a returned phone call. Running on an old 'good' reputation in my opinion.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted July 8, 2008

My 4 children have been in other Florida Schools and this one just seems average to me. 2 attend Taylor Ranch so here's Pros and Cons Pros: The teachers are caring, polite and professional. The secretarial staff are friendly. Parent pick up runs quickly. Overall pleasant atmosphere (and this does mean a lot),the success maker computer programs, Cons: The ESE liason is horribleto work with. Some teachers take a while to call back. But others call back right away. No internet program to check homework or grades.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted June 12, 2007

I have been associated with TRS as a volunteer for the past 10 years. I have been fortunate to work with very high quality and caring teachers in Kindergarten and First grade. I hope to continue to assist in the future. It is truly amazing what these teachers accomplish with 20 students in one class, without a paid aide.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 17, 2007

Our boys have attended TRS for 2 years. We have been very pleased! The only thing that disappointed us was that they did not offer band this year for the fifth graders & our son was really looking forward to that. I hope they decide to start that program again. Unfortunately, we have to move out of this area. We will miss TRS tremendously!
—Submitted by a parent


Posted July 24, 2006

I was so happy with TRS and very sad when we had to move to another state. My son started at TRS in kindergarten, he had not gone to preschool as we had moved around too often, so he was a little behind at first, but by the end of the school year he was reading and writing and even doing some small algebra problems. He completed 1st great there and is now reading chapter books. His teacher always kept me informed on his behavior. I feel a pang of sadness when I think that he will not be returning to TRS.
—Submitted by Rebecca Kerr, a parent


Posted May 27, 2006

Very good school in general. However, many of the reviews of TRS on this site are outdated as there is a new principal. I never realized how important the school principal was to the spirit and overall atmosphere of a school. The current principal is sweet but ineffectual, and very unresponsive to student and parent needs. This attitude seems to be contagious and will eventually erode the positive elementary school experience that your children deserve.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 13, 2006

Florida is known to have the worst schools in the union. I'm here to say, there are great schools in Florida and Taylor Ranch is one of them. My children have attended this school for three years. I have to say, I am very happy they do. I only hope and pray that TRS is not the only first class school school in Florida, or I and a lot of other parents are in big trouble. The point is, you have to care enough and make it your responsibility and sacrifice to find the good schools. I did. The teachers are great, the curriculum is excellent, the principal is wonderful, and every effort is made to ensure your child learns. If you work with the teachers, they'll work with you. It's not only their responsibility, its the parent's too. I drive 30 extra miles/day just so my kids can attend TRS.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted May 12, 2006

The Kindergarten team is excellent! Unfortunately, First Grade Advanced Work Class was a huge disappointment. The teacher did not provide challenge or encouragement. In meeting with the teacher and administrators in an attempt to ensue change, I was met with more disappointment. I do not recommend the AWC if your child needs to be challenged.
—Submitted by a parent


Posted March 31, 2006

Great school! Wonderful teachers! Great leadership!
—Submitted by a parent


Community ratings and reviews do not represent the views of GreatSchools nor does GreatSchools check their accuracy or verify the reviewers' identities. Use your discretion when evaluating these reviews.

About these ratings

The Community Rating is the school’s average rating from its community members (e.g., parents, students, and school staff). The highest possible rating is five stars; the lowest is one star.

The test results by subgroup show how the designated group of students is performing in comparison to the general population.
Math

The state average for Math was 58% in 2012.

119 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
63%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 56% in 2012.

121 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
67%

2011

 
 
83%
Scale: % level 3, 4, or 5

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT 2.0) to test students in grades 3 through 10 in reading, 3 through 8 in math, and in grades 5 and 8 in science. The FCAT 2.0 is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Florida. The FCAT 2.0 has 5 achievement levels, with level 1 being the lowest and level 5 the highest. Florida considers scores of level 3 and higher to be on or above grade level. The goal is for all students to score at or above level 3.

See Florida's state standards

Source: Florida Department of Education

Math

The state average for Math was 60% in 2012.

101 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
68%

2011

 
 
72%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 62% in 2012.

101 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
82%

2011

 
 
71%
Scale: % level 3, 4, or 5

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT 2.0) to test students in grades 3 through 10 in reading, 3 through 8 in math, and in grades 5 and 8 in science. The FCAT 2.0 is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Florida. The FCAT 2.0 has 5 achievement levels, with level 1 being the lowest and level 5 the highest. Florida considers scores of level 3 and higher to be on or above grade level. The goal is for all students to score at or above level 3.

See Florida's state standards

Source: Florida Department of Education

Math

The state average for Math was 57% in 2012.

137 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
79%

2011

 
 
78%
Reading

The state average for Reading was 61% in 2012.

137 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
78%

2011

 
 
81%
Science

The state average for Science was 51% in 2012.

136 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
71%
Scale: % level 3, 4, or 5

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT 2.0) to test students in grades 3 through 10 in reading, 3 through 8 in math, and in grades 5 and 8 in science. The FCAT 2.0 is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills defined for each grade by the state of Florida. The FCAT 2.0 has 5 achievement levels, with level 1 being the lowest and level 5 the highest. Florida considers scores of level 3 and higher to be on or above grade level. The goal is for all students to score at or above level 3.

See Florida's state standards

Source: Florida Department of Education

Writing

The state average for Writing was 81% in 2012.

100 students were tested at this school in 2012.

2012

 
 
92%

2011

 
 
99%

2010

 
 
98%
Scale: % scoring at or above level 3

About the tests


In 2011-2012 Florida used the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) to test students in grades 4, 8 and 10 in writing. The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is a standards-based test, which means it measures how well students are mastering specific skills needed to progress through school. The FCAT writing exam is scored on a scale of 1 to 6. The state considers a score of 3 or above as meeting state standards.

See Florida's state standards

Source: Florida Department of Education

  • In 2011-2012, this school received a grade of "A".
  • In 2010-2011, this school received a grade of "A".
  • In 2009-2010, this school received a grade of "A".
  • In 2008-2009, this school received a grade of "A".

About the tests


Florida uses School Grades to measure the overall performance of a school each year on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT). Each school is assigned a letter grade (A-F) based on three criteria: the overall performance on the FCAT, the percentage of eligible students who took the test, and whether or not students made progress in reading and math. The School Grades are calculated by adding points earned from each of the performance criteria listed above.

See Florida's state standards

Source: Florida 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 89% 46%
Hispanic 5% 25%
Multiracial 4% 4%
Asian/Pacific Islander 1% 2%
Black 1% 23%
American Indian/Alaskan Native 0% 0%
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Student subgroups

  This school District averageState average
Students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch program 27%N/A46%
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Student-teacher ratio

  This school District averageState average
Students per teacher 15N/A15
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2007-2008

Teacher education levels

  This school District averageState average
Bachelor's degree 44%N/A65%
Master's degree 54%N/A32%
Doctorate degree 2%N/A1%
Other degree 0%N/A2%
Source: FL Dept. of Education, 2009-2010

Awards

Academic awards received in the past 3 years
  • Five Star School Award fo last 14 years
  • Golden School Award for several years
  • A grade from state for several years

Arts & music

Music
  • Choir / Chorus
School leaders can update this information here.

School basics

School start time
  • 8:30
School end time
  • 3:15
Before school or after school care / program onsite
  • After school
  • Before school
School Leader's name
  • Mr. William Bolander
Fax number
  • (941) 486-2129
School leaders can update this information here.

Arts & music

Music
  • Choir / Chorus
School leaders can update this information here.

School culture

Dress Code
  • Dress code
School leaders can update this information here.

Apply

 

TIP: Don't forget to ask about documents required for enrollment, such as your child's birth certificate, proof of address, or a record of immunizations.

 
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2500 Taylor Ranch Trl
Venice, FL 34293
Website: Click here
Phone: (941) 486-2000

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