Is Shaffer Elementary a good school?

Shaffer Elementary ranks 3497 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Shaffer Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 422 students attended Shaffer Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Shaffer Elementary?

Students at Shaffer Elementary are 78% Hispanic, 12% White, 5% Asian, 1% African American, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Shaffer Elementary attend?

Students who attend Shaffer Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Mitchell Intermediate High : Buhach Colony High

Shaffer Elementary

Summary:

Shaffer Elementary is a public elementary school in Atwater, California, serving 534 students in grades K-6. The school faces several key challenges, including high chronic absenteeism, lower academic performance compared to the district and state, disparities in subgroup performance, and a high concentration of economically disadvantaged students.

Shaffer Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, from 5.7% in 2018-2019 to 16.6% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the Atwater Elementary district and state averages. The school's test scores in English Language Arts and Mathematics are generally lower than the Atwater Elementary district and the state of California across all grade levels. Additionally, Shaffer Elementary's performance varies significantly across different student subgroups, with lower proficiency rates for White, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students compared to the district and state averages.

Shaffer Elementary has an exceptionally high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 83.7% to 85.07% over the past few years, which is significantly higher than the nearby Frank Sparkes Elementary, Winfield Elementary, and other schools in the Atwater Elementary district. Addressing these challenges through data-driven interventions, targeted support, and a focus on equity could be crucial for improving the educational outcomes at Shaffer Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

1434 California St.
Atwater, CA 95301-4464

(209) 357-6145

District: Atwater Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
3497^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $3,903

Students who attend Shaffer Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Mitchell Intermediate
High:	Buhach Colony High

Student/teacher ratio: 24.8

Number of students: 422

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

78.4%

White:

12.3%

Asian:

5.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 85.5%

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Compare Shaffer Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Shaffer Elementary ranks worse than 59.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5^th among 7 ranked elementary schools in the Atwater Elementary School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 35.16. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (78.4%), White (12.3%), Asian (5.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 85.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Shaffer Elementary is 24.8. 5 elementary schools in the Atwater Elementary School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Shaffer Elementary employs 17 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Shaffer Elementary is $3,903. 4 elementary schools in the Atwater Elementary School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Shaffer Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Shaffer Elementary 3497^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Shaffer Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

Atwater Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Atwater Elementary 737^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Shaffer Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	37.16	2799^th	4809	41.8%
2005	31.83	3170^th	4822	34.3%
2006	21.25	3903^rd	4818	19.0%
2007	25.79	3870^th	5113	24.3%
2008	24.46	4010^th	5113	21.6%
2009	16.62	4637^th	5193	10.7%
2010	33.70	3568^th	5314	32.9%
2011	40.71	3195^th	5377	40.6%
2012	49.84	2628^th	5390	51.2%
2013	57.67	2257^th	5530	59.2%
2015	33.61	3427^th	5611	38.9%
2016	35.35	3383^rd	5614	39.7%
2017	40.43	3080^th	5692	45.9%
2018	30.40	3793^rd	5662	33.0%
2019	37.22	3372^nd	5789	41.8%
2022	49.29	2563^rd	5883	56.4%
2023	42.98	2947^th	5874	49.8%
2024	35.16	3497^th	5862	40.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	25.70	2673^rd	3246	17.7%
2019	54.98	998^th	3275	69.5%
2022	65.12	609^th	3311	81.6%
2023	77.48	310^th	3250	90.5%
2024	50.08	1173^rd	3160	62.9%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	36.63	1355^th	2420	44.0%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	37.18	3229^th	5084	36.5%
2019	46.55	2643^rd	5173	48.9%
2022	63.57	1491^st	5264	71.7%
2023	50.39	2341^st	5374	56.4%
2024	41.62	3011^th	5511	45.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.11	3676^th	5413	32.1%
2019	43.03	2920^th	5492	46.8%
2022	45.34	2683^rd	5635	52.4%
2023	43.32	2799^th	5617	50.2%
2024	39.44	3100^th	5605	44.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	43.77	928^th	2128	56.4%
2019	32.70	1642^nd	2585	36.5%
2022	56.35	681^st	2227	69.4%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.13	3618^th	5431	33.4%
2019	31.86	3631^st	5510	34.1%
2022	53.08	2284^th	5663	59.7%
2023	42.04	2917^th	5650	48.4%
2024	31.62	3685^th	5636	34.6%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.63	3227^th	4830	33.2%
2019	49.18	2338^th	4963	52.9%
2022	62.95	1474^th	5084	71.0%
2023	53.85	2012^th	5098	60.5%
2024	45.51	2579^th	5102	49.5%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Shaffer Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.91	2078^th	2737	24.1%
2019	45.87	1676^th	2834	40.9%
2022	31.25	1976^th	2726	27.5%
2023	27.73	2041^st	2662	23.3%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Shaffer Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	340	61	49	62	0	n/a	n/a	0	512
1989	361	54	37	69	2	n/a	n/a	0	523
1990	370	49	69	88	0	n/a	n/a	0	576
1991	364	55	53	104	3	n/a	n/a	0	579
1992	326	63	58	105	6	n/a	n/a	0	558
1993	342	70	71	100	4	n/a	n/a	0	587
1994	325	57	74	106	2	n/a	n/a	0	564
1995	187	45	94	165	3	n/a	n/a	0	494
1996	187	45	94	165	3	n/a	n/a	0	494
1997	177	38	77	191	1	n/a	n/a	0	484
1998	192	27	69	208	0	n/a	n/a	0	496
1999	174	24	63	206	0	n/a	n/a	3	470
2000	182	25	45	217	0	n/a	n/a	8	477
2001	156	25	38	250	4	n/a	n/a	11	484
2002	157	30	44	293	2	n/a	n/a	0	526
2003	157	30	44	293	2	n/a	n/a	0	526
2004	133	30	43	311	2	n/a	n/a	0	519
2005	140	0	43	341	7	n/a	n/a	2	533
2006	145	28	30	338	8	n/a	n/a	7	556
2007	152	24	34	359	3	n/a	n/a	30	602
2008	118	27	64	360	6	n/a	n/a	0	575
2009	124	21	42	350	6	0	15	0	558
2010	128	27	31	297	7	0	16	0	506
2011	107	21	28	299	6	0	17	0	478
2012	103	17	35	303	5	0	19	0	482
2013	103	17	37	288	4	1	13	0	463
2014	103	15	42	318	2	0	18	0	498
2015	94	18	38	361	2	0	15	0	528
2016	109	16	39	371	1	1	16	0	553
2017	109	20	38	374	2	1	13	0	557
2018	107	20	43	381	3	0	10	0	564
2019	90	20	41	383	4	0	10	0	548
2020	79	21	38	399	2	0	11	0	550
2021	83	17	38	354	5	0	12	0	509
2022	75	13	39	364	2	0	10	0	503
2023	77	8	34	395	4	5	11	0	534
2024	52	6	22	331	2	3	6	0	422

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Shaffer Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	512	20.0	25.6	n/a
1989	523	20.0	26.1	n/a
1990	576	21.0	27.4	n/a
1991	579	22.8	25.3	n/a
1992	558	23.2	24.0	35.8
1993	587	21.0	28.0	49.6
1994	564	21.0	26.9	55.7
1995	494	19.0	26.0	70.9
1996	494	19.0	26.0	70.9
1997	484	23.0	21.0	74
1998	496	24.0	20.7	78.2
1999	470	23.0	20.4	78.2
2000	477	24.0	19.9	73.6
2001	484	24.0	20.2	72.3
2002	526	26.2	20.1	69
2003	526	26.2	20.1	69
2004	519	25.1	20.7	73.8
2005	533	25.0	21.3	79.7
2006	556	24.0	23.2	76.9
2007	602	27.0	22.3	76.9
2008	575	29.0	19.8	67.8
2009	558	26.0	19.9	79.2
2010	506	22.0	23.0	68.4
2011	478	n/a	n/a	83.9
2012	482	18.0	26.7	n/a
2013	463	17.0	27.2	86.4
2014	498	18.0	27.6	83.9
2015	528	20.0	26.4	91.1
2016	553	20.0	27.6	87
2017	557	20.8	26.7	86.4
2018	564	22.5	25.0	87.9
2019	548	23.0	23.8	85
2020	550	n/a	n/a	84.7
2021	509	21.0	24.2	85.1
2022	503	22.8	22.0	83.7
2023	534	23.2	23.0	85
2024	422	17.0	24.8	85.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Shaffer Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	512	20.0	25.6	n/a
1989	523	20.0	26.1	n/a
1990	576	21.0	27.4	n/a
1991	579	22.8	25.3	n/a
1992	558	23.2	24.0	35.8
1993	587	21.0	28.0	49.6
1994	564	21.0	26.9	55.7
1995	494	19.0	26.0	70.9
1996	494	19.0	26.0	70.9
1997	484	23.0	21.0	74
1998	496	24.0	20.7	78.2
1999	470	23.0	20.4	78.2
2000	477	24.0	19.9	73.6
2001	484	24.0	20.2	72.3
2002	526	26.2	20.1	69
2003	526	26.2	20.1	69
2004	519	25.1	20.7	73.8
2005	533	25.0	21.3	79.7
2006	556	24.0	23.2	76.9
2007	602	27.0	22.3	76.9
2008	575	29.0	19.8	67.8
2009	558	26.0	19.9	79.2
2010	506	22.0	23.0	68.4
2011	478	n/a	n/a	83.9
2012	482	18.0	26.7	n/a
2013	463	17.0	27.2	86.4
2014	498	18.0	27.6	83.9
2015	528	20.0	26.4	91.1
2016	553	20.0	27.6	87
2017	557	20.8	26.7	86.4
2018	564	22.5	25.0	87.9
2019	548	23.0	23.8	85
2020	550	n/a	n/a	84.7
2021	509	21.0	24.2	85.1
2022	503	22.8	22.0	83.7
2023	534	23.2	23.0	85
2024	422	17.0	24.8	85.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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