Discovery

Summary:

Discovery is an elementary school located in Lancaster, CA, serving 693 students in grades K-5. It is part of the Lancaster Elementary School District, which is ranked 1436 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger. Unfortunately, Discovery has consistently been ranked in the bottom 20% of California elementary schools over the past several years, with a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

One of the key challenges facing Discovery is its significantly higher chronic absenteeism rates compared to the state and Lancaster Elementary District averages. In 2022-2023, Discovery had a 39.2% chronic absenteeism rate, much higher than the state average of 16.1%. Additionally, Discovery's test scores are consistently lower than the state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in 2023-2024, only 29.38% of Discovery students were proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy, compared to 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, only 16.47% of Discovery students were proficient or better, compared to 35.54% for the state.

Interestingly, Discovery's performance varies significantly across different student groups. While African American students perform relatively better, with a 3-star rating in 2023-2024, Hispanic and White students perform much worse, with 1-star and 0-star ratings, respectively. English Language Learners, Special Education, and Low Socioeconomic Status students also struggle, with 1-star or 2-star ratings. Compared to nearby schools, such as Tierra Bonita Elementary, which is just over a mile away, Discovery's performance is generally lower in both English Language Arts and Mathematics across all grade levels. With a very high percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 88.56% to 94.37%, Discovery serves a predominantly low-income population, which may contribute to the challenges it faces.


Detail:

Public K-5

 44910 17th St. East
       Lancaster, CA  93535-2744


(661) 949-3175

District: Lancaster Elementary

SchoolDigger Rank:
4868th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $8,419 Help


Students who attend Discovery usually attend:

Middle:    Piute Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  25.8 Help
Number of students:  699

Racial breakdown:

White:
34.0%
Hispanic:
32.2%
African American:
18.0%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  89.3% Help


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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Discovery ranks worse than 83% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 5th among 15 ranked elementary schools in the Lancaster Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 19.89. (See more...)
Help
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
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Compare Details Student population at Discovery is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (34%), Hispanic (32.2%), African American (18%). (See more...)
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Compare Details 89.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)
Teachers
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Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Discovery is 25.8, which is the 7th best among 15 elementary schools in the Lancaster Elementary School District. (See more...)
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Compare Discovery employs 27 full-time teachers.
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Discovery is $8,419. 9 elementary schools in the Lancaster Elementary School District spend more per student.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Discovery:

SchoolDigger ranks Discovery 4868th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Discovery in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


English Language Learner students:
Special Education students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Male students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Lancaster Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Lancaster Elementary 1436th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Rank History for Discovery

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2013 30.75 3983rd 5530 28.0%
2015 33.74 3419th 5611 39.1%
2016 38.17 3203rd 5614 42.9%
2017 24.61 4293rd 5692 24.6%
2018 21.50 4562nd 5662 19.4%
2019 20.86 4717th 5789 18.5%
2022 21.34 4708th 5883 20.0%
2023 16.96 5153rd 5874 12.3%
2024 19.89 4868th 5862 17.0%
See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 34.61 2081st 3246 35.9%
2019 47.64 1363rd 3275 58.4%
2022 27.56 2780th 3311 16.0%
2023 43.15 1609th 3250 50.5%
2024 25.44 2815th 3160 10.9%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 28.75 1708th 2420 29.4%
2024 30.82 1778th 2634 32.5%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 27.86 3919th 5084 22.9%
2019 28.81 3950th 5173 23.6%
2022 29.68 3875th 5264 26.4%
2023 22.23 4523rd 5374 15.8%
2024 24.51 4410th 5511 20.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 25.26 4147th 5413 23.4%
2019 21.25 4521st 5492 17.7%
2022 21.12 4605th 5635 18.3%
2023 20.40 4664th 5617 17.0%
2024 19.41 4760th 5605 15.1%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 18.02 2052nd 2128 3.6%
2019 22.06 2233rd 2585 13.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 19.06 4664th 5431 14.1%
2019 21.56 4511th 5510 18.1%
2022 22.74 4452nd 5663 21.4%
2023 16.03 5070th 5650 10.3%
2024 21.50 4563rd 5636 19.0%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for African American students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 30.68 499th 700 28.7%
2019 34.81 486th 747 34.9%
2022 39.48 360th 663 45.7%
2023 33.21 423rd 662 36.1%
2024 44.68 282nd 593 52.4%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 35.76 3164th 4830 34.5%
2019 34.32 3362nd 4963 32.3%
2022 31.76 3552nd 5084 30.1%
2023 23.00 4260th 5098 16.4%
2024 28.29 3846th 5102 24.6%
See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Discovery

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 5.72 2560th 2647 3.3%
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.

Discovery Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Discovery

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
2012 100 178 21 521 3 2 6 0 831
2013 117 173 24 637 3 1 11 0 966
2014 114 188 25 717 2 1 11 0 1058
2015 90 183 25 717 0 0 11 0 1026
2016 85 196 24 690 0 0 19 0 1014
2017 58 148 2 567 0 2 8 0 785
2018 61 141 6 560 1 2 15 0 786
2019 58 144 8 551 2 3 23 0 789
2020 60 171 6 524 1 1 26 0 789
2021 49 155 4 529 2 2 28 0 769
2022 45 107 4 470 4 0 28 0 658
2023 31 124 5 498 4 0 31 0 693
2024 238 126 14 225 9 6 80 1 699

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 Discovery

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 831 25.0 33.2 n/a
2013 966 30.0 32.2 86
2014 1058 32.5 32.5 81.5
2015 1026 34.0 30.1 84
2016 1014 34.0 29.8 87.4
2017 785 30.0 26.1 90.8
2018 786 26.0 30.2 89.4
2019 789 25.0 31.5 93
2020 789 n/a n/a 91.1
2021 769 28.0 27.4 88.6
2022 658 25.0 26.2 92.9
2023 693 25.0 27.7 94.4
2024 699 27.0 25.8 89.3

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 Discovery

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
2012 831 25.0 33.2 n/a
2013 966 30.0 32.2 86
2014 1058 32.5 32.5 81.5
2015 1026 34.0 30.1 84
2016 1014 34.0 29.8 87.4
2017 785 30.0 26.1 90.8
2018 786 26.0 30.2 89.4
2019 789 25.0 31.5 93
2020 789 n/a n/a 91.1
2021 769 28.0 27.4 88.6
2022 658 25.0 26.2 92.9
2023 693 25.0 27.7 94.4
2024 699 27.0 25.8 89.3

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates

Discovery

Help
Compare
YearCompletely ImmunizedReligious ExemptionMedical ExemptionConditionalPolioHepatitis BVaricellaDTPMMR
201297.0%0.0%1.0%2.0%98.0%99.0%99.0%98.0%97.0%
201399.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%99.0%100.0%100.0%99.0%99.0%
201499.0%0.0%0.0%1.0%100.0%100.0%100.0%99.0%99.0%
201599.0%0.0%1.0%1.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%
201696.0%1.0%0.0%3.0%99.0%99.0%99.0%96.0%99.0%
201796.0%0.0%1.0%3.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%97.0%≥99.0%
2018≥99.0%≤1.0%≤1.0%≤1.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%
2019≥99.0%≤1.0%≤1.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%≥99.0%
202097.4%0.0%1.3%97.4%
202183.6%0.0%0.0%87.3%95.5%88.1%85.8%88.1%
202294.9%0.0%2.6%97.4%98.3%

Data source: California Department of Public Health
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Discovery

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2018 $8,419

Data source: California Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Discovery

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 4717th of 5789 Elementary schoolsRanks 5153rd of 5874 Elementary schools
 6.2%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Discovery)29.821.9
 8%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Lancaster Elementary)30.922.4
 8.4%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)48.543
 5.6%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Discovery)2817.8
 10.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (Lancaster Elementary)25.720.5
 5.2%
   3rd Grade Mathematics (California)50.245.1
 5.1%
4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Discovery)43.132.8
 10.4%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Lancaster Elementary)30.421.6
 8.8%
   4th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)49.543.7
 5.7%
4th Grade Mathematics (Discovery)19.122.4
 3.3%
   4th Grade Mathematics (Lancaster Elementary)19.316.5
 2.8%
   4th Grade Mathematics (California)44.940.8
 4.1%
5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Discovery)36.622
 14.6%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Lancaster Elementary)33.423
 10.4%
   5th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)51.746.7
 5%
5th Grade Mathematics (Discovery)10.44.6
 5.8%
   5th Grade Mathematics (Lancaster Elementary)12.98.5
 4.4%
   5th Grade Mathematics (California)3833.4
 4.6%
5th Grade Science (Discovery)18.58.3
 10.3%
   5th Grade Science (Lancaster Elementary)15.213.1
 2.2%
   5th Grade Science (California)31.731.9
 0.1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students789693
 12.2%
African American144124
 13.9%
American Indian24
 100%
Asian85
 37.5%
Hispanic551498
 9.6%
Pacific Islander30
 100%
White5831
 46.6%
Two or More Races2331
 34.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients93%94.4%
 1.3%


Schools Near Discovery









Frequently Asked Questions about Discovery

In the 2023-24 school year, 699 students attended Discovery.

Discovery ranks in the bottom 17.0% of California elementary schools.

Students who attend Discovery usually go on to attend:

Middle : Piute Middle

Students at Discovery are 34% White, 32% Hispanic, 18% African American, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% American Indian.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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