Is Altadena Elementary a good school?

Altadena Elementary ranks 2200 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Altadena Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 488 students attended Altadena Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Altadena Elementary?

Students at Altadena Elementary are 48% Hispanic, 24% White, 14% African American, 12% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Altadena Elementary attend?

Students who attend Altadena Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Charles W. Eliot Middle High : John Muir High

Altadena Elementary

Summary:

Altadena Elementary is a public elementary school serving 457 students in grades K-5 in the Pasadena Unified School District in Altadena, California. The school outperforms the district and state in 3rd-grade English Language Arts and Math, but lags behind in 5th-grade Math and Science. Altadena Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 22.6% in 2018-2019 to 46.1% in 2021-2022, before declining to 37.1% in 2022-2023.

Compared to nearby schools, Altadena Elementary performs better than Madison Elementary but lags behind the higher-performing Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary and the charter schools Odyssey Charter and OCS - South. Odyssey Charter, in particular, ranks in the top 10% of California elementary schools. Within Altadena Elementary, female students, African American and Hispanic students, and special education and white students are the highest-performing subgroups.

While Altadena Elementary has some bright spots, the school faces challenges, including low 5th-grade Math and Science scores and high chronic absenteeism. The significant increase in chronic absenteeism is a concerning trend that the school and Pasadena Unified School District should address, as it can negatively impact student learning and achievement. The strong performance of the nearby charter schools may provide valuable insights for Altadena Elementary and the district to consider.

Detail:

Public K-5

743 East Calaveras St.
Altadena, CA 91001-2332

(626) 396-5650

District: Pasadena Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2200^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $13,918

Students who attend Altadena Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Charles W. Eliot Middle
High:	John Muir High

Student/teacher ratio: 26.2

Number of students: 488

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

47.5%

White:

23.6%

African American:

14.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 63.1%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Altadena Elementary ranks better than 62.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 7^th among 14 ranked elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 56.61. (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 Student population at Altadena Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (47.5%), White (23.6%), African American (14.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 63.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Altadena Elementary is 26.2. 12 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Altadena Elementary employs 18.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Altadena Elementary is $13,918, which is the highest among 14 elementary schools in the Pasadena Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Altadena Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Altadena Elementary 2200^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Altadena Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Pasadena Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Pasadena Unified 730^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Altadena Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	14.53	4376^th	4809	9.0%
2005	18.55	4068^th	4822	15.6%
2006	17.12	4202^nd	4818	12.8%
2007	20.11	4289^th	5113	16.1%
2008	30.14	3577^th	5113	30.0%
2009	31.29	3612^th	5193	30.4%
2010	34.56	3518^th	5314	33.8%
2011	39.81	3245^th	5377	39.7%
2012	36.26	3509^th	5390	34.9%
2013	24.94	4404^th	5530	20.4%
2015	10.71	5439^th	5611	3.1%
2016	9.93	5441^st	5614	3.1%
2017	12.97	5278^th	5692	7.3%
2018	17.59	4883^rd	5662	13.8%
2019	27.56	4141^st	5789	28.5%
2022	37.04	3301^st	5883	43.9%
2023	39.97	3133^rd	5874	46.7%
2024	56.61	2200^th	5862	62.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	84.73	265^th	2634	89.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	16.20	4694^th	5084	7.7%
2019	33.34	3616^th	5173	30.1%
2022	38.75	3110^th	5264	40.9%
2023	33.51	3606^th	5374	32.9%
2024	51.60	2285^th	5511	58.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	23.67	4263^rd	5413	21.2%
2019	29.02	3904^th	5492	28.9%
2022	45.62	2659^th	5635	52.8%
2023	45.73	2653^rd	5617	52.8%
2024	64.17	1749^th	5605	68.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	26.66	1605^th	2128	24.6%
2022	39.44	1099^th	2227	50.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	14.43	5010^th	5431	7.8%
2019	27.72	3964^th	5510	28.1%
2022	28.88	3887^th	5663	31.4%
2023	33.10	3530^th	5650	37.5%
2024	47.89	2577^th	5636	54.3%

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

Rank History for African American students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	40.87	346^th	663	47.8%
2023	49.46	279^th	662	57.9%
2024	57.05	191^st	593	67.8%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	24.30	3953^rd	4830	18.2%
2019	33.06	3467^th	4963	30.1%
2022	37.17	3131^st	5084	38.4%
2023	36.64	3170^th	5098	37.8%
2024	61.54	1592^nd	5102	68.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Altadena Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	78.48	479^th	2647	81.9%

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 Altadena Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	85	355	4	205	1	n/a	n/a	0	650
1989	81	281	3	229	1	n/a	n/a	0	595
1990	91	290	7	244	0	n/a	n/a	0	632
1991	66	328	3	268	1	n/a	n/a	0	666
1992	77	370	5	230	1	n/a	n/a	0	683
1993	70	368	8	213	0	n/a	n/a	0	659
1994	60	381	7	198	0	n/a	n/a	0	646
1995	39	338	5	188	0	n/a	n/a	0	570
1996	39	338	5	188	0	n/a	n/a	0	570
1997	34	365	9	226	1	n/a	n/a	0	635
1998	41	378	7	210	1	n/a	n/a	0	637
1999	36	370	4	198	1	n/a	n/a	0	609
2000	37	378	8	219	3	n/a	n/a	0	645
2001	32	339	8	236	0	n/a	n/a	0	615
2002	121	197	2	106	0	n/a	n/a	13	439
2003	121	197	2	106	0	n/a	n/a	13	439
2004	16	145	4	197	0	n/a	n/a	12	374
2005	22	165	4	234	0	n/a	n/a	6	431
2006	17	130	4	199	1	n/a	n/a	1	352
2007	11	164	10	236	2	n/a	n/a	6	429
2008	15	127	6	222	1	n/a	n/a	0	371
2009	17	120	3	231	1	0	1	0	373
2010	6	91	3	200	0	0	14	0	314
2011	8	77	3	210	0	0	7	0	305
2012	9	117	4	261	0	1	14	0	406
2013	5	109	2	217	0	1	12	0	346
2014	6	83	2	178	2	0	12	0	283
2015	7	73	2	172	2	0	9	0	265
2016	13	76	2	180	3	0	11	0	285
2017	12	72	2	158	2	0	10	0	256
2018	26	68	1	144	0	0	8	0	247
2019	28	52	3	129	0	0	13	0	225
2020	45	56	4	137	1	0	19	0	262
2021	89	90	11	239	1	0	39	0	469
2022	88	80	14	204	1	0	48	0	435
2023	95	74	15	216	0	0	57	0	457
2024	115	70	14	232	0	0	57	0	488

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 Altadena Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	650	28.0	23.2	n/a
1989	595	27.0	22.0	n/a
1990	632	27.0	23.4	n/a
1991	666	29.0	22.9	n/a
1992	683	29.5	23.1	59.6
1993	659	28.0	23.5	67.1
1994	646	26.0	24.8	65.3
1995	570	23.0	24.8	66.3
1996	570	23.0	24.8	66.3
1997	635	26.0	24.4	75
1998	637	29.0	22.0	67.7
1999	609	30.0	20.3	71.1
2000	645	31.0	20.8	64.7
2001	615	31.0	19.8	66.8
2002	439	22.0	20.0	75.8
2003	439	22.0	20.0	75.8
2004	374	21.0	17.8	82
2005	431	23.0	18.7	86.4
2006	352	20.0	17.6	84.9
2007	429	25.8	16.6	82
2008	371	27.8	13.3	63.1
2009	373	24.5	14.6	71
2010	314	24.7	12.6	86.9
2011	305	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	406	19.0	21.3	99.3
2013	346	14.7	23.4	85
2014	283	12.0	23.5	86.6
2015	265	12.0	22.0	90.2
2016	285	9.0	31.6	83.5
2017	256	10.0	25.6	84.4
2018	247	8.5	29.0	68.4
2019	225	11.5	19.5	66.7
2020	262	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	469	16.0	29.3	63.5
2022	435	17.5	24.8	65.5
2023	457	17.5	26.1	66.7
2024	488	18.6	26.2	63.1

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 Altadena Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	650	28.0	23.2	n/a
1989	595	27.0	22.0	n/a
1990	632	27.0	23.4	n/a
1991	666	29.0	22.9	n/a
1992	683	29.5	23.1	59.6
1993	659	28.0	23.5	67.1
1994	646	26.0	24.8	65.3
1995	570	23.0	24.8	66.3
1996	570	23.0	24.8	66.3
1997	635	26.0	24.4	75
1998	637	29.0	22.0	67.7
1999	609	30.0	20.3	71.1
2000	645	31.0	20.8	64.7
2001	615	31.0	19.8	66.8
2002	439	22.0	20.0	75.8
2003	439	22.0	20.0	75.8
2004	374	21.0	17.8	82
2005	431	23.0	18.7	86.4
2006	352	20.0	17.6	84.9
2007	429	25.8	16.6	82
2008	371	27.8	13.3	63.1
2009	373	24.5	14.6	71
2010	314	24.7	12.6	86.9
2011	305	n/a	n/a	86.9
2012	406	19.0	21.3	99.3
2013	346	14.7	23.4	85
2014	283	12.0	23.5	86.6
2015	265	12.0	22.0	90.2
2016	285	9.0	31.6	83.5
2017	256	10.0	25.6	84.4
2018	247	8.5	29.0	68.4
2019	225	11.5	19.5	66.7
2020	262	n/a	n/a	66.4
2021	469	16.0	29.3	63.5
2022	435	17.5	24.8	65.5
2023	457	17.5	26.1	66.7
2024	488	18.6	26.2	63.1

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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