Schools in Cupertino and Cerritos ranked No. 1 on U.S. News & World Report’s new list of the best elementary and middle schools in California.
The news media company based its findings on test scores for math and reading. The rankings also looked at scores in terms of socio-economic demographics.
According to U.S. News & World Report, 43% of students across the state tested at or above the proficient reading level. The percentage was lower for mathematics: 33%. The top 10 schools on each list had a higher percentage, typically 90% or higher.
The schools had a ratio of about 25 students per teacher. Some were charter or magnet schools.
The top ten schools on both lists were of all sizes, from a few hundred students to more than a thousand. They are located in cities of all sizes across the state.
Bullis Charter School in Los Altos and North Star Academy in Redwood City, which serve elementary and middle school grades, made the top 10 on both lists.
Top primary schools
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William Faria Elementary School in Cupertino ranked No. 1. Of the 632 students in grades K-5, 98% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 95% scored well on reading.
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Murdock-Portal Elementary School in San Jose ranked No. 2. Of the 559 students in grades K-5, 96% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 95% achieved that for reading.
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North Star Academy in Redwood City is ranked No. 3. The school, which serves grades 3 through 8, has 519 students. Of those, 95% scored at or above the proficiency level in math and reading.
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Milikin Elementary School in Santa Clara ranks No. 4. Of its 518 students, 94% scored at or above the proficient level in math. And 96% did the same for reading.
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White Oak Elementary School in San Carlos ranked No. 5. Of the 255 students in grades K-3, 95% scored at or above the proficiency level in math and reading.
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Argonaut Elementary School in Saratoga ranks No. 6. Of the 342 students in grades K-5, 93% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 95% did the same for reading.
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Yu Ming Charter School in Oakland ranked No. 7. Of the 766 students in grades K-8, 95% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 90% achieved that for reading.
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Ocean Air Elementary School in San Diego ranks No. 8. Of the 510 students in grades K-6, 92% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 94% did the same for reading.
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Bullis Charter School in Los Altos ranked No. 9. Of the 1,058 students in grades K-8, 94% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 93% achieved that for reading. The school stands out on the list for its low student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
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San Diego’s Solana Ranch Elementary School ranks No. 10. Of the 514 students in grades K-6, 91% scored at or above the proficient level in math. And 93% did the same for reading.
Top high schools
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Whitney (Gretchen) High School, which serves 1,010 students in grades 7 through 12 in Cerritos, ranked No. 1. Fully 100% of students scored at or above the proficient level in math and reading.
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Oxford Academy in Cypress is ranked No. 2. It serves 1,289 students in grades 7-12. Of those, 95% scored at or above the proficiency level for math. A higher percentage, 98%, achieved this for reading.
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The Elkhorn School in Stockton ranked No. 3. Of the 266 students in grades 4 through 8, 94% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 98% did the same for reading. (The school was no longer on the list of primary schools.)
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Science Academy Stem Magnet in North Hollywood is ranked No. 4. Of the 467 students in grades 6 through 12, 96% scored at or above the proficient level in math and reading.
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Petaluma Accelerated Charter School in Petaluma ranked No. 5. Of the 123 students in grades 7 and 8, 98% scored at or above the proficient level in math. And 92% achieved that for reading.
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Bullis Charter School in Los Altos ranked No. 6. Of the 1,058 students in grades K-8, 94% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 93% did the same for reading. The school stands out on the list for its low student-teacher ratio of 15 to 1.
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North Star Academy in Redwood City is ranked No. 7. The school, which serves grades 3 through 8, has 519 students. Of those, 95% scored at or above the proficiency level in math and reading.
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Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose ranked No. 8. Of the 1,078 students in grades 6 through 8, 91% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. The figure was lower for reading: 89%.
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William Hopkins Junior School in Fremont ranked No. 9. Of the 909 students in grades 7 and 8, 89% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. A slightly better figure, 91%, was achieved for reading.
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John F. Kennedy Middle School in Cupertino ranked No. 10. Of the 930 students in grades 6 through 8, 89% scored at or above the proficiency level in math. And 90% did the same for reading.
Dave Mason covers East County for the Ventura County Star. He can be reached at dave.mason@vcstar.com or 805-437-0232.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Cupertino elementary school, high school on Cerrito’s top list in California
