Is Stephen Foster Elementary a good school?

Stephen Foster Elementary ranks 1504 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Stephen Foster Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 519 students attended Stephen Foster Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Stephen Foster Elementary?

Students at Stephen Foster Elementary are 55% Hispanic, 13% White, 13% Asian, 11% Two or more races, 6% African American, 2% Pacific Islander.

What schools do graduates of Stephen Foster Elementary attend?

Students who attend Stephen Foster Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Mayfair High

Stephen Foster Elementary

Summary:

Stephen Foster Elementary is a public elementary school located in Lakewood, California, serving 535 students in grades K-6. The school is part of the Bellflower Unified School District, which is ranked 837 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Stephen Foster Elementary consistently ranks in the top 30% of California elementary schools, with a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are significantly higher than the district and state averages across all grade levels. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, 59.25% of Stephen Foster students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 43.12% for the Bellflower Unified district and 47.04% for the state. In Mathematics, 50.17% of Stephen Foster students were proficient or better, compared to 26.67% for the district and 35.54% for the state. The school also performs exceptionally well for its Hispanic and Special Education student subgroups, ranking in the top 15% and top 25% of California elementary schools, respectively.

However, the school has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 5.8% in 2017-2018 to 33.8% in 2022-2023, which is higher than the district and state averages. Additionally, while Stephen Foster outperforms nearby Craig Williams Elementary and Thomas Jefferson Elementary, it lags behind some of the higher-performing elementary schools in the neighboring Long Beach Unified School District, such as Riley Elementary and MacArthur Elementary.

Detail:

Public K-6

5223 East Bigelow St.
Lakewood, CA 90712-2023

(562) 804-6518

District: Bellflower Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1504^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,112

Students who attend Stephen Foster Elementary usually attend:

High:

Mayfair High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.4

Number of students: 519

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.3%

White:

13.5%

Asian:

12.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Stephen Foster Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Stephen Foster Elementary ranks better than 74.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks first among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 71.78. (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 Stephen Foster Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (55.3%), White (13.5%), Asian (12.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Stephen Foster Elementary is 21.4, which is the lowest among 10 elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District! (See more...)

Compare Stephen Foster Elementary employs 24.2 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Stephen Foster Elementary is $8,112. 8 elementary schools in the Bellflower Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Stephen Foster Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Stephen Foster Elementary 1504^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Stephen Foster Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Bellflower Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Bellflower Unified 837^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Stephen Foster Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	66.93	1406^th	4809	70.8%
2005	65.64	1523^rd	4822	68.4%
2006	66.14	1500^th	4818	68.9%
2007	68.99	1413^th	5113	72.4%
2008	72.69	1292^nd	5113	74.7%
2009	73.18	1297^th	5193	75.0%
2010	69.20	1500^th	5314	71.8%
2011	75.35	1243^rd	5377	76.9%
2012	73.59	1355^th	5390	74.9%
2013	75.20	1312^th	5530	76.3%
2015	74.82	1320^th	5611	76.5%
2016	73.99	1349^th	5614	76.0%
2017	67.29	1686^th	5692	70.4%
2018	70.36	1558^th	5662	72.5%
2019	67.51	1719^th	5789	70.3%
2022	71.50	1552^nd	5883	73.6%
2023	73.69	1437^th	5874	75.5%
2024	71.78	1504^th	5862	74.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	51.08	1135^th	3250	65.1%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	57.85	709^th	2420	70.7%
2024	65.95	586^th	2634	77.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	74.00	984^th	5084	80.6%
2019	62.80	1577^th	5173	69.5%
2022	76.56	892^nd	5264	83.1%
2023	74.17	1027^th	5374	80.9%
2024	70.65	1235^th	5511	77.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	68.20	1583^rd	5413	70.8%
2019	61.14	1920^th	5492	65.0%
2022	61.93	1859^th	5635	67.0%
2023	72.83	1382^nd	5617	75.4%
2024	71.79	1414^th	5605	74.8%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.77	857^th	2128	59.7%
2019	50.02	981^st	2585	62.1%
2022	63.03	534^th	2227	76.0%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	67.50	39^th	140	72.1%
2024	33.66	79^th	118	33.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.38	1471^st	5431	72.9%
2019	70.53	1498^th	5510	72.8%
2022	76.97	1248^th	5663	78.0%
2023	71.91	1415^th	5650	75.0%
2024	69.32	1541^st	5636	72.7%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	78.29	763^rd	4830	84.2%
2019	71.50	1092^nd	4963	78.0%
2022	79.76	745^th	5084	85.3%
2023	83.62	594^th	5098	88.3%
2024	79.29	745^th	5102	85.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Stephen Foster Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.72	1468^th	2737	46.4%
2019	43.47	1747^th	2834	38.4%
2022	60.63	1138^th	2726	58.3%
2023	45.68	1549^th	2662	41.8%
2024	61.73	1071^st	2647	59.5%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:
No reviews have been submitted!

Enrollment information for Stephen Foster Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	488	16	30	79	0	n/a	n/a	0	613
1989	510	17	29	84	0	n/a	n/a	0	640
1990	464	17	48	91	0	n/a	n/a	0	620
1991	552	28	62	99	1	n/a	n/a	0	742
1992	551	35	58	98	2	n/a	n/a	0	744
1993	552	39	64	106	1	n/a	n/a	0	762
1994	543	56	70	112	2	n/a	n/a	0	783
1995	619	58	70	144	2	n/a	n/a	0	893
1996	619	58	70	144	2	n/a	n/a	0	893
1997	604	59	70	146	1	n/a	n/a	0	880
1998	598	57	68	163	3	n/a	n/a	0	889
1999	452	60	55	132	8	n/a	n/a	0	707
2000	461	69	60	142	4	n/a	n/a	0	736
2001	417	66	60	157	3	n/a	n/a	1	704
2002	344	55	66	200	3	n/a	n/a	9	677
2003	344	55	66	200	3	n/a	n/a	9	677
2004	345	58	62	178	2	n/a	n/a	52	697
2005	318	59	63	189	1	n/a	n/a	82	712
2006	275	65	73	215	4	n/a	n/a	97	729
2007	258	80	77	249	0	n/a	n/a	84	748
2008	258	56	65	244	1	n/a	n/a	0	624
2009	224	64	57	222	0	6	119	0	692
2010	214	64	75	281	0	5	39	0	678
2011	198	73	71	298	0	6	31	0	677
2012	202	68	65	306	0	7	41	0	689
2013	203	73	73	316	1	8	40	0	714
2014	198	67	74	333	1	6	44	0	723
2015	208	69	77	332	1	8	40	0	735
2016	193	63	90	329	3	7	33	0	718
2017	176	62	92	353	3	4	30	0	720
2018	164	63	87	366	4	6	31	0	721
2019	132	64	90	366	4	7	25	0	688
2020	121	54	82	367	3	10	26	0	663
2021	99	44	74	312	3	12	35	0	579
2022	80	43	71	307	2	9	40	0	552
2023	82	30	61	303	1	9	49	0	535
2024	70	31	65	287	1	10	55	0	519

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 Stephen Foster Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	613	24.9	24.6	n/a
1989	640	24.0	26.6	n/a
1990	620	24.0	25.8	n/a
1991	742	28.0	26.5	n/a
1992	744	28.5	26.1	14.5
1993	762	27.8	27.4	16.1
1994	783	28.8	27.2	19.2
1995	893	31.8	28.1	21.5
1996	893	31.8	28.1	21.5
1997	880	38.0	23.2	25.1
1998	889	39.1	22.7	22.5
1999	707	31.0	22.8	25.9
2000	736	34.1	21.6	24
2001	704	33.0	21.3	28.3
2002	677	34.0	19.9	25.1
2003	677	34.0	19.9	25.1
2004	697	35.0	19.9	22.3
2005	712	34.0	20.9	27.1
2006	729	36.0	20.3	31.8
2007	748	36.0	20.8	30.7
2008	624	41.6	15.0	30.4
2009	692	34.4	18.0	32.1
2010	678	34.0	19.9	38.3
2011	677	n/a	n/a	39.6
2012	689	26.0	26.5	41.4
2013	714	27.0	26.4	36.6
2014	723	24.4	29.6	44.7
2015	735	29.0	25.3	47.8
2016	718	28.0	25.6	43.2
2017	720	27.0	26.6	43.1
2018	721	29.0	24.8	45.1
2019	688	29.0	23.7	46.1
2020	663	n/a	n/a	46.8
2021	579	25.2	22.9	53.5
2022	552	24.7	22.2	56.9
2023	535	23.2	23.0	60.4
2024	519	24.2	21.4	66.3

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 Stephen Foster Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	613	24.9	24.6	n/a
1989	640	24.0	26.6	n/a
1990	620	24.0	25.8	n/a
1991	742	28.0	26.5	n/a
1992	744	28.5	26.1	14.5
1993	762	27.8	27.4	16.1
1994	783	28.8	27.2	19.2
1995	893	31.8	28.1	21.5
1996	893	31.8	28.1	21.5
1997	880	38.0	23.2	25.1
1998	889	39.1	22.7	22.5
1999	707	31.0	22.8	25.9
2000	736	34.1	21.6	24
2001	704	33.0	21.3	28.3
2002	677	34.0	19.9	25.1
2003	677	34.0	19.9	25.1
2004	697	35.0	19.9	22.3
2005	712	34.0	20.9	27.1
2006	729	36.0	20.3	31.8
2007	748	36.0	20.8	30.7
2008	624	41.6	15.0	30.4
2009	692	34.4	18.0	32.1
2010	678	34.0	19.9	38.3
2011	677	n/a	n/a	39.6
2012	689	26.0	26.5	41.4
2013	714	27.0	26.4	36.6
2014	723	24.4	29.6	44.7
2015	735	29.0	25.3	47.8
2016	718	28.0	25.6	43.2
2017	720	27.0	26.6	43.1
2018	721	29.0	24.8	45.1
2019	688	29.0	23.7	46.1
2020	663	n/a	n/a	46.8
2021	579	25.2	22.9	53.5
2022	552	24.7	22.2	56.9
2023	535	23.2	23.0	60.4
2024	519	24.2	21.4	66.3

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.

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