Is Sylvia Mendez Elementary a good school?

Sylvia Mendez Elementary ranks 1026 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Sylvia Mendez Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 386 students attended Sylvia Mendez Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Sylvia Mendez Elementary?

Students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary are 61% Hispanic, 24% White, 8% Two or more races, 7% African American.

What schools do graduates of Sylvia Mendez Elementary attend?

Students who attend Sylvia Mendez Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Berkeley High

Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Summary:

Sylvia Mendez Elementary is a public elementary school in Berkeley, California, serving 370 students in grades K-5. This high-performing school consistently ranks in the top 20% of California elementary schools and is part of the Berkeley Unified School District, which is ranked 190 out of 1,568 districts in the state.

Sylvia Mendez Elementary's academic performance is exceptional, with 65.81% of students proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 66.24% proficient or better in Mathematics. The school outperforms both the Berkeley Unified School District and the state of California in these assessments. Notably, the school's Hispanic and White student subgroups rank in the top 10% and top 6% of California elementary schools, respectively, while its performance for English Language Learner students is relatively lower, ranking in the top 43%.

Compared to nearby schools, Sylvia Mendez Elementary performs well, ranking higher than Emerson Elementary and Malcolm X Elementary, which also rank in the top 20% of California elementary schools. However, the school's performance is significantly better than Peralta Elementary and Sankofa United Elementary in the Oakland Unified School District, which rank in the bottom 50% of California elementary schools. Despite a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, Sylvia Mendez Elementary's performance for low socioeconomic status students is strong, ranking in the top 16% of California elementary schools.

Detail:

Public K-5

2840 Ellsworth St.
Berkeley, CA 94705-1029

(510) 644-6290

District: Berkeley Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
1026^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,543

Students who attend Sylvia Mendez Elementary usually attend:

High:

Berkeley High

Student/teacher ratio: 22.0

Number of students: 386

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

60.9%

White:

23.8%

Two or more races:

7.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 33.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Sylvia Mendez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Sylvia Mendez Elementary ranks better than 82.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 10^th among 11 ranked elementary schools in the Berkeley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 83.26. (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 (60.9%), White (23.8%), two or more races (7.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 33.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Berkeley Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Sylvia Mendez Elementary is 22. 9 elementary schools in the Berkeley Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Sylvia Mendez Elementary employs 17.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Sylvia Mendez Elementary is $9,543. 5 elementary schools in the Berkeley Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Sylvia Mendez Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Sylvia Mendez Elementary 1026^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Sylvia Mendez Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Berkeley Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Berkeley Unified 190^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Sylvia Mendez Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	35.61	2904^th	4809	39.6%
2005	41.57	2629^th	4822	45.5%
2006	31.95	3175^th	4818	34.1%
2007	26.84	3794^th	5113	25.8%
2008	42.96	2785^th	5113	45.5%
2009	29.66	3731^st	5193	28.2%
2010	26.86	4092^nd	5314	23.0%
2011	32.50	3795^th	5377	29.4%
2012	48.84	2689^th	5390	50.1%
2013	52.28	2549^th	5530	53.9%
2015	51.22	2379^th	5611	57.6%
2016	63.16	1852^nd	5614	67.0%
2017	60.58	1990^th	5692	65.0%
2018	66.54	1739^th	5662	69.3%
2019	60.02	2074^th	5789	64.2%
2022	84.36	975^th	5883	83.4%
2023	82.17	1083^rd	5874	81.6%
2024	83.26	1026^th	5862	82.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	38.80	1855^th	3275	43.4%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.53	2265^th	5084	55.4%
2019	25.09	4219^th	5173	18.4%
2022	68.34	1252^nd	5264	76.2%
2023	54.58	2063^rd	5374	61.6%
2024	78.68	894^th	5511	83.8%

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

Rank History for Female students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	73.32	1355^th	5413	75.0%
2019	68.67	1560^th	5492	71.6%
2022	81.80	1025^th	5635	81.8%
2023	81.58	1034^th	5617	81.6%
2024	78.60	1150^th	5605	79.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	55.69	2136^th	5431	60.7%
2019	43.23	2826^th	5510	48.7%
2022	83.61	935^th	5663	83.5%
2023	79.25	1123^rd	5650	80.1%
2024	85.68	841^st	5636	85.1%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	66.31	1309^th	4830	72.9%
2019	68.46	1234^th	4963	75.1%
2022	90.75	328^th	5084	93.5%
2023	83.29	612^th	5098	88.0%
2024	87.26	461^st	5102	91.0%

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

Rank History for White students at Sylvia Mendez Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.74	189^th	2737	93.1%
2022	86.39	217^th	2726	92.0%
2023	87.70	174^th	2662	93.5%
2024	87.66	154^th	2647	94.2%

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 Sylvia Mendez Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	92	201	23	12	3	n/a	n/a	0	331
1989	120	171	20	14	2	n/a	n/a	0	327
1990	121	190	29	19	1	n/a	n/a	0	360
1991	108	195	19	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	334
1992	124	186	18	14	1	n/a	n/a	0	343
1993	127	175	13	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	334
1994	106	148	29	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	317
1995	90	159	28	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	311
1996	90	159	28	30	4	n/a	n/a	0	311
1997	111	228	29	41	4	n/a	n/a	0	413
1998	113	220	31	40	2	n/a	n/a	0	406
1999	105	176	22	33	2	n/a	n/a	51	389
2000	92	161	22	40	1	n/a	n/a	58	374
2001	78	147	25	43	1	n/a	n/a	45	339
2002	71	126	23	61	0	n/a	n/a	56	337
2003	71	126	23	61	0	n/a	n/a	56	337
2004	74	110	25	64	0	n/a	n/a	57	330
2005	79	106	25	69	0	n/a	n/a	56	335
2006	71	101	25	71	0	n/a	n/a	52	320
2007	77	95	29	67	0	n/a	n/a	50	318
2008	86	75	20	72	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	253
2009	82	64	17	73	2	0	61	0	299
2010	77	77	18	113	3	1	29	0	318
2011	72	73	18	115	3	1	39	0	321
2012	75	66	18	108	4	1	48	0	320
2013	85	65	21	117	3	0	46	0	337
2014	81	62	18	137	4	0	42	0	344
2015	85	54	16	156	4	0	32	0	347
2016	75	54	16	170	3	0	36	0	354
2017	76	55	12	183	2	0	39	0	367
2018	86	52	17	197	0	0	29	0	381
2019	100	48	9	205	0	0	36	0	398
2020	98	44	8	199	2	0	34	0	385
2021	113	39	12	195	0	0	27	0	386
2022	105	40	13	218	0	1	35	0	412
2023	104	27	3	210	0	0	25	1	370
2024	92	27	1	235	1	0	29	1	386

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 Sylvia Mendez Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	331	13.4	24.7	n/a
1989	327	15.7	20.8	n/a
1990	360	16.5	21.8	n/a
1991	334	17.7	18.8	n/a
1992	343	18.0	19.0	47.8
1993	334	13.8	24.2	54.2
1994	317	13.3	23.8	54.9
1995	311	13.8	22.5	48.2
1996	311	13.8	22.5	48.2
1997	413	20.4	20.2	52.8
1998	406	21.4	19.0	44.8
1999	389	21.0	18.5	49.4
2000	374	24.0	15.6	57.6
2001	339	21.1	16.1	61.6
2002	337	22.0	15.3	100.7
2003	337	22.0	15.3	100.7
2004	330	20.2	16.3	77.7
2005	335	19.6	17.1	66.7
2006	320	19.6	16.3	73.5
2007	318	18.6	17.1	77.2
2008	253	20.0	12.7	73.5
2009	299	20.0	14.2	54.8
2010	318	19.2	16.5	57.2
2011	321	n/a	n/a	56.4
2012	320	16.7	19.1	0.9
2013	337	16.0	21.0	44.8
2014	344	15.9	21.5	54.7
2015	347	17.0	20.4	51
2016	354	17.0	20.8	45.2
2017	367	19.0	19.3	40.3
2018	381	20.2	18.7	37.3
2019	398	19.2	20.6	31.4
2020	385	n/a	n/a	28.3
2021	386	22.5	17.1	25.9
2022	412	22.9	17.9	29.6
2023	370	21.2	17.4	27.8
2024	386	17.5	22.0	33.2

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 Sylvia Mendez Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	331	13.4	24.7	n/a
1989	327	15.7	20.8	n/a
1990	360	16.5	21.8	n/a
1991	334	17.7	18.8	n/a
1992	343	18.0	19.0	47.8
1993	334	13.8	24.2	54.2
1994	317	13.3	23.8	54.9
1995	311	13.8	22.5	48.2
1996	311	13.8	22.5	48.2
1997	413	20.4	20.2	52.8
1998	406	21.4	19.0	44.8
1999	389	21.0	18.5	49.4
2000	374	24.0	15.6	57.6
2001	339	21.1	16.1	61.6
2002	337	22.0	15.3	100.7
2003	337	22.0	15.3	100.7
2004	330	20.2	16.3	77.7
2005	335	19.6	17.1	66.7
2006	320	19.6	16.3	73.5
2007	318	18.6	17.1	77.2
2008	253	20.0	12.7	73.5
2009	299	20.0	14.2	54.8
2010	318	19.2	16.5	57.2
2011	321	n/a	n/a	56.4
2012	320	16.7	19.1	0.9
2013	337	16.0	21.0	44.8
2014	344	15.9	21.5	54.7
2015	347	17.0	20.4	51
2016	354	17.0	20.8	45.2
2017	367	19.0	19.3	40.3
2018	381	20.2	18.7	37.3
2019	398	19.2	20.6	31.4
2020	385	n/a	n/a	28.3
2021	386	22.5	17.1	25.9
2022	412	22.9	17.9	29.6
2023	370	21.2	17.4	27.8
2024	386	17.5	22.0	33.2

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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