Is Richard Henry Dana Elementary a good school?

Richard Henry Dana Elementary ranks 2102 nd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Richard Henry Dana Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 384 students attended Richard Henry Dana Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Richard Henry Dana Elementary?

Students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary are 48% Hispanic, 38% White, 11% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Richard Henry Dana Elementary attend?

Students who attend Richard Henry Dana Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Marco Forster Middle High : Dana Hills High

Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Summary:

Richard Henry Dana Elementary is a public elementary school located in Dana Point, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 294 students. The school is part of the Capistrano Unified School District, which is ranked 204 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

While the school has a relatively high student-teacher ratio comparable to nearby schools, it faces several challenges. Richard Henry Dana Elementary has seen a significant increase in chronic absenteeism rates, rising from 6.9% in 2017-2018 to 27.7% in 2020-2021, which is notably higher than the district average. Additionally, the school's academic performance, as measured by Smarter Balanced Assessments and the California Science Assessment, is consistently lower than the Capistrano Unified School District and California state averages across all grade levels. The school also has a high percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch, ranging from 52.96% to 65.2% over the past three school years, which is higher than nearby schools like George White Elementary and Moulton Elementary.

The analysis of Richard Henry Dana Elementary reveals a concerning trend of declining academic performance compared to other schools in the state, with the school's statewide ranking steadily declining over the past several years. Additionally, the school's performance data for different student subgroups reveals significant disparities, with male students and Hispanic students generally performing better than female students and English Language Learners, respectively. These factors, combined with the high rates of chronic absenteeism and free/reduced lunch recipients, may be contributing to the school's lower academic outcomes compared to its peers within the Capistrano Unified School District.

Detail:

Public K-5

24242 La Cresta Dr.
Dana Point, CA 92629-2561

(949) 496-5784

District: Capistrano Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2102^nd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,866

Students who attend Richard Henry Dana Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Marco Forster Middle
High:	Dana Hills High

Student/teacher ratio: 19.2

Number of students: 384

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

48.4%

White:

38.3%

Two or more races:

11.5%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 44.3%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Richard Henry Dana Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Richard Henry Dana Elementary ranks better than 64.1% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 28^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 59.09. (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 (48.4%), White (38.3%), two or more races (11.5%). (See more...)

Compare Details 44.3% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Richard Henry Dana Elementary is 19.2, which is the 2^nd best among 34 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Richard Henry Dana Elementary employs 19.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Richard Henry Dana Elementary is $11,866, which is the highest among 35 elementary schools in the Capistrano Unified School District!

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Richard Henry Dana Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Richard Henry Dana Elementary 2102^nd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Richard Henry Dana Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Capistrano Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Capistrano Unified 204^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Richard Henry Dana Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	34.97	2940^th	4809	38.9%
2005	26.85	3493^rd	4822	27.6%
2006	39.08	2761^st	4818	42.7%
2007	56.88	1976^th	5113	61.4%
2008	57.02	1999^th	5113	60.9%
2009	80.55	979^th	5193	81.1%
2010	71.99	1370^th	5314	74.2%
2011	52.27	2457^th	5377	54.3%
2012	33.77	3681^st	5390	31.7%
2013	36.04	3593^rd	5530	35.0%
2015	45.53	2708^th	5611	51.7%
2016	36.63	3289^th	5614	41.4%
2017	16.07	5028^th	5692	11.7%
2018	21.83	4523^rd	5662	20.1%
2019	34.85	3541^st	5789	38.8%
2022	41.92	2965^th	5883	49.6%
2023	46.52	2728^th	5874	53.6%
2024	59.09	2102^nd	5862	64.1%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	27.89	2536^th	3246	21.9%
2019	46.89	1404^th	3275	57.1%
2022	48.50	1286^th	3311	61.2%
2023	43.45	1585^th	3250	51.2%
2024	37.91	1962^nd	3160	37.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	28.22	3894^th	5084	23.4%
2019	51.53	2299^th	5173	55.6%
2022	58.20	1785^th	5264	66.1%
2023	48.03	2496^th	5374	53.6%
2024	52.62	2218^th	5511	59.8%

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

Rank History for Homeless students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	35.45	226^th	336	32.7%
2024	61.39	97^th	364	73.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.97	3999^th	5413	26.1%
2019	36.81	3294^th	5492	40.0%
2022	44.06	2752^nd	5635	51.2%
2023	39.80	3021^st	5617	46.2%
2024	45.98	2660^th	5605	52.5%

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

Rank History for Male students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	18.64	4694^th	5431	13.6%
2019	33.27	3517^th	5510	36.2%
2022	41.88	2897^th	5663	48.8%
2023	52.88	2292^nd	5650	59.4%
2024	67.88	1610^th	5636	71.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.20	3538^th	4830	26.7%
2019	46.55	2519^th	4963	49.2%
2022	46.22	2434^th	5084	52.1%
2023	37.18	3133^rd	5098	38.5%
2024	54.10	1999^th	5102	60.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2024	65.08	954^th	2647	64.0%

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:

by a principal
Sunday, February 3, 2019

This school is changing into a Spanish dual immersion program with an environmental sustainability focus. Great teachers, a growing school community, 1:1 Chromebooks K-5, and much more makes this school a school of the future! Close Quote

Enrollment information for Richard Henry Dana Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	670	3	24	131	0	n/a	n/a	0	828
1989	691	4	21	157	0	n/a	n/a	0	873
1990	679	5	27	214	1	n/a	n/a	0	926
1991	638	9	26	229	2	n/a	n/a	0	904
1992	664	7	23	270	0	n/a	n/a	0	964
1993	677	12	19	285	0	n/a	n/a	0	993
1994	611	6	24	342	0	n/a	n/a	0	983
1995	321	15	14	387	0	n/a	n/a	0	737
1996	321	15	14	387	0	n/a	n/a	0	737
1997	297	15	6	397	0	n/a	n/a	0	715
1998	328	12	6	419	0	n/a	n/a	0	765
1999	339	12	11	446	0	n/a	n/a	0	808
2000	317	10	8	451	0	n/a	n/a	0	786
2001	230	4	3	394	0	n/a	n/a	0	631
2002	157	4	6	307	0	n/a	n/a	8	482
2003	157	4	6	307	0	n/a	n/a	8	482
2004	120	4	5	301	0	n/a	n/a	4	434
2005	114	4	7	267	0	n/a	n/a	9	401
2006	90	3	2	243	2	n/a	n/a	8	348
2007	86	3	1	248	0	n/a	n/a	10	348
2008	98	3	2	272	1	n/a	n/a	0	376
2009	95	0	2	254	1	1	33	0	386
2010	89	0	6	301	1	0	15	0	412
2011	77	0	4	288	2	0	15	0	386
2012	66	0	4	294	2	0	13	0	379
2013	63	1	3	292	0	0	7	0	366
2014	36	1	1	293	0	0	4	0	335
2015	33	0	1	261	0	0	3	0	298
2016	22	0	1	245	1	0	5	0	274
2017	14	0	1	218	1	0	5	0	239
2018	14	1	1	194	0	0	4	0	214
2019	12	1	1	169	0	0	3	0	186
2020	41	1	0	152	0	0	7	0	201
2021	54	1	3	156	0	0	13	0	227
2022	77	2	2	157	0	0	15	0	253
2023	99	0	4	170	0	0	21	0	294
2024	147	0	7	186	0	0	44	0	384

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 Richard Henry Dana Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	828	33.0	25.0	n/a
1989	873	35.0	24.9	n/a
1990	926	34.0	27.2	n/a
1991	904	34.6	26.1	n/a
1992	964	35.2	27.3	32.2
1993	993	36.0	27.6	33.2
1994	983	35.0	28.1	47.5
1995	737	36.4	20.2	66.5
1996	737	36.4	20.2	66.5
1997	715	42.0	17.0	76.4
1998	765	48.0	15.9	66
1999	808	51.0	15.8	60.6
2000	786	49.0	16.0	63.6
2001	631	31.0	20.4	66.1
2002	482	23.6	20.4	83.8
2003	482	23.6	20.4	83.8
2004	434	21.6	20.1	74.7
2005	401	17.0	23.6	60.7
2006	348	19.0	18.3	70.6
2007	348	19.0	18.3	78.4
2008	376	21.0	17.9	68.1
2009	386	19.0	17.5	65.8
2010	412	17.0	24.2	85.7
2011	386	n/a	n/a	76.4
2012	379	13.9	27.2	n/a
2013	366	13.3	27.3	84.4
2014	335	11.0	30.4	87.5
2015	298	10.0	29.8	78.2
2016	274	10.0	27.4	84.3
2017	239	9.0	26.5	86.6
2018	214	7.0	30.5	92.5
2019	186	6.0	31.0	87.1
2020	201	n/a	n/a	78.1
2021	227	9.5	23.8	65.2
2022	253	11.0	23.0	53
2023	294	11.9	24.6	59.9
2024	384	19.9	19.2	44.3

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 Richard Henry Dana Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	828	33.0	25.0	n/a
1989	873	35.0	24.9	n/a
1990	926	34.0	27.2	n/a
1991	904	34.6	26.1	n/a
1992	964	35.2	27.3	32.2
1993	993	36.0	27.6	33.2
1994	983	35.0	28.1	47.5
1995	737	36.4	20.2	66.5
1996	737	36.4	20.2	66.5
1997	715	42.0	17.0	76.4
1998	765	48.0	15.9	66
1999	808	51.0	15.8	60.6
2000	786	49.0	16.0	63.6
2001	631	31.0	20.4	66.1
2002	482	23.6	20.4	83.8
2003	482	23.6	20.4	83.8
2004	434	21.6	20.1	74.7
2005	401	17.0	23.6	60.7
2006	348	19.0	18.3	70.6
2007	348	19.0	18.3	78.4
2008	376	21.0	17.9	68.1
2009	386	19.0	17.5	65.8
2010	412	17.0	24.2	85.7
2011	386	n/a	n/a	76.4
2012	379	13.9	27.2	n/a
2013	366	13.3	27.3	84.4
2014	335	11.0	30.4	87.5
2015	298	10.0	29.8	78.2
2016	274	10.0	27.4	84.3
2017	239	9.0	26.5	86.6
2018	214	7.0	30.5	92.5
2019	186	6.0	31.0	87.1
2020	201	n/a	n/a	78.1
2021	227	9.5	23.8	65.2
2022	253	11.0	23.0	53
2023	294	11.9	24.6	59.9
2024	384	19.9	19.2	44.3

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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