Is Birney Elementary a good school?

Birney Elementary ranks 3725 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Birney Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 717 students attended Birney Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Birney Elementary?

Students at Birney Elementary are 76% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 5% African American, 4% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Birney Elementary attend?

Students who attend Birney Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Scandinavian Middle High : McLane High

Birney Elementary

Summary:

Birney Elementary is a public elementary school in Fresno, California, serving 708 students in grades K-6. It is part of the Fresno Unified School District, which has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Birney Elementary faces significant challenges, including a sharp increase in chronic absenteeism, with rates rising from 18.4% in 2018-2019 to 54.5% in 2021-2022. The school's academic performance is also a concern, with proficiency rates in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science falling below district and state averages. Notably, the school's Asian and Special Education student subgroups perform particularly poorly, ranking in the bottom 10-20% of California elementary schools. In contrast, the school's Hispanic and English Language Learner students perform better, ranking in the top 30-40% of California elementary schools. With 96.19% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, Birney Elementary serves a high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, which likely contributes to the school's academic struggles.

When compared to nearby schools in the Fresno Unified District, Birney Elementary generally performs worse on key metrics like test scores and chronic absenteeism, with the exception of Manchester Gate, which significantly outperforms all other schools in the area. Addressing the challenges at Birney Elementary will require a comprehensive, targeted approach to improve outcomes for the school's diverse student population.

Detail:

Public K-6

3034 East Cornell Ave.
Fresno, CA 93703-1231

(559) 248-7000

District: Fresno Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3725^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,219

Students who attend Birney Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Scandinavian Middle
High:	McLane High

Student/teacher ratio: 21.3

Number of students: 717

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

76.4%

Asian:

11.3%

African American:

4.6%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.5%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Birney Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birney Elementary ranks worse than 63.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 28^th among 67 ranked elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 32.55. (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 (76.4%), Asian (11.3%), African American (4.6%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Birney Elementary is 21.3. 57 elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Birney Elementary employs 33.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birney Elementary is $9,219, which is the 18^th highest among 67 elementary schools in the Fresno Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birney Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Birney Elementary 3725^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Birney Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

Fresno Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Fresno Unified 1082^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Birney Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	18.95	4021^st	4809	16.4%
2005	18.82	4046^th	4822	16.1%
2006	38.25	2812^th	4818	41.6%
2007	31.41	3469^th	5113	32.2%
2008	41.79	2837^th	5113	44.5%
2009	47.32	2646^th	5193	49.0%
2010	46.05	2793^rd	5314	47.4%
2011	29.64	4009^th	5377	25.4%
2012	30.08	3948^th	5390	26.8%
2013	36.31	3577^th	5530	35.3%
2015	21.39	4483^rd	5611	20.1%
2016	25.30	4154^th	5614	26.0%
2017	25.10	4249^th	5692	25.4%
2018	35.64	3426^th	5662	39.5%
2019	31.93	3783^rd	5789	34.7%
2022	31.97	3706^th	5883	37.0%
2023	32.94	3658^th	5874	37.7%
2024	32.55	3725^th	5862	36.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	34.25	2114^th	3246	34.9%
2019	36.97	1983^rd	3275	39.5%
2022	53.98	1003^rd	3311	69.7%
2023	52.83	1060^th	3250	67.4%
2024	63.99	574^th	3160	81.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	30.03	1646^th	2420	32.0%
2024	27.57	1961^st	2634	25.6%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.82	2242^nd	5084	55.9%
2019	45.91	2684^th	5173	48.1%
2022	46.58	2495^th	5264	52.6%
2023	42.84	2854^th	5374	46.9%
2024	42.17	2972^nd	5511	46.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	42.66	2908^th	5413	46.3%
2019	33.05	3586^th	5492	34.7%
2022	32.47	3537^th	5635	37.2%
2023	27.98	3966^th	5617	29.4%
2024	34.81	3421^st	5605	39.0%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.19	1378^th	2128	35.2%
2019	35.52	1518^th	2585	41.3%
2022	29.31	1527^th	2227	31.4%

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

Rank History for Male students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	29.23	3758^th	5431	30.8%
2019	31.06	3699^th	5510	32.9%
2022	32.55	3574^th	5663	36.9%
2023	39.03	3120^th	5650	44.8%
2024	30.36	3789^th	5636	32.8%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	3.07	1037^th	1071	3.2%
2019	1.92	1118^th	1149	2.7%
2023	7.27	1089^th	1190	8.5%
2024	11.54	1067^th	1203	11.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.76	2120^th	4830	56.1%
2019	45.29	2591^st	4963	47.8%
2022	49.77	2221^st	5084	56.3%
2023	44.19	2604^th	5098	48.9%
2024	45.63	2568^th	5102	49.7%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Hispanic 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 Birney Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	166	44	402	200	1	n/a	n/a	813
1989	146	65	402	218	0	n/a	n/a	831
1990	166	67	412	239	2	n/a	n/a	886
1991	184	60	415	308	3	n/a	n/a	970
1992	176	75	414	327	5	n/a	n/a	997
1993	149	77	400	334	4	n/a	n/a	964
1994	141	69	444	371	10	n/a	n/a	1035
1995	103	67	304	347	14	n/a	n/a	835
1996	103	67	304	347	14	n/a	n/a	835
1997	111	74	297	440	8	n/a	n/a	930
1998	107	77	233	477	7	n/a	n/a	901
1999	100	77	242	554	12	n/a	n/a	985
2000	105	70	227	593	12	n/a	n/a	1007
2001	115	86	178	598	11	n/a	n/a	988
2002	107	78	138	625	8	n/a	n/a	956
2003	107	78	138	625	8	n/a	n/a	956
2004	94	80	112	675	7	n/a	n/a	968
2005	84	68	105	647	9	n/a	n/a	913
2006	71	55	101	638	9	n/a	n/a	874
2007	70	47	101	591	14	n/a	n/a	823
2008	76	42	105	573	14	n/a	n/a	810
2009	71	33	100	580	7	1	2	794
2010	60	38	119	556	12	2	0	787
2011	70	43	124	547	7	3	2	796
2012	69	67	103	578	15	0	4	836
2013	74	52	117	563	10	2	7	825
2014	59	55	102	574	8	1	10	809
2015	55	44	93	601	11	1	13	818
2016	49	48	91	596	7	0	11	802
2017	39	36	85	617	6	1	12	796
2018	30	45	92	624	7	3	8	809
2019	30	54	95	614	5	1	12	811
2020	35	55	100	589	4	5	12	800
2021	33	62	86	561	5	6	12	765
2022	29	40	81	533	5	8	14	710
2023	26	31	87	535	4	8	17	708
2024	29	33	81	548	3	6	17	717

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 Birney Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	813	37.0	21.9	n/a
1989	831	39.5	21.0	n/a
1990	886	40.0	22.1	n/a
1991	970	45.0	21.5	n/a
1992	997	45.7	21.8	83.8
1993	964	40.1	24.0	66.2
1994	1035	43.4	23.8	78.2
1995	835	40.0	20.9	81.3
1996	835	40.0	20.9	81.3
1997	930	48.3	19.3	90.4
1998	901	52.5	17.2	82.5
1999	985	53.8	18.3	93.6
2000	1007	54.2	18.6	90.3
2001	988	51.2	19.3	89.1
2002	956	48.3	19.8	99.7
2003	956	48.3	19.8	99.7
2004	968	50.3	19.2	99.7
2005	913	48.7	18.7	99.7
2006	874	46.7	18.7	99.7
2007	823	47.7	17.3	93.9
2008	810	44.9	18.0	92.8
2009	794	42.2	17.5	93.1
2010	787	44.8	17.5	88.4
2011	796	n/a	n/a	87.7
2012	836	30.0	27.8	n/a
2013	825	31.0	26.6	99.6
2014	809	31.0	26.0	98
2015	818	36.0	22.7	96.9
2016	802	33.0	24.3	96
2017	796	30.5	26.0	97.5
2018	809	34.0	23.7	97.3
2019	811	32.0	25.3	97.3
2020	800	n/a	n/a	97.3
2021	765	18.6	40.9	97.6
2022	710	38.0	18.6	94.6
2023	708	36.4	19.4	96.2
2024	717	33.5	21.3	96.5

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 Birney Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	813	37.0	21.9	n/a
1989	831	39.5	21.0	n/a
1990	886	40.0	22.1	n/a
1991	970	45.0	21.5	n/a
1992	997	45.7	21.8	83.8
1993	964	40.1	24.0	66.2
1994	1035	43.4	23.8	78.2
1995	835	40.0	20.9	81.3
1996	835	40.0	20.9	81.3
1997	930	48.3	19.3	90.4
1998	901	52.5	17.2	82.5
1999	985	53.8	18.3	93.6
2000	1007	54.2	18.6	90.3
2001	988	51.2	19.3	89.1
2002	956	48.3	19.8	99.7
2003	956	48.3	19.8	99.7
2004	968	50.3	19.2	99.7
2005	913	48.7	18.7	99.7
2006	874	46.7	18.7	99.7
2007	823	47.7	17.3	93.9
2008	810	44.9	18.0	92.8
2009	794	42.2	17.5	93.1
2010	787	44.8	17.5	88.4
2011	796	n/a	n/a	87.7
2012	836	30.0	27.8	n/a
2013	825	31.0	26.6	99.6
2014	809	31.0	26.0	98
2015	818	36.0	22.7	96.9
2016	802	33.0	24.3	96
2017	796	30.5	26.0	97.5
2018	809	34.0	23.7	97.3
2019	811	32.0	25.3	97.3
2020	800	n/a	n/a	97.3
2021	765	18.6	40.9	97.6
2022	710	38.0	18.6	94.6
2023	708	36.4	19.4	96.2
2024	717	33.5	21.3	96.5

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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