Is Top of the World Elementary a good school?

Yes! Top of the World Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 185 th of 5862 California elementary schools.

How many students attend Top of the World Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 557 students attended Top of the World Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Top of the World Elementary?

Students at Top of the World Elementary are 66% White, 18% Two or more races, 11% Hispanic, 5% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Top of the World Elementary attend?

Students who attend Top of the World Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Thurston Middle High : Laguna Beach High

Top of the World Elementary

Summary:

Top of the World Elementary is a highly-regarded public elementary school in Laguna Beach, California, serving 557 students from kindergarten to 5th grade. This school consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in the state, with exceptional academic performance, low chronic absenteeism, and a supportive learning environment for its diverse student population.

Top of the World Elementary's students excel academically, with 80.43% proficient or better in English Language Arts/Literacy and 81.49% proficient or better in Mathematics, significantly outperforming the state and Laguna Beach Unified district averages. The school's performance is particularly strong in certain student subgroups, such as male students, Hispanic students, and students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, who all rank among the top in the state. Additionally, Top of the World Elementary has relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, ranging from 3.5% to 15.1% over the past 5 years, which is lower than the state and district averages.

When compared to nearby schools, such as Marian Bergeson Elementary and Laguna Niguel Elementary, Top of the World Elementary outperforms most in academic achievement and chronic absenteeism. However, some nearby schools also demonstrate strong academic performance and low chronic absenteeism rates, indicating a high-performing educational environment in the local Capistrano Unified area. Overall, Top of the World Elementary's consistent high performance, low student-teacher ratio, and equitable outcomes for diverse student populations make it a highly desirable educational option for families in the Laguna Beach community.

Detail:

Public K-5

21601 Tree Top Ln.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651-2099

(949) 497-7790

District: Laguna Beach Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $19,328

Students who attend Top of the World Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thurston Middle
High:	Laguna Beach High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.6

Number of students: 557

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.7%

Two or more races:

18.0%

Hispanic:

11.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 16.9%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Top of the World Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Top of the World Elementary ranks better than 96.8% of elementary schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.76. (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: White (65.7%), two or more races (18%), Hispanic (11%). (See more...)

Compare Details 16.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Top of the World Elementary is 20.6. (See more...)

Compare Top of the World Elementary employs 27 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Top of the World Elementary is $19,328.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Top of the World Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Top of the World Elementary 185^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Top of the World Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

Laguna Beach Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Laguna Beach Unified 42^nd of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Top of the World Elementary.

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Rank History for Top of the World Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	92.14	390^th	4809	91.9%
2005	92.30	364^th	4822	92.5%
2006	93.49	305^th	4818	93.7%
2007	92.73	362^nd	5113	92.9%
2008	87.50	630^th	5113	87.7%
2009	86.75	659^th	5193	87.3%
2010	87.37	610^th	5314	88.5%
2011	88.25	545^th	5377	89.9%
2012	87.01	618^th	5390	88.5%
2013	91.56	361^st	5530	93.5%
2015	97.33	158^th	5611	97.2%
2016	97.67	88^th	5614	98.4%
2017	97.74	110^th	5692	98.1%
2018	98.04	65^th	5662	98.9%
2019	97.44	116^th	5789	98.0%
2022	97.63	135^th	5883	97.7%
2023	97.35	158^th	5874	97.3%
2024	96.76	185^th	5862	96.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.47	6^th	339	98.2%
2019	90.68	6^th	445	98.7%
2022	74.41	151^st	610	75.2%
2023	82.90	69^th	669	89.7%
2024	88.19	33^rd	669	95.1%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	97.63	90^th	5264	98.3%
2023	98.09	78^th	5374	98.5%
2024	99.11	46^th	5511	99.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	96.73	100^th	5413	98.2%
2019	96.08	156^th	5492	97.2%
2022	95.49	262^nd	5635	95.4%
2023	95.00	282^nd	5617	95.0%
2024	94.70	313^th	5605	94.4%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	99.83	5^th	2128	99.8%
2019	98.89	27^th	2585	99.0%

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

Rank History for Male students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	98.07	48^th	5431	99.1%
2019	97.45	83^rd	5510	98.5%
2022	98.12	72^nd	5663	98.7%
2023	97.80	81^st	5650	98.6%
2024	97.25	111^th	5636	98.0%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	99.45	24^th	5084	99.5%

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

Rank History for White students at Top of the World Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.05	100^th	2737	96.3%
2019	86.54	206^th	2834	92.7%
2022	90.06	106^th	2726	96.1%
2023	88.03	164^th	2662	93.8%
2024	85.52	229^th	2647	91.3%

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%

by a parent
Saturday, April 28, 2018

Excellent elementary school with caring staff and rigorous standards. Large soccer/baseball field and two playgrounds plus a separate kindergarten. Small class sizes, a strong emphasis on music and art. Extracurricular programs, STEAM, a library, garden, the list goes on. All 4 children attended this school and loved it. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Top of the World Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	452	7	16	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	504
1989	505	6	10	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	535
1990	453	8	14	4	3	n/a	n/a	0	482
1991	461	5	12	13	1	n/a	n/a	0	492
1992	519	7	22	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	574
1993	530	5	28	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	590
1994	571	4	34	36	0	n/a	n/a	0	645
1995	600	8	28	45	1	n/a	n/a	0	682
1996	600	8	28	45	1	n/a	n/a	0	682
1997	563	10	19	48	2	n/a	n/a	0	642
1998	606	11	19	41	2	n/a	n/a	0	679
1999	591	8	19	41	4	n/a	n/a	0	663
2000	611	10	15	49	2	n/a	n/a	0	687
2001	592	12	23	49	2	n/a	n/a	0	678
2002	535	4	29	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	602
2003	535	4	29	32	2	n/a	n/a	0	602
2004	514	4	28	36	2	n/a	n/a	2	586
2005	499	5	28	36	1	n/a	n/a	4	573
2006	498	5	26	27	3	n/a	n/a	7	566
2007	496	5	27	26	2	n/a	n/a	11	567
2008	509	4	23	31	2	n/a	n/a	0	569
2009	521	5	26	36	3	4	14	0	609
2010	502	5	20	36	3	0	26	0	592
2011	541	6	24	43	2	0	31	0	647
2012	547	5	26	39	2	0	35	0	654
2013	543	5	28	44	1	0	52	0	673
2014	525	3	32	40	1	0	56	0	657
2015	511	1	36	49	1	0	67	0	665
2016	496	1	28	46	1	0	67	0	639
2017	460	2	30	52	0	0	63	0	607
2018	445	3	30	48	0	0	70	0	596
2019	419	3	24	52	1	0	76	0	575
2020	412	2	20	64	1	0	81	0	580
2021	359	4	18	53	1	0	74	0	509
2022	364	2	18	58	2	0	86	0	530
2023	366	2	26	61	2	0	100	0	557

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 Top of the World Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	504	18.0	28.0	n/a
1989	535	20.0	26.7	n/a
1990	482	20.0	24.1	n/a
1991	492	19.0	25.8	n/a
1992	574	19.3	29.7	3.1
1993	590	25.0	23.6	4.6
1994	645	24.0	26.9	4.8
1995	682	28.5	23.9	6.6
1996	682	28.5	23.9	6.6
1997	642	25.5	25.2	6.4
1998	679	23.5	28.9	6.2
1999	663	31.0	21.4	6.6
2000	687	31.0	22.2	7
2001	678	32.1	21.1	7.4
2002	602	28.1	21.4	5.5
2003	602	28.1	21.4	5.5
2004	586	26.6	22.0	4.5
2005	573	27.4	20.9	3.9
2006	566	25.6	22.1	2.7
2007	567	26.6	21.3	3.4
2008	569	27.6	20.6	3.5
2009	609	29.6	19.9	3.6
2010	592	31.6	18.7	8.4
2011	647	n/a	n/a	10
2012	654	27.6	23.6	n/a
2013	673	28.2	23.8	6.5
2014	657	28.0	23.4	5.3
2015	665	27.0	24.6	3.9
2016	639	29.0	22.0	4.9
2017	607	27.6	21.9	5.4
2018	596	25.6	23.2	8.2
2019	575	25.0	23.0	9.7
2020	580	n/a	n/a	10.3
2021	509	26.7	19.0	9.8
2022	530	22.0	24.0	14.5
2023	557	27.0	20.6	16.9

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 Top of the World Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	504	18.0	28.0	n/a
1989	535	20.0	26.7	n/a
1990	482	20.0	24.1	n/a
1991	492	19.0	25.8	n/a
1992	574	19.3	29.7	3.1
1993	590	25.0	23.6	4.6
1994	645	24.0	26.9	4.8
1995	682	28.5	23.9	6.6
1996	682	28.5	23.9	6.6
1997	642	25.5	25.2	6.4
1998	679	23.5	28.9	6.2
1999	663	31.0	21.4	6.6
2000	687	31.0	22.2	7
2001	678	32.1	21.1	7.4
2002	602	28.1	21.4	5.5
2003	602	28.1	21.4	5.5
2004	586	26.6	22.0	4.5
2005	573	27.4	20.9	3.9
2006	566	25.6	22.1	2.7
2007	567	26.6	21.3	3.4
2008	569	27.6	20.6	3.5
2009	609	29.6	19.9	3.6
2010	592	31.6	18.7	8.4
2011	647	n/a	n/a	10
2012	654	27.6	23.6	n/a
2013	673	28.2	23.8	6.5
2014	657	28.0	23.4	5.3
2015	665	27.0	24.6	3.9
2016	639	29.0	22.0	4.9
2017	607	27.6	21.9	5.4
2018	596	25.6	23.2	8.2
2019	575	25.0	23.0	9.7
2020	580	n/a	n/a	10.3
2021	509	26.7	19.0	9.8
2022	530	22.0	24.0	14.5
2023	557	27.0	20.6	16.9

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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