Is Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary a good school?

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary ranks 3883 rd of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 397 students attended Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary?

Students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary are 91% Hispanic, 4% White, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary attend?

Students who attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary usually go on to attend: High : Van Nuys Senior High

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Summary:

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary is a public elementary school in Van Nuys, California, serving 429 students in grades K-5. The school is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which is ranked 871 out of 1,568 districts in the state and has a 2-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary consistently ranks in the bottom quartile of California elementary schools, with academic performance significantly below state and district averages across all grade levels and subject areas. For example, in the 2023-2024 school year, the percentage of students proficient or better in English Language Arts ranged from 27.27% to 37.68%, compared to 42.8% to 47.04% for the state. The school has also experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 10.3% in 2017-2018 to 27.1% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the chronic absenteeism rates of nearby schools. Additionally, Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary has a very high percentage of students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds, with 96.27% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, higher than the nearby schools.

While the nearby schools in the same district also face challenges, Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary generally performs worse on key metrics, such as academic achievement and chronic absenteeism. This suggests that the school may require more intensive interventions and support to address its specific challenges and improve student outcomes. Addressing the persistent low academic performance, increasing chronic absenteeism, and high concentration of socioeconomically disadvantaged students will be crucial in helping the school better serve its community.

Detail:

Public K-5

6900 Calhoun Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91405-3209

(818) 908-6700

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
3883^rd of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $11,633

Students who attend Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary usually attend:

High:

Van Nuys Senior High

Student/teacher ratio: 20.8

Number of students: 397

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.7%

White:

4.0%

Asian:

3.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 96.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary ranks worse than 66.2% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 333^rd among 486 ranked elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 30.53. (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 (90.7%), White (4%), Asian (3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 96.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary is 20.8. 329 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary employs 19 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary is $11,633, which is the 231^st highest among 486 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary 3883^rd of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Andres and Maria Cardenas 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:

Hispanic students:

Los Angeles Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks Los Angeles Unified 871^st of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	4.54	5482^nd	5530	0.9%
2015	11.65	5372^nd	5611	4.3%
2016	9.96	5439^th	5614	3.1%
2017	11.34	5412^th	5692	4.9%
2018	9.71	5454^th	5662	3.7%
2019	19.20	4881^st	5789	15.7%
2022	25.94	4256^th	5883	27.7%
2023	21.32	4725^th	5874	19.6%
2024	30.53	3883^rd	5862	33.8%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	15.95	3210^th	3246	1.1%
2019	21.77	3092^nd	3275	5.6%
2022	25.01	2946^th	3311	11.0%
2023	18.46	3194^th	3250	1.7%
2024	32.93	2346^th	3160	25.8%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	29.64	1664^th	2420	31.2%
2024	17.92	2500^th	2634	5.1%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	13.05	4833^rd	5084	4.9%
2019	25.53	4189^th	5173	19.0%
2022	36.53	3297^th	5264	37.4%
2023	29.60	3929^th	5374	26.9%
2024	40.96	3062^nd	5511	44.4%

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

Rank History for Female students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.49	5166^th	5413	4.6%
2019	20.12	4619^th	5492	15.9%
2022	28.96	3835^th	5635	31.9%
2023	22.57	4473^rd	5617	20.4%
2024	32.30	3617^th	5605	35.5%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	16.34	2561^st	2585	0.9%

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

Rank History for Male students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	10.14	5266^th	5431	3.0%
2019	20.19	4645^th	5510	15.7%
2022	23.98	4326^th	5663	23.6%
2023	21.18	4620^th	5650	18.2%
2024	29.42	3868^th	5636	31.4%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	11.44	4675^th	4830	3.2%
2019	23.80	4124^th	4963	16.9%
2022	33.96	3375^th	5084	33.6%
2023	27.81	3883^rd	5098	23.8%
2024	42.33	2812^th	5102	44.9%

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

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Thursday, May 24, 2018

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Enrollment information for Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2011	19	18	6	433	0	3	1	0	480
2012	17	25	10	481	0	2	1	0	536
2013	17	25	14	563	1	0	0	0	620
2014	16	21	12	543	1	0	0	0	593
2015	26	13	11	516	1	1	5	0	573
2016	19	10	12	472	1	1	9	0	524
2017	19	12	12	476	0	1	6	0	526
2018	19	4	12	430	0	0	5	0	470
2019	22	6	13	414	0	2	6	0	463
2020	24	2	16	431	0	1	7	0	481
2021	25	5	15	412	0	1	5	0	463
2022	15	2	6	374	0	1	3	0	401
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	429	429
2024	16	3	12	360	0	1	5	0	397

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 Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	480	n/a	n/a	88.5
2012	536	22.0	24.3	n/a
2013	620	26.0	23.8	50.6
2014	593	24.0	24.7	76.2
2015	573	24.0	23.8	73.8
2016	524	22.0	23.8	89.5
2017	526	21.0	25.0	87.3
2018	470	19.5	24.1	93.2
2019	463	21.0	22.0	90.5
2020	481	n/a	n/a	93.6
2021	463	19.5	23.7	95
2022	401	18.0	22.2	96.5
2023	429	19.5	22.0	96.3
2024	397	19.0	20.8	96.2

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 Andres and Maria Cardenas Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	480	n/a	n/a	88.5
2012	536	22.0	24.3	n/a
2013	620	26.0	23.8	50.6
2014	593	24.0	24.7	76.2
2015	573	24.0	23.8	73.8
2016	524	22.0	23.8	89.5
2017	526	21.0	25.0	87.3
2018	470	19.5	24.1	93.2
2019	463	21.0	22.0	90.5
2020	481	n/a	n/a	93.6
2021	463	19.5	23.7	95
2022	401	18.0	22.2	96.5
2023	429	19.5	22.0	96.3
2024	397	19.0	20.8	96.2

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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