Is Alta California Elementary a good school?

Alta California Elementary ranks 2680 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Alta California Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 617 students attended Alta California Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Alta California Elementary?

Students at Alta California Elementary are 90% Hispanic, 5% Asian, 2% Two or more races, 2% White, 2% African American.

What schools do graduates of Alta California Elementary attend?

Students who attend Alta California Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Vista Middle High : James Monroe High High : Northridge Academy High High : Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences

Alta California Elementary

Summary:

Alta California Elementary is a public elementary school located in Panorama City, California, serving 621 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.

Alta California Elementary has shown steady improvement in its academic performance, moving from the bottom 20% of California elementary schools in 2015-2016 to the top 50% in 2023-2024. The school's performance on Smarter Balanced Assessments is generally higher than the Los Angeles Unified and California state averages, particularly in English Language Arts/Literacy, where 47.38% of students were proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 43.06% for the district and 47.04% for the state. The school's performance in Mathematics is also above the district and state averages, with 40.06% of students proficient or better in 2023-2024, compared to 32.83% for Los Angeles Unified and 35.54% for California.

However, Alta California Elementary has experienced a significant increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 11.3% in 2017-2018 to 35.9% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the district and state averages. The school generally outperforms nearby schools, such as Plummer Elementary, Noble Avenue Elementary, and Carlos Santana Arts Academy, in academic performance. By addressing the chronic absenteeism issue and providing targeted support for underperforming student subgroups, Alta California Elementary could potentially become a high-performing school within the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Detail:

Public K-5

14859 Rayen St.
Panorama City, CA 91402-1508

(818) 830-4400

District: Los Angeles Unified

SchoolDigger Rank:
2680^th of 5,862 California Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $10,078

Students who attend Alta California Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Vista Middle
High:	James Monroe High
	Northridge Academy High
	Valley Academy of Arts and Sciences

Student/teacher ratio: 22.0

Number of students: 617

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

90.1%

Asian:

4.5%

Two or more races:

2.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.2%

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Performance Trends

Compare Details Alta California Elementary ranks better than 54.3% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 180^th among 486 ranked elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 47.74. (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 (90.1%), Asian (4.5%), two or more races (2.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Alta California Elementary is 22. 409 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Alta California Elementary employs 28 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Alta California Elementary is $10,078. 389 elementary schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Alta California Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Alta California Elementary 2680^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Alta California 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 Alta California Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2013	6.24	5438^th	5530	1.7%
2015	13.45	5246^th	5611	6.5%
2016	18.04	4795^th	5614	14.6%
2017	22.59	4465^th	5692	21.6%
2018	34.30	3518^th	5662	37.9%
2019	41.59	3091^st	5789	46.6%
2022	40.70	3047^th	5883	48.2%
2023	44.36	2864^th	5874	51.2%
2024	47.74	2680^th	5862	54.3%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	26.24	2643^rd	3246	18.6%
2019	30.16	2484^th	3275	24.2%
2022	36.61	2080^th	3311	37.2%
2023	23.08	2994^th	3250	7.9%
2024	62.41	633^rd	3160	80.0%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.20	1735^th	2420	28.3%
2024	25.41	2089^th	2634	20.7%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	51.43	2271^st	5084	55.3%
2019	59.87	1787^th	5173	65.5%
2022	56.91	1867^th	5264	64.5%
2023	58.96	1805^th	5374	66.4%
2024	59.34	1839^th	5511	66.6%

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

Rank History for Female students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	33.22	3529^th	5413	34.8%
2019	45.81	2737^th	5492	50.2%
2022	38.46	3091^st	5635	45.1%
2023	44.93	2708^th	5617	51.8%
2024	48.66	2471^st	5605	55.9%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	31.44	1364^th	2128	35.9%
2019	52.36	913^th	2585	64.7%
2022	45.45	920^th	2227	58.7%

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

Rank History for Male students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	35.84	3292^nd	5431	39.4%
2019	37.83	3206^th	5510	41.8%
2022	42.98	2833^rd	5663	50.0%
2023	43.40	2845^th	5650	49.6%
2024	46.02	2696^th	5636	52.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Alta California Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	46.85	2414^th	4830	50.0%
2019	55.10	1963^rd	4963	60.4%
2022	54.72	1912^th	5084	62.4%
2023	57.51	1798^th	5098	64.7%
2024	61.55	1591^st	5102	68.8%

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
Monday, January 23, 2017

Alta is a great school. The school is really improving and my child loves his first grade teacher. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Alta California Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
2011	7	18	9	699	0	0	1	0	734
2012	9	14	10	778	0	0	0	0	811
2013	9	8	5	803	0	0	0	0	825
2014	12	13	8	843	3	0	0	0	879
2015	13	10	11	814	0	1	3	0	852
2016	10	4	19	777	0	1	3	0	814
2017	10	7	14	732	0	0	1	0	764
2018	14	6	15	695	0	1	0	0	731
2019	14	10	17	636	0	1	1	0	679
2020	11	5	17	614	0	1	5	0	653
2021	9	7	22	604	0	0	3	0	645
2022	11	8	22	577	0	0	5	0	623
2023	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	621	621
2024	10	10	28	556	0	0	13	0	617

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 Alta California Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	734	n/a	n/a	84.1
2012	811	34.0	23.8	99.6
2013	825	34.0	24.2	66.3
2014	879	36.0	24.4	86.1
2015	852	36.0	23.6	89.2
2016	814	35.0	23.2	94.5
2017	764	33.0	23.1	93.2
2018	731	32.0	22.8	97.5
2019	679	30.0	22.6	96.6
2020	653	n/a	n/a	97.1
2021	645	28.0	23.0	98.1
2022	623	30.0	20.7	97.6
2023	621	31.0	20.0	97.7
2024	617	28.0	22.0	94.2

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 Alta California Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2011	734	n/a	n/a	84.1
2012	811	34.0	23.8	99.6
2013	825	34.0	24.2	66.3
2014	879	36.0	24.4	86.1
2015	852	36.0	23.6	89.2
2016	814	35.0	23.2	94.5
2017	764	33.0	23.1	93.2
2018	731	32.0	22.8	97.5
2019	679	30.0	22.6	96.6
2020	653	n/a	n/a	97.1
2021	645	28.0	23.0	98.1
2022	623	30.0	20.7	97.6
2023	621	31.0	20.0	97.7
2024	617	28.0	22.0	94.2

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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