Is Madera Elementary a good school?

Madera Elementary ranks 614 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Madera Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 467 students attended Madera Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Madera Elementary?

Students at Madera Elementary are 39% White, 19% Asian, 19% Two or more races, 19% Hispanic, 2% African American, 1% Not Specified.

What schools do graduates of Madera Elementary attend?

Students who attend Madera Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Fred T. Korematsu Middle High : El Cerrito High

Madera Elementary

Summary:

Madera Elementary is a public elementary school located in El Cerrito, California, serving grades K-6 with a total enrollment of 465 students. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District, which is ranked 1129 out of 1568 districts in California and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Madera Elementary consistently ranks in the top 15% of California elementary schools, with a statewide ranking between 499-742 out of over 5,500 schools. The school's students perform significantly better than the district and state averages in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. For example, in 2023-2024, 71.31% of Madera students were proficient or better in ELA, compared to 32.53% for the district and 47.04% for the state. Madera's performance is particularly strong in 3rd and 4th grade ELA, where over 75% of students are proficient or better. In Mathematics, Madera's performance is also impressive, with 70% of students proficient or better in the end-of-course assessment, compared to 23.33% for the district and 35.54% for the state.

While Madera's overall performance is excellent, the school's Asian student group lags behind other subgroups, suggesting potential equity issues that need to be addressed. The district as a whole struggles with low performance, particularly in schools serving higher percentages of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, such as Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary and Stege Elementary. However, Madera's relatively low chronic absenteeism rates, compared to the district and nearby schools, may be a contributing factor to its strong academic performance.

Detail:

Public K-6

8500 Madera Dr.
El Cerrito, CA 94530-2051

(510) 231-1412

District: West Contra Costa Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $5,443

Students who attend Madera Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Fred T. Korematsu Middle
High:	El Cerrito High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.3

Number of students: 467

Racial breakdown:

White:

39.2%

Asian:

19.3%

Two or more races:

18.8%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 15.8%

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Compare Madera Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Madera Elementary ranks better than 89.5% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 2^nd among 37 ranked elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 91.4. (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 Student population at Madera Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: White (39.2%), Asian (19.3%), two or more races (18.8%). (See more...)

Compare Details 15.8% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Madera Elementary is 23.3. 26 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Madera Elementary employs 20 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Madera Elementary is $5,443. 34 elementary schools in the West Contra Costa Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Madera Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Madera Elementary 614^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Madera Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Asian students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

West Contra Costa Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks West Contra Costa Unified 1129^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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Rank History for Madera Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	78.51	958^th	4809	80.1%
2005	81.56	864^th	4822	82.1%
2006	79.66	982^nd	4818	79.6%
2007	88.75	575^th	5113	88.8%
2008	88.93	552^nd	5113	89.2%
2009	92.04	346^th	5193	93.3%
2010	93.60	221^st	5314	95.8%
2011	90.75	393^rd	5377	92.7%
2012	85.06	728^th	5390	86.5%
2013	89.48	499^th	5530	91.0%
2015	92.09	503^rd	5611	91.0%
2016	90.80	565^th	5614	89.9%
2017	88.31	742^nd	5692	87.0%
2018	90.77	585^th	5662	89.7%
2019	89.23	687^th	5789	88.1%
2022	91.71	615^th	5883	89.5%
2023	89.52	739^th	5874	87.4%
2024	91.40	614^th	5862	89.5%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	64.84	134^th	339	60.5%
2019	61.72	196^th	445	56.0%
2022	79.92	94^th	610	84.6%
2023	59.65	302^nd	669	54.9%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	71.31	1116^th	5084	78.0%
2019	50.29	2386^th	5173	53.9%
2022	87.73	440^th	5264	91.6%
2024	74.05	1093^rd	5511	80.2%

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

Rank History for Female students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.17	659^th	5413	87.8%
2019	88.19	654^th	5492	88.1%
2022	90.22	627^th	5635	88.9%
2023	84.99	887^th	5617	84.2%
2024	88.05	716^th	5605	87.2%

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

Rank History for Male students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	90.41	551^st	5431	89.9%
2019	86.05	783^rd	5510	85.8%
2022	91.36	551^st	5663	90.3%
2023	91.05	549^th	5650	90.3%
2024	92.75	439^th	5636	92.2%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	58.56	571^st	1071	46.7%
2019	47.04	738^th	1149	35.8%
2022	51.51	715^th	1154	38.0%
2023	60.95	596^th	1190	49.9%
2024	54.65	691^st	1203	42.6%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	70.61	1116^th	4830	76.9%
2019	64.17	1451^st	4963	70.8%
2022	88.68	401^st	5084	92.1%
2023	73.55	1011^th	5098	80.2%
2024	73.72	1000^th	5102	80.4%

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

Rank History for White students at Madera Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	88.32	138^th	2737	95.0%
2019	85.84	231^st	2834	91.8%
2022	81.04	410^th	2726	85.0%
2023	79.96	419^th	2662	84.3%
2024	80.15	418^th	2647	84.2%

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: 1)

100%

by a parent
Monday, April 2, 2012

Prior to the 2009-10 school year, Madera maintained a very high standard in curriculum and parent-teacher relationships. But since the changing of principals, the school has become a hostile environment for any student that Ms. Cotton does not like. There are also signs of racism with regards to the handing out of punishment to students. There is bullying with no consequence or without any teacher, principal and parent involvement. In addition, there are staff members who gossip about students records and behavior with non staff members with no control exerted over the situation by the principal Ms. Cotton. The teachers do work hard but have no support by the administration and is basically a school that is running itself without administrative oversight. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Madera Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	147	88	67	12	1	n/a	n/a	0	315
1989	122	64	49	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	245
1990	128	60	63	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	261
1991	163	59	58	16	0	n/a	n/a	0	296
1992	157	63	50	23	0	n/a	n/a	0	293
1993	183	61	61	29	0	n/a	n/a	0	334
1994	182	64	61	32	0	n/a	n/a	0	339
1995	181	68	66	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	357
1996	181	68	66	41	1	n/a	n/a	0	357
1997	161	84	78	50	2	n/a	n/a	0	375
1998	151	71	83	47	1	n/a	n/a	0	353
1999	160	90	85	51	1	n/a	n/a	0	387
2000	151	88	88	58	0	n/a	n/a	0	385
2001	135	84	90	70	0	n/a	n/a	7	386
2002	133	75	80	53	2	n/a	n/a	23	366
2003	133	75	80	53	2	n/a	n/a	23	366
2004	128	76	78	53	3	n/a	n/a	16	354
2005	115	67	83	54	2	n/a	n/a	12	333
2006	125	58	93	58	0	n/a	n/a	17	351
2007	135	53	92	56	0	n/a	n/a	21	357
2008	151	51	92	59	2	n/a	n/a	0	355
2009	165	53	94	61	2	2	21	0	398
2010	185	50	131	58	3	1	2	0	430
2011	178	52	144	78	1	1	40	0	494
2012	197	63	169	91	2	1	2	0	525
2013	206	54	176	89	3	1	22	0	551
2014	204	53	176	83	2	3	22	0	543
2015	198	44	155	77	2	2	41	0	519
2016	187	37	138	77	1	1	48	0	489
2017	200	36	129	86	2	1	54	0	508
2018	201	36	119	75	2	0	65	0	498
2019	192	25	110	67	1	0	79	0	474
2020	199	27	102	81	1	0	70	0	480
2021	192	23	99	81	0	0	77	3	475
2022	170	21	92	84	0	1	69	2	439
2023	170	17	111	86	1	1	75	4	465
2024	183	11	90	87	0	2	88	6	467

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 Madera Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	315	12.0	26.2	n/a
1989	245	10.0	24.5	n/a
1990	261	11.5	22.6	n/a
1991	296	13.8	21.4	n/a
1992	293	14.0	20.9	14
1993	334	10.0	33.4	15
1994	339	12.0	28.3	19.5
1995	357	14.0	25.5	15.7
1996	357	14.0	25.5	15.7
1997	375	13.0	28.8	16.3
1998	353	14.0	25.2	15.3
1999	387	19.0	20.4	18.6
2000	385	18.2	21.2	14.8
2001	386	19.2	20.1	15
2002	366	19.2	19.1	13.7
2003	366	19.2	19.1	13.7
2004	354	19.8	17.9	11.5
2005	333	18.0	18.5	17.1
2006	351	19.2	18.3	18
2007	357	17.2	20.8	17.6
2008	355	19.2	18.5	12.4
2009	398	20.4	18.6	12.3
2010	430	20.2	21.2	13.3
2011	494	n/a	n/a	17.6
2012	525	21.0	25.0	0.6
2013	551	19.0	29.0	18.5
2014	543	19.8	27.4	17.5
2015	519	19.0	27.3	18.9
2016	489	19.0	25.7	17.4
2017	508	19.0	26.7	17.3
2018	498	19.0	26.2	21.9
2019	474	19.0	24.9	19
2020	480	n/a	n/a	17.7
2021	475	17.6	26.9	18.3
2022	439	19.0	23.1	14.6
2023	465	20.0	23.2	14.6
2024	467	20.0	23.3	15.8

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 Madera Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	315	12.0	26.2	n/a
1989	245	10.0	24.5	n/a
1990	261	11.5	22.6	n/a
1991	296	13.8	21.4	n/a
1992	293	14.0	20.9	14
1993	334	10.0	33.4	15
1994	339	12.0	28.3	19.5
1995	357	14.0	25.5	15.7
1996	357	14.0	25.5	15.7
1997	375	13.0	28.8	16.3
1998	353	14.0	25.2	15.3
1999	387	19.0	20.4	18.6
2000	385	18.2	21.2	14.8
2001	386	19.2	20.1	15
2002	366	19.2	19.1	13.7
2003	366	19.2	19.1	13.7
2004	354	19.8	17.9	11.5
2005	333	18.0	18.5	17.1
2006	351	19.2	18.3	18
2007	357	17.2	20.8	17.6
2008	355	19.2	18.5	12.4
2009	398	20.4	18.6	12.3
2010	430	20.2	21.2	13.3
2011	494	n/a	n/a	17.6
2012	525	21.0	25.0	0.6
2013	551	19.0	29.0	18.5
2014	543	19.8	27.4	17.5
2015	519	19.0	27.3	18.9
2016	489	19.0	25.7	17.4
2017	508	19.0	26.7	17.3
2018	498	19.0	26.2	21.9
2019	474	19.0	24.9	19
2020	480	n/a	n/a	17.7
2021	475	17.6	26.9	18.3
2022	439	19.0	23.1	14.6
2023	465	20.0	23.2	14.6
2024	467	20.0	23.3	15.8

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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