Is Birney Elementary a good school?

Birney Elementary ranks 665 th of 5862 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Birney Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 501 students attended Birney Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Birney Elementary?

Students at Birney Elementary are 38% Hispanic, 33% White, 16% Two or more races, 10% African American, 2% Asian.

What schools do graduates of Birney Elementary attend?

Students who attend Birney Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Roosevelt International Middle High : San Diego High

Birney Elementary

Summary:

Birney Elementary is a public elementary school located in San Diego, California, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 501 students. The school is part of the San Diego Unified School District, which is ranked 604 out of 1,568 districts in California and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Birney Elementary consistently outperforms the San Diego Unified School District and the state of California in standardized test scores across all grade levels and subject areas. In the 2023-2024 school year, Birney Elementary's proficiency rates in English Language Arts and Mathematics were significantly higher than the district and state averages, with a 74.48% proficiency rate in ELA and 66.39% in Math, compared to 54.22% and 43.89% for the district, and 47.04% and 35.54% for the state. The school's performance is particularly strong in the 4th grade, where 83.58% of students are proficient or better in ELA and 77.94% in Math, compared to 53.62% and 50.35% for the district, and 43.9% and 41.2% for the state.

Birney Elementary has consistently high rankings for various student subgroups, including female students, male students, African American students, Hispanic students, and white students. The school's African American and white student populations are particularly noteworthy, ranking in the top 15 and top 37 in the state, respectively, for the 2022-2023 school year. Birney Elementary also performs well for students with special education needs and those from low socioeconomic backgrounds, ranking in the top 160 and top 213 in the state, respectively, for the 2022-2023 school year. While the school has seen a gradual increase in chronic absenteeism, from 6.5% in 2017-2018 to 16.5% in 2022-2023, it is still lower than the district and state averages.

Detail:

Public K-5

4345 Campus Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103-2406

(619) 497-3500

District: San Diego Unified

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

Per Pupil Expenditures: $7,459

Students who attend Birney Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Roosevelt International Middle
High:	San Diego High

Student/teacher ratio: 23.8

Number of students: 501

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

37.7%

White:

33.1%

Two or more races:

16.4%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 39.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Birney Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Birney Elementary ranks better than 88.7% of elementary schools in California. It also ranks 26^th among 117 ranked elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 90.55. (See more...)

Chronic absenteeism in a high 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 Birney Elementary is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (37.7%), White (33.1%), two or more races (16.4%). (See more...)

Compare Details 39.7% 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 23.8. 90 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Birney Elementary employs 21 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Birney Elementary is $7,459. 96 elementary schools in the San Diego Unified School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Birney Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Birney Elementary 665^th of 5862 California public elementary schools. (See Birney 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:

Hispanic students:

White students:

San Diego Unified:

SchoolDigger ranks San Diego Unified 604^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

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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	30.02	3240^th	4809	32.6%
2005	37.85	2841^st	4822	41.1%
2006	48.01	2270^th	4818	52.9%
2007	41.07	2843^rd	5113	44.4%
2008	38.01	3069^th	5113	40.0%
2009	74.69	1220^th	5193	76.5%
2010	80.37	993^rd	5314	81.3%
2011	87.98	564^th	5377	89.5%
2012	77.21	1168^th	5390	78.3%
2013	78.61	1129^th	5530	79.6%
2015	83.04	979^th	5611	82.6%
2016	88.92	676^th	5614	88.0%
2017	88.03	757^th	5692	86.7%
2018	83.10	983^rd	5662	82.6%
2019	86.74	808^th	5789	86.0%
2022	92.87	528^th	5883	91.0%
2023	91.61	597^th	5874	89.8%
2024	90.55	665^th	5862	88.7%

See the entire list of California Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2022	89.93	15^th	610	97.5%
2023	69.03	210^th	669	68.6%
2024	54.36	369^th	669	44.8%

See the entire list of Best California Elementary Schools for Multi-racial 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	91.07	160^th	2420	93.4%

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	84.72	503^rd	5084	90.1%
2019	88.92	326^th	5173	93.7%
2022	92.61	255^th	5264	95.2%
2023	94.37	213^th	5374	96.0%
2024	87.48	535^th	5511	90.3%

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	77.52	1165^th	5413	78.5%
2019	82.91	930^th	5492	83.1%
2022	89.72	650^th	5635	88.5%
2023	91.42	542^nd	5617	90.4%
2024	90.69	582^nd	5605	89.6%

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	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	64.98	496^th	2128	76.7%
2019	65.68	586^th	2585	77.3%

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	85.55	814^th	5431	85.0%
2019	86.96	734^th	5510	86.7%
2022	93.87	383^rd	5663	93.2%
2023	89.79	626^th	5650	88.9%
2024	87.52	737^th	5636	86.9%

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

Rank History for African American students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	86.32	53^rd	700	92.4%
2022	97.38	15^th	663	97.7%
2023	97.54	12^th	662	98.2%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	85.87	461^st	4830	90.5%
2019	86.57	440^th	4963	91.1%
2022	92.64	269^th	5084	94.7%
2023	90.97	318^th	5098	93.8%
2024	90.68	324^th	5102	93.6%

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

Rank History for White students at Birney Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	77.99	515^th	2737	81.2%
2019	81.39	423^rd	2834	85.1%
2022	92.01	56^th	2726	97.9%
2023	92.60	37^th	2662	98.6%
2024	87.57	157^th	2647	94.1%

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: 4)

67%

33%

Reviews:

by a parent
Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Birney is an amazing school. If you really want to embrace diversity, there's a whole world on the blacktop at Birney. The staff and teachers are all focused on those long-term IB characteristics: not just doing what the students need to succeed this semester, but what will support them through the rest of their academic life. The Birney community is committed to the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program, so much so that when funding was cut for all the specials that make the IB program (art, Spanish, music, etc.) the parents and staff rallied and raised the money to pay for those classes and keep the IB accreditation. Since funding is based on attendance, attendance does get a lot of attention at Birney, but it's working. Birney's had the best attendance rates in the district for a couple years now.

If you haven't read up on the IB program, Google it for all the details. The IB program is not just something the kids learn explicitly in class and never use outside of class; everything at Birney goes back to those principles. For example, I saw two kids running between classes, and a parent told them to walk. When they thought they were out of eyesight, they began running again. Another staff member saw them and said, "Be principled and walk. Being principled means we follow the rules even when no one is watching us." What could have just been another scolding became an IB moment.

Lastly, as an IB magnet, Birney offers a clear feeder path through middle (Roosevelt) and high school (San Diego High), which is not something a kinder parent might think about when looking for an elementary school. Close Quote

by a student
Thursday, February 10, 2011

I am currently a high school senior but my early school life through fourth grade was in Birney Elementary. I was very pleased how teacher and student connections were strong in this school and how there were after school classes for students who were behind. At this time of my life I was one of the students that took the after school help for second language learners. Here I was able to improve my literature skills. I remember that reading levels were based on alphabet letters. Before this program I was at level G, I believe. After the program was over I had already reached level M. I know that thanks to special programs for kids that are behind, Birney has helped me get to where I currently am. Today, I am enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program and have gained acceptance to Point Loma Nazarene University. I do recommend this school for parents who want their children to grow academically. Close Quote

by a parent
Monday, November 15, 2010

Student to teacher ratio is high, both grades my son has been in have no real structure only thing principle cares about is attendance so school can receive government funds. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Birney Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	318	89	113	160	1	n/a	n/a	0	681
1989	323	103	83	175	1	n/a	n/a	0	685
1990	332	145	57	181	4	n/a	n/a	0	719
1991	326	164	56	223	3	n/a	n/a	0	772
1992	306	170	56	280	1	n/a	n/a	0	813
1993	314	202	53	312	4	n/a	n/a	0	885
1994	313	228	44	352	7	n/a	n/a	0	944
1995	245	207	30	356	8	n/a	n/a	0	846
1996	245	207	30	356	8	n/a	n/a	0	846
1997	211	229	45	391	12	n/a	n/a	0	888
1998	150	178	47	413	8	n/a	n/a	0	796
1999	143	141	45	401	7	n/a	n/a	0	737
2000	114	111	36	326	6	n/a	n/a	0	593
2001	105	136	43	342	7	n/a	n/a	0	633
2002	87	86	42	353	4	n/a	n/a	0	572
2003	87	86	42	353	4	n/a	n/a	0	572
2004	85	66	40	358	2	n/a	n/a	0	551
2005	67	59	36	307	3	n/a	n/a	0	472
2006	64	49	21	184	4	n/a	n/a	0	322
2007	59	48	24	160	2	n/a	n/a	13	306
2008	80	60	20	174	4	n/a	n/a	0	338
2009	83	79	29	171	4	5	0	0	371
2010	92	63	25	188	1	5	33	0	407
2011	113	72	20	207	1	1	43	0	457
2012	147	77	23	210	2	3	36	0	498
2013	176	88	20	238	2	1	40	0	565
2014	194	79	18	229	1	2	43	0	566
2015	196	85	12	225	1	4	42	0	565
2016	189	86	10	202	1	3	50	0	541
2017	203	79	14	209	1	1	53	0	560
2018	195	71	14	182	2	1	73	0	538
2019	195	66	15	181	3	0	84	0	544
2020	200	53	22	199	4	0	82	0	560
2021	187	48	25	198	3	0	76	1	538
2022	180	49	23	185	3	0	73	0	513
2023	166	49	12	189	2	1	82	0	501

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	681	25.1	27.1	n/a
1989	685	26.2	26.1	n/a
1990	719	28.1	25.5	n/a
1991	772	28.2	27.3	n/a
1992	813	28.7	28.3	70
1993	885	32.2	27.5	77.2
1994	944	34.0	27.8	78.7
1995	846	33.0	25.6	86.6
1996	846	33.0	25.6	86.6
1997	888	37.0	24.0	87.8
1998	796	41.0	19.4	89.6
1999	737	35.0	21.1	89
2000	593	31.0	19.1	85.5
2001	633	33.0	19.2	76.8
2002	572	35.0	16.3	85.5
2003	572	35.0	16.3	85.5
2004	551	32.0	17.2	79.1
2005	472	31.0	15.2	84.1
2006	322	26.0	12.4	83.9
2007	306	25.7	11.9	81.6
2008	338	26.0	13.0	76.9
2009	371	25.7	12.3	72.2
2010	407	23.0	17.7	68.1
2011	457	n/a	n/a	67.6
2012	498	23.8	20.9	n/a
2013	565	24.8	22.7	57
2014	566	22.0	25.7	56.2
2015	565	21.0	26.9	52.2
2016	541	22.0	24.5	53
2017	560	23.0	24.3	46.4
2018	538	21.3	25.2	45
2019	544	21.0	25.9	48
2020	560	n/a	n/a	44.1
2021	538	22.0	24.4	41.4
2022	513	22.0	23.3	42.9
2023	501	21.0	23.8	39.7

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	681	25.1	27.1	n/a
1989	685	26.2	26.1	n/a
1990	719	28.1	25.5	n/a
1991	772	28.2	27.3	n/a
1992	813	28.7	28.3	70
1993	885	32.2	27.5	77.2
1994	944	34.0	27.8	78.7
1995	846	33.0	25.6	86.6
1996	846	33.0	25.6	86.6
1997	888	37.0	24.0	87.8
1998	796	41.0	19.4	89.6
1999	737	35.0	21.1	89
2000	593	31.0	19.1	85.5
2001	633	33.0	19.2	76.8
2002	572	35.0	16.3	85.5
2003	572	35.0	16.3	85.5
2004	551	32.0	17.2	79.1
2005	472	31.0	15.2	84.1
2006	322	26.0	12.4	83.9
2007	306	25.7	11.9	81.6
2008	338	26.0	13.0	76.9
2009	371	25.7	12.3	72.2
2010	407	23.0	17.7	68.1
2011	457	n/a	n/a	67.6
2012	498	23.8	20.9	n/a
2013	565	24.8	22.7	57
2014	566	22.0	25.7	56.2
2015	565	21.0	26.9	52.2
2016	541	22.0	24.5	53
2017	560	23.0	24.3	46.4
2018	538	21.3	25.2	45
2019	544	21.0	25.9	48
2020	560	n/a	n/a	44.1
2021	538	22.0	24.4	41.4
2022	513	22.0	23.3	42.9
2023	501	21.0	23.8	39.7

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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