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Ralston Elementary School

Summary:

Ralston Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Golden, Colorado, serving grades K-5 with a total enrollment of 274 students. The school is part of the Jefferson County School District No. R-1, which is ranked 35 out of 116 school districts in Colorado and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Ralston Elementary consistently ranks among the top elementary schools in Colorado, ranking 9th out of 943 schools in the 2023-2024 school year and receiving a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. The school's proficiency rates in CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success) tests are significantly higher than the district and state averages across all grades and subjects, with 82.5% of Ralston students proficient or better in CMAS Math, compared to 40.7% for the district and 34.2% for the state. Ralston's performance is particularly strong in CMAS English Language Arts, with 80.9% of students proficient or better, compared to 51.8% for the district and 44.1% for the state. The school also excels in CMAS Science, with 82.6% of 5th-grade students proficient or better, compared to 46.6% for the district and 37.9% for the state.

Ralston Elementary consistently outperforms nearby schools in the Jefferson County School District, such as Red Rocks Elementary, Wilmot Elementary, and Kyffin Elementary, in terms of academic achievement and statewide rankings. The school's student population is also more homogeneous, with a higher percentage of white students compared to the nearby schools. Ralston's strong performance extends across different student subgroups, including female students, male students, and white students, all of which rank among the top elementary schools in Colorado.


Detail:

Public K-5

 25856 Columbine Glen
       Golden, CO  80401-9616

(303) 982-4386

District: Jefferson County School District No. R-1

SchoolDigger Rank:
9th of 943 Colorado Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $15,508 Help


Students who attend Ralston Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:    Bell Middle School
High:    Golden High School

Student/teacher ratio:  16.3 Help
Number of students:  274

Racial breakdown:

White:
85.4%
Hispanic:
5.8%
Two or more races:
5.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  5.8% Help


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 Compare Ralston Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends
Help
Compare Details Ralston Elementary School ranks better than 99% of elementary schools in Colorado. It also ranks 2nd among 85 ranked elementary schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1. (See more...)
Help
Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 97.78. (See more...)
Help
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
Help
Compare Details Ralston Elementary School has the largest elementary school student body size in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1.  (See more...)
Teachers
Finance
Help
Compare Details The average total spent per student at Ralston Elementary School is $15,508, which is the 38th highest among 85 elementary schools in the Jefferson County School District No. R-1.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Ralston Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Ralston Elementary School 9th of 943 Colorado public elementary schools. (See Ralston Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Female students:
Male students:
White students:


Jefferson County School District No. R-1:

SchoolDigger ranks Jefferson County School District No. R-1 35th of 116 Colorado school districts. (See district ranking list.)


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Your rating for Ralston Elementary School?

Rank History for Ralston Elementary School

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Ralston Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2004 89.21 47th 808 94.2%
2005 90.71 33rd 823 96.0%
2006 90.81 37th 829 95.5%
2007 91.22 31st 852 96.4%
2008 90.57 39th 849 95.4%
2009 93.02 21st 872 97.6%
2010 92.68 27th 925 97.1%
2011 93.61 16th 935 98.3%
2012 94.48 12th 935 98.7%
2013 93.71 25th 954 97.4%
2014 93.72 25th 962 97.4%
2015 93.74 45th 938 95.2%
2016 91.09 60th 914 93.4%
2017 94.72 31st 929 96.7%
2018 96.76 17th 917 98.1%
2019 97.38 13th 965 98.7%
2021 89.83 64th 710 91.0%
2022 95.75 21st 921 97.7%
2023 97.01 18th 933 98.1%
2024 97.78 9th 943 99.0%
See the entire list of Colorado Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Female students at Ralston Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 97.03 9th 690 98.7%
2019 96.67 10th 758 98.7%
2023 98.00 7th 642 98.9%
2024 95.44 13th 684 98.1%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Gifted and Talented students at Ralston Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 71.12 18th 84 78.6%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Gifted and Talented Students!

Rank History for Male students at Ralston Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2018 91.83 34th 693 95.1%
2019 93.04 27th 764 96.5%
2023 93.60 23rd 649 96.5%
2024 96.21 11th 683 98.4%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at Ralston Elementary School

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked Elementary Schools CO State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2019 91.77 23rd 596 96.1%
2022 87.63 34th 454 92.5%
2024 90.84 23rd 539 95.7%
See the entire list of Best Colorado Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Colorado 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.

Ralston Elementary School Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 
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Data source: Colorado Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)
0%

0%

0%

0%

100%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Sunday, October 9, 2016

Open Quote Ralston may be a great school for your child if they fit inside the box. If they have special needs and no IEP, they will not get the help they need (and even with an IEP it's questionable). They simply don't know how, nor have the resources. Poor leadership over the past few years has resulted in many families leaving the school. Unfortunately, district leadership has supported this poor leadership. There are a few good teachers at Ralston, and its unfortunate they have pushed so many families away (with and without with special needs.) Close Quote



Enrollment information for Ralston Elementary School

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1988 317 1 5 4 0 n/a n/a 0 327
1989 375 1 3 6 1 n/a n/a 0 386
1990 366 0 5 6 0 n/a n/a 0 377
1991 395 3 6 5 1 n/a n/a 0 410
1992 388 2 9 1 1 n/a n/a 0 401
1993 407 0 9 0 0 n/a n/a 0 416
1994 403 1 10 3 0 n/a n/a 0 417
1995 409 2 8 7 1 n/a n/a 0 427
1996 409 2 8 7 1 n/a n/a 0 427
1997 421 0 7 5 1 n/a n/a 0 434
1998 440 1 5 4 1 n/a n/a 0 451
1999 430 2 7 8 0 n/a n/a 0 447
2000 429 2 9 13 1 n/a n/a 0 454
2001 415 2 13 10 1 n/a n/a 0 441
2002 385 1 16 9 2 n/a n/a 0 413
2003 385 1 16 9 2 n/a n/a 0 413
2004 356 1 16 11 4 n/a n/a 0 388
2005 330 1 15 10 2 n/a n/a 0 358
2006 336 0 16 5 0 n/a n/a 0 357
2007 324 0 15 9 0 n/a n/a 0 348
2008 291 0 13 8 0 n/a n/a 0 312
2009 306 0 17 9 1 n/a n/a 0 333
2010 305 0 15 9 2 n/a n/a 0 331
2011 332 0 11 18 0 2 17 0 380
2012 344 1 14 20 1 2 21 0 403
2013 364 4 14 21 0 2 21 0 426
2014 337 3 12 17 0 2 19 0 390
2015 337 4 12 19 1 0 20 0 393
2016 323 5 7 10 1 0 12 0 358
2017 303 5 12 15 1 0 16 0 352
2018 283 6 7 12 1 0 16 0 325
2019 246 3 4 15 0 0 19 0 287
2020 234 4 4 16 0 0 17 0 275
2021 234 5 3 13 0 0 13 0 268
2022 216 4 6 17 0 0 9 0 252
2023 234 2 7 16 0 0 15 0 274

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 Ralston Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 327 14.3 22.8 n/a
1989 386 17.3 22.3 1
1990 377 17.1 22.0 1.1
1991 410 17.6 23.2 0.2
1992 401 18.8 21.3 1
1993 416 17.9 23.2 0.2
1994 417 17.2 24.2 1
1995 427 18.6 23.0 1.4
1996 427 18.6 23.0 1.4
1997 434 19.8 21.9 0.5
1998 451 20.1 22.4 0.4
1999 447 20.3 22.0 0.4
2000 454 19.3 23.5 0.7
2001 441 22.0 20.0 1.4
2002 413 23.3 17.7 1
2003 413 23.3 17.7 1
2004 388 23.3 16.7 1.3
2005 358 20.4 17.5 2.2
2006 357 19.6 18.2 2
2007 348 19.2 18.1 1.7
2008 312 19.0 16.4 2.6
2009 333 20.7 16.1 2.7
2010 331 18.8 17.5 2.7
2011 380 19.4 19.4 3.7
2012 403 19.9 20.1 3.7
2013 426 19.9 21.3 4.7
2014 390 20.6 18.8 3.8
2015 393 21.0 18.7 2.5
2016 358 22.0 16.2 2.8
2017 352 21.7 16.1 4
2018 325 17.6 18.4 4.3
2019 287 16.2 17.6 3.5
2020 275 16.1 16.9 3.3
2021 268 16.2 16.5 4.9
2022 252 15.2 16.5 2.8
2023 274 16.7 16.3 5.8

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 Ralston Elementary School

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1988 327 14.3 22.8 n/a
1989 386 17.3 22.3 1
1990 377 17.1 22.0 1.1
1991 410 17.6 23.2 0.2
1992 401 18.8 21.3 1
1993 416 17.9 23.2 0.2
1994 417 17.2 24.2 1
1995 427 18.6 23.0 1.4
1996 427 18.6 23.0 1.4
1997 434 19.8 21.9 0.5
1998 451 20.1 22.4 0.4
1999 447 20.3 22.0 0.4
2000 454 19.3 23.5 0.7
2001 441 22.0 20.0 1.4
2002 413 23.3 17.7 1
2003 413 23.3 17.7 1
2004 388 23.3 16.7 1.3
2005 358 20.4 17.5 2.2
2006 357 19.6 18.2 2
2007 348 19.2 18.1 1.7
2008 312 19.0 16.4 2.6
2009 333 20.7 16.1 2.7
2010 331 18.8 17.5 2.7
2011 380 19.4 19.4 3.7
2012 403 19.9 20.1 3.7
2013 426 19.9 21.3 4.7
2014 390 20.6 18.8 3.8
2015 393 21.0 18.7 2.5
2016 358 22.0 16.2 2.8
2017 352 21.7 16.1 4
2018 325 17.6 18.4 4.3
2019 287 16.2 17.6 3.5
2020 275 16.1 16.9 3.3
2021 268 16.2 16.5 4.9
2022 252 15.2 16.5 2.8
2023 274 16.7 16.3 5.8

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.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Ralston Elementary School

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YearTotal Expenditures Per Pupil
2019 $11,554
2020 $12,208
2021 $12,720
2022 $14,871
2023 $15,508

Data source: Colorado Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Ralston Elementary School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Ranks 13th of 965 Elementary schoolsRanks 18th of 933 Elementary schools
 0.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 % proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Ralston Elementary School)7668.8
 7.2%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)46.348.2
 1.9%
   3rd Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)41.339.9
 1.4%
3rd Grade Math (Ralston Elementary School)7875.5
 2.5%
   3rd Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)45.748.1
 2.4%
   3rd Grade Math (Colorado)4140.4
 0.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Ralston Elementary School)80.483.7
 3.3%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)5653.5
 2.5%
   4th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)4843.8
 4.2%
4th Grade Math (Ralston Elementary School)73.993
 19.1%
   4th Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)38.539.9
 1.4%
   4th Grade Math (Colorado)33.632.7
 0.9%
5th Grade Science (Ralston Elementary School)77.281
 3.8%
   5th Grade Science (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)41.641.6
   5th Grade Science (Colorado)35.933.9
 2%
5th Grade English Language Arts (Ralston Elementary School)80.778
 2.7%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)53.655.6
 2%
   5th Grade English Language Arts (Colorado)48.447.8
 0.6%
5th Grade Math (Ralston Elementary School)78.982.9
 4%
   5th Grade Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)39.441.7
 2.3%
   5th Grade Math (Colorado)35.736.5
 0.8%
All Grades English Language Arts (Ralston Elementary School)79.176.5
 2.6%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)51.750.8
 0.9%
   All Grades English Language Arts (Colorado)45.843.7
 2.1%
All Grades Math (Ralston Elementary School)77.183.5
 6.4%
   All Grades Math (Jefferson County School District No. R-1)39.838.7
 1.1%
   All Grades Math (Colorado)34.732.9
 1.8%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)		 Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)		 Change (%)
Total Students287274
 4.5%
African American32
 33.3%
American Indian00
Asian47
 75%
Hispanic1516
 6.7%
Pacific Islander00
White246234
 4.9%
Two or More Races1915
 21.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients3.5%5.8%
 2.4%

Schools Near Ralston Elementary School








Frequently Asked Questions about Ralston Elementary School

Students at Ralston Elementary School are 85% White, 6% Hispanic, 5% Two or more races, 3% Asian.

In the 2022-23 school year, 274 students attended Ralston Elementary School.

Yes! Ralston Elementary School is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 9th of 943 Colorado elementary schools.

Students who attend Ralston Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bell Middle School
High : Golden High School


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Colorado Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.




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