Is Cowden Elementary a good school?

Cowden Elementary ranks 446 th of 906 Missouri elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cowden Elementary?

In the 2023-24 school year, 269 students attended Cowden Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cowden Elementary?

Students at Cowden Elementary are 65% White, 10% Asian, 9% Two or more races, 9% Hispanic, 7% African American.

What schools do graduates of Cowden Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cowden Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Pershing Middle

Cowden Elementary

Summary:

Cowden Elementary is a public elementary school in Springfield, Missouri, serving 274 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Springfield R-XII district, which is ranked 182 out of 386 districts in the state and has a 3-star rating.

Cowden Elementary has shown mixed performance on state assessments, with some grade levels and subjects performing better than the district and state averages, while others lag behind. For example, the school's 3rd-grade math proficiency (42.2%) was higher than the district (32.7%) and state (40.8%) averages, but its 4th-grade math proficiency (34%) was lower than the district (39.3%) and state (44.4%) averages. The school also has a significantly higher chronic absenteeism rate (25.9%) compared to the state average. Cowden Elementary serves a higher proportion of low-socioeconomic status students, which may contribute to some of the academic challenges the school faces.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Walt Disney Elementary and Field Elementary, Cowden Elementary's performance is generally lower, with higher student achievement and lower chronic absenteeism rates at the neighboring schools. However, Cowden Elementary's performance for its low-socioeconomic status students is a positive indicator, and the school's overall ranking has improved over the years, suggesting that it is making progress in addressing its challenges.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2927 S Kimbrough
Springfield, MO 65807-3601

(417) 523-3500

District: Springfield R-Xii

SchoolDigger Rank:
446^th of 906 Missouri Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $12,190

Students who attend Cowden Elementary usually attend:

Middle:

Pershing Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 12.5

Number of students: 269

Racial breakdown:

White:

65.4%

Asian:

9.7%

Two or more races:

8.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 66.9%

See top rated Missouri elementary schools

Compare Cowden Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cowden Elementary ranks better than 50.8% of elementary schools in Missouri. It also ranks 14^th among 34 ranked elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 50.69. (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: White (65.4%), Asian (9.7%), two or more races (8.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 66.9% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cowden Elementary is 12.5, which is the 13^th best among 34 elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District. (See more...)

Compare Cowden Elementary employs 21.5 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cowden Elementary is $12,190, which is the 16^th highest among 34 elementary schools in the Springfield R-Xii School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cowden Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cowden Elementary 446^th of 906 Missouri public elementary schools. (See Cowden Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

White students:

Springfield R-Xii:

SchoolDigger ranks Springfield R-Xii 182^nd of 386 Missouri school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Cowden Elementary.

What do you think?

Your rating for Cowden Elementary?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Cowden Elementary

Compare

Rank History for all students at Cowden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2006	56.94	429^th	1074	60.1%
2007	47.74	608^th	1080	43.7%
2008	65.40	302^nd	1084	72.1%
2009	54.66	487^th	1053	53.8%
2010	51.62	556^th	1066	47.8%
2011	39.97	744^th	1088	31.6%
2012	41.13	733^rd	1085	32.4%
2013	42.33	718^th	1108	35.2%
2014	43.50	675^th	1089	38.0%
2015	33.50	778^th	1058	26.5%
2016	12.10	783^rd	865	9.5%
2017	11.31	949^th	1032	8.0%
2018	22.26	862^nd	1045	17.5%
2019	38.08	689^th	1052	34.5%
2021	45.41	513^th	901	43.1%
2022	48.94	468^th	908	48.5%
2023	40.87	559^th	898	37.8%
2024	50.69	446^th	906	50.8%

See the entire list of Missouri Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cowden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	33.89	662^nd	887	25.4%
2019	45.71	506^th	907	44.2%
2021	52.36	231^st	574	59.8%
2022	64.41	121^st	532	77.3%
2023	57.55	209^th	611	65.8%
2024	51.28	276^th	625	55.8%

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

Rank History for White students at Cowden Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	MO State Percentile
2018	19.48	798^th	898	11.1%
2019	35.52	620^th	917	32.4%
2021	44.21	376^th	691	45.6%
2022	31.86	492^nd	675	27.1%
2023	17.22	595^th	673	11.6%
2024	21.21	555^th	668	16.9%

See the entire list of Best Missouri Elementary Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary 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: Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a parent
Friday, December 20, 2019

Teachers turn the other way when there’s bullying happening, and when a child tries to warn them, they say go away or they’ll get in trouble. Trashy faculties Close Quote

Enrollment information for Cowden Elementary

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1991	0	0	0	0	0	n/a	n/a	308	308
1992	283	6	8	2	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1993	273	5	4	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	287
1994	284	3	7	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	299
1995	232	18	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	262
1996	232	18	5	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	262
1997	264	21	5	10	1	n/a	n/a	0	301
1998	255	20	5	10	2	n/a	n/a	0	292
1999	251	21	4	6	1	n/a	n/a	0	283
2000	238	25	6	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	283
2001	263	23	7	13	0	n/a	n/a	0	306
2002	203	30	7	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
2003	203	30	7	26	0	n/a	n/a	0	266
2004	210	15	7	12	0	n/a	n/a	0	244
2005	212	19	5	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	253
2006	208	22	4	15	1	n/a	n/a	0	250
2007	242	19	7	11	4	n/a	n/a	0	283
2008	248	23	9	11	5	n/a	n/a	0	296
2009	230	32	5	12	5	n/a	n/a	0	284
2010	220	38	10	11	2	n/a	n/a	0	281
2011	219	29	10	9	3	0	0	0	270
2012	204	18	9	10	0	0	2	0	243
2013	222	20	9	9	1	0	5	0	266
2014	227	15	10	19	1	0	9	0	281
2015	241	8	12	37	0	0	16	0	314
2016	219	13	9	33	0	1	22	0	297
2017	215	16	14	30	0	1	15	0	291
2018	211	28	12	34	3	1	21	0	310
2019	188	31	16	26	2	2	28	0	293
2020	168	31	14	33	0	4	23	0	273
2021	158	23	15	31	1	4	15	0	247
2022	178	28	25	34	0	1	15	0	281
2023	174	21	24	34	0	1	20	0	274
2024	176	19	26	23	0	1	24	0	269

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 Cowden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	308	17.3	17.8	16.9
1992	299	16.8	17.7	20.7
1993	287	18.3	15.7	29.6
1994	299	18.2	16.4	26.8
1995	262	18.2	14.4	29.8
1996	262	18.2	14.4	29.8
1997	301	18.2	16.5	22.3
1998	292	19.0	15.4	23.6
1999	283	19.3	14.7	30
2000	283	19.1	14.8	37.5
2001	306	19.2	15.9	35.3
2002	266	19.4	13.7	41
2003	266	19.4	13.7	41
2004	244	19.5	12.5	48.4
2005	253	18.4	13.8	49.8
2006	250	19.5	12.8	52
2007	283	18.4	15.4	44.5
2008	296	20.5	14.4	45.6
2009	284	20.0	14.2	50.7
2010	281	21.1	13.3	59.1
2011	270	22.7	11.8	63.7
2012	243	20.5	11.8	69.5
2013	266	19.9	13.3	71.4
2014	281	21.5	13.0	77.6
2015	314	21.0	14.9	69.4
2016	297	23.0	12.9	66.7
2017	291	21.6	13.4	68
2018	310	21.1	14.6	68.7
2019	293	19.8	14.7	66.2
2020	273	20.8	13.0	64.1
2021	247	18.4	13.3	64.8
2022	281	20.7	13.5	47
2023	274	19.5	14.0	62.4
2024	269	21.5	12.5	66.9

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 Cowden Elementary

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1991	308	17.3	17.8	16.9
1992	299	16.8	17.7	20.7
1993	287	18.3	15.7	29.6
1994	299	18.2	16.4	26.8
1995	262	18.2	14.4	29.8
1996	262	18.2	14.4	29.8
1997	301	18.2	16.5	22.3
1998	292	19.0	15.4	23.6
1999	283	19.3	14.7	30
2000	283	19.1	14.8	37.5
2001	306	19.2	15.9	35.3
2002	266	19.4	13.7	41
2003	266	19.4	13.7	41
2004	244	19.5	12.5	48.4
2005	253	18.4	13.8	49.8
2006	250	19.5	12.8	52
2007	283	18.4	15.4	44.5
2008	296	20.5	14.4	45.6
2009	284	20.0	14.2	50.7
2010	281	21.1	13.3	59.1
2011	270	22.7	11.8	63.7
2012	243	20.5	11.8	69.5
2013	266	19.9	13.3	71.4
2014	281	21.5	13.0	77.6
2015	314	21.0	14.9	69.4
2016	297	23.0	12.9	66.7
2017	291	21.6	13.4	68
2018	310	21.1	14.6	68.7
2019	293	19.8	14.7	66.2
2020	273	20.8	13.0	64.1
2021	247	18.4	13.3	64.8
2022	281	20.7	13.5	47
2023	274	19.5	14.0	62.4
2024	269	21.5	12.5	66.9

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 Cowden Elementary

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019	$672 (6.4%)	$9,867 (93.6%)	$10,539
2020	$1,153 (10.3%)	$10,010 (89.7%)	$11,164
2021	$1,013 (8.5%)	$10,860 (91.5%)	$11,873
2022	$2,482 (20.4%)	$9,708 (79.6%)	$12,190

Data source: Missouri Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cowden Elementary

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 689^th of 1052 Elementary schools	Ranks 559^th of 898 Elementary schools	3.2%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cowden Elementary)	35.6	38.6	3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	37	33.9	3.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46	41.1	4.9%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Cowden Elementary)	55.5	43.2	12.3%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	46	39.5	6.5%
3rd Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	48.7	42.4	6.3%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cowden Elementary)	25	31	6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	41.4	40.8	0.6%
4th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	46.8	43.8	3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Cowden Elementary)	39.6	42.9	3.3%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Springfield R-Xii)	50.2	45.6	4.6%
4th Grade English Language Arts (Missouri)	49.3	45.9	3.4%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cowden Elementary)	17.6	25.7	8.1%
5th Grade Mathematics (Springfield R-Xii)	36	35.8	0.2%
5th Grade Mathematics (Missouri)	40.3	39.1	1.2%
5th Grade Science (Cowden Elementary)	41.2	28.2	13%
5th Grade Science (Springfield R-Xii)	41.2	39.9	1.3%
5th Grade Science (Missouri)	42.5	40.9	1.6%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	293	274	6.5%
African American	31	21	32.3%
American Indian	2	0	100%
Asian	16	24	50%
Hispanic	26	34	30.8%
Pacific Islander	2	1	50%
White	188	174	7.4%
Two or More Races	28	20	28.6%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	66.2%	62.4%	3.8%

Schools Near Cowden Elementary

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				MAP Mathematics (2024)			MAP Science (2024)	MAP English Language Arts (2024)			Per Pupil Expenditures (2022)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	MAP Mathematics 3rd Grade	MAP Mathematics 4th Grade	MAP Mathematics 5th Grade	MAP Science 5th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 3rd Grade	MAP English Language Arts 4th Grade	MAP English Language Arts 5th Grade	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Cowden Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2927 S Kimbrough	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3500	269	22	12.5	66.9%	176 (65.4%)	19 (7.1%)	23 (8.6%)	26 (9.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.4%)	24 (8.9%)	50.7	446^th of 906 public elementary schools	50.8%		40.9	559^th of 898 public elementary schools	37.8%	113	42.2	34.0	40.4	35.7	31.1	48.8	52.2	$12,190	$2,482	$9,708
Holland Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2403 S Holland	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-4100	232	19	12.5	75.0%	150 (64.7%)	14 (6.0%)	37 (15.9%)	12 (5.2%)	2 (0.9%)	2 (0.9%)	15 (6.5%)	60.6	345^th of 906 public elementary schools	61.9%		34.8	612^th of 898 public elementary schools	31.8%	267	38.3				53.8		41.0	$13,590	$2,480	$11,110
Mark Twain Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	2352 S Weaver	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-4300	337	25	13.2	70.0%	191 (56.7%)	44 (13.1%)	50 (14.8%)	12 (3.6%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	36 (10.7%)	27.8	677^th of 906 public elementary schools	25.3%		33.4	626^th of 898 public elementary schools	30.3%	51	34.0	37.0	10.8	12.6	30.4	44.7	23.7	$11,518	$1,332	$10,186
Sunshine Elementary	Public	K-5	421 E Sunshine	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-5200	338	26	13.2	76.3%	237 (70.1%)	28 (8.3%)	38 (11.2%)	6 (1.8%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	27 (8.0%)	38.4	573^rd of 906 public elementary schools	36.8%		37.8	586^th of 898 public elementary schools	34.7%	13	29.1	29.2	25.7	30.4	41.2	44.8	37.1	$11,701	$2,771	$8,930
Horace Mann Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	3745 S Broadway	Springfield	65807	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-4400	384	28	13.7	69.5%	248 (64.6%)	25 (6.5%)	47 (12.2%)	26 (6.8%)	4 (1.0%)	1 (0.3%)	33 (8.6%)	55.9	388^th of 906 public elementary schools	57.2%		35	610^th of 898 public elementary schools	32.1%	222	24.5	34.2	49.1	47.5	35.8	50.6	58.0	$12,013	$2,868	$9,145
Field Elementary	Public	K-5	2120 Barataria	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-4800	387	24	16.1	28.7%	304 (78.6%)	16 (4.1%)	26 (6.7%)	22 (5.7%)	3 (0.8%)	5 (1.3%)	11 (2.8%)	51.6	435^th of 906 public elementary schools	52.0%		57.6	379^th of 898 public elementary schools	57.8%	56	28.7	53.3	27.8	42.5	36.3	50.6	45.8	$11,619	$2,563	$9,056
Walt Disney Elementary	Public	K-5	4100 S Fremont	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-3600	537	32	16.7	29.2%	413 (76.9%)	19 (3.5%)	37 (6.9%)	40 (7.4%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	24 (4.5%)	84.9	106^th of 906 public elementary schools	88.3%		79.3	149^th of 898 public elementary schools	83.4%	43	45.6	61.8	64.0	70.6	56.4	58.3	70.6	$10,567	$2,472	$8,095
Delaware Elementary	Public	PK, KG-5	1505 S Delaware	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	Yes	(417) 523-3700	346	28	12.3	68.2%	243 (70.2%)	32 (9.2%)	40 (11.6%)	8 (2.3%)	3 (0.9%)	1 (0.3%)	19 (5.5%)	34.4	613^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.3%		31.9	641^st of 898 public elementary schools	28.6%	28	21.0	22.9	30.7	36.5	28.5	29.5	44.1	$16,381	$2,411	$13,970
Rountree Elementary	Public	K-5	1333 E Grand	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-4900	205	16	12.5	52.7%	140 (68.3%)	20 (9.8%)	10 (4.9%)	12 (5.9%)	1 (0.5%)	2 (1.0%)	20 (9.8%)	34.9	608^th of 906 public elementary schools	32.9%		49.5	465^th of 898 public elementary schools	48.2%	143	30.6	30.4	22.3	28.7		45.7	34.7	$11,862	$2,145	$9,717
Pershing Elementary	Public	K-5	2120 Ventura	Springfield	65804	Greene County	Springfield R-Xii	No	No	No	No	(417) 523-2400	155	11	14.0	54.2%	124 (80.0%)	6 (3.9%)	14 (9.0%)	4 (2.6%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (3.2%)	54.6	400^th of 906 public elementary schools	55.8%		59.2	362^nd of 898 public elementary schools	59.7%	38		36.9	40.7	29.7	57.6			$12,467	$2,585	$9,883

Cowden Elementary

Cowden Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Springfield R-Xii:

Average Parent Rating:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cowden Elementary

Rank History for all students at Cowden Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cowden Elementary

Rank History for White students at Cowden Elementary

Review counts

Enrollment information for Cowden Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cowden Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Cowden Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cowden Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Cowden Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cowden Elementary