Is Cielo Azul Elementary a good school?

Cielo Azul Elementary ranks 157 th of 433 New Mexico elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Cielo Azul Elementary?

In the 2022-23 school year, 698 students attended Cielo Azul Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Cielo Azul Elementary?

Students at Cielo Azul Elementary are 54% Hispanic, 30% White, 9% Two or more races, 4% African American, 3% American Indian.

What schools do graduates of Cielo Azul Elementary attend?

Students who attend Cielo Azul Elementary usually go on to attend: Middle : Rio Rancho Middle School High : Cleveland High School

Cielo Azul Elementary

Summary:

Cielo Azul Elementary is a public elementary school located in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, serving grades K-5 with a student population of 698. The school is part of the Rio Rancho school district, which is ranked 30th out of 119 districts in the state and has a 4-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Cielo Azul Elementary has shown a mixed academic performance over the years, with its statewide ranking fluctuating between 94th and 185th out of 420-435 New Mexico elementary schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, Cielo Azul's proficiency rates in English Language Arts (41%), Mathematics (30%), and Science (32%) were lower than the Rio Rancho district and state averages. However, the school's performance in certain student subgroups, such as Native American students, has been exceptional, with rankings in the top 1-3 schools in the state in recent years. Cielo Azul has a diverse student population, with significant representation of Hispanic (63%), White (24%), and Multi-racial (5%) students, and a relatively low percentage of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (18.48% in 2022-2023).

When compared to other elementary schools in the Rio Rancho district, Cielo Azul's academic performance is generally lower, with several nearby schools, such as Sandia Vista Elementary and Martin King Junior Elementary, outperforming Cielo Azul in proficiency rates and statewide rankings. However, Cielo Azul's performance is still above the state average in many areas, indicating that it is a relatively strong school within the context of New Mexico's educational landscape.

Detail:

Public K-5

3804 Shiloh Rd NE
Rio Rancho, NM 87144

(505) 338-2320

District: Rio Rancho

SchoolDigger Rank:
157^th of 433 New Mexico Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $8,635

Students who attend Cielo Azul Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Rio Rancho Middle School
High:	Cleveland High School

Student/teacher ratio: 14.2

Number of students: 698

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.7%

White:

29.5%

Two or more races:

9.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 18.5%

See top rated New Mexico elementary schools

Compare Cielo Azul Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Cielo Azul Elementary ranks better than 63.7% of elementary schools in New Mexico. It also ranks 7^th among 10 ranked elementary schools in the Rio Rancho School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 57.29. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: Hispanic (53.7%), White (29.5%), two or more races (9.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details 18.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Cielo Azul Elementary is 14.2, which is the 5^th best among 10 elementary schools in the Rio Rancho School District. (See more...)

Compare Cielo Azul Elementary employs 49.1 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Cielo Azul Elementary is $8,635. 6 elementary schools in the Rio Rancho School District spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Cielo Azul Elementary:

SchoolDigger ranks Cielo Azul Elementary 157^th of 433 New Mexico public elementary schools. (See Cielo Azul Elementary in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

English Language Learner students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Rio Rancho:

SchoolDigger ranks Rio Rancho 30^th of 119 New Mexico school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Cielo Azul Elementary

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Rank History for all students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2010	76.03	80^th	419	80.9%
2011	78.53	69^th	402	82.8%
2012	85.60	41^st	398	89.7%
2013	74.37	94^th	412	77.2%
2014	68.59	116^th	442	73.8%
2015	75.89	71^st	421	83.1%
2016	60.02	127^th	410	69.0%
2017	55.19	133^rd	374	64.4%
2018	60.02	123^rd	383	67.9%
2019	65.03	113^th	396	71.5%
2022	67.37	94^th	420	77.6%
2023	54.54	185^th	435	57.5%
2024	57.29	157^th	433	63.7%

See the entire list of New Mexico Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	36.22	62^nd	91	31.9%
2023	39.38	53^rd	83	36.1%
2024	45.39	23^rd	35	34.3%

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

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2022	64.39	46^th	203	77.3%
2023	71.53	52^nd	191	72.8%
2024	49.20	86^th	166	48.2%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	23.50	44^th	47	6.4%
2023	46.76	87^th	165	47.3%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	62.02	102^nd	356	71.3%
2019	57.51	128^th	361	64.5%
2022	64.12	78^th	410	81.0%
2023	32.65	296^th	426	30.5%

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

Rank History for Female students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	66.07	94^th	339	72.3%
2019	69.33	77^th	343	77.6%
2022	64.26	93^rd	395	76.5%
2023	49.08	191^st	390	51.0%
2024	57.49	141^st	393	64.1%

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

Rank History for Disabled students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	38.22	25^th	35	28.6%

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

Rank History for Military Connected students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2022	67.53	12^th	50	76.0%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	49.24	140^th	333	58.0%
2019	52.32	136^th	337	59.6%
2022	58.31	109^th	392	72.2%
2023	55.86	170^th	414	58.9%
2024	55.49	165^th	410	59.8%

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

Rank History for African American students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2019	50.98	5^th	11	54.5%
2022	69.29	15^th	56	73.2%
2023	52.24	23^rd	34	32.4%
2024	61.94	8^th	17	52.9%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	61.98	103^rd	329	68.7%
2019	63.39	86^th	320	73.1%
2022	68.22	65^th	389	83.3%
2023	52.02	175^th	395	55.7%
2024	54.55	163^rd	390	58.2%

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

Rank History for Native American students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	88.71	3^rd	48	93.8%
2019	90.28	1^st	64	98.4%
2023	78.39	21^st	92	77.2%

See the entire list of Best New Mexico Elementary Schools for Native American Students!

Rank History for White students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	NM State Percentile
2018	31.37	143^rd	187	23.5%
2019	35.76	137^th	199	31.2%
2022	46.77	172^nd	325	47.1%
2023	49.30	202^nd	413	51.1%
2024	35.60	178^th	293	39.2%

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

Data source: test scores: New Mexico Public Education Department, 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: New Mexico Public Education Department

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Enrollment information for Cielo Azul Elementary

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
2009	369	37	21	258	24	n/a	n/a	709
2010	233	28	15	542	11	0	0	829
2011	391	32	21	395	33	0	10	882
2012	373	27	14	387	35	0	18	854
2013	344	29	13	408	37	0	23	854
2014	307	27	10	435	23	2	24	828
2015	308	33	6	437	26	1	42	853
2016	286	25	8	445	30	3	43	840
2017	276	24	9	445	29	1	54	838
2018	260	38	9	419	26	1	41	794
2019	247	37	8	390	23	1	46	752
2020	240	35	4	396	21	0	41	737
2021	215	18	3	354	24	0	29	643
2022	220	23	4	345	17	0	54	663
2023	206	27	6	375	20	0	64	698

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 Cielo Azul Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	709	48.3	14.7	37.1
2010	829	51.2	16.1	48.7
2011	882	56.1	15.7	49.9
2012	854	54.1	15.7	52.7
2013	854	52.1	16.3	49.6
2014	828	52.1	15.8	46.4
2015	853	53.0	16.0	51.1
2016	840	52.0	16.1	49.5
2017	838	51.5	16.2	46.1
2018	794	53.4	14.8	47.2
2019	752	50.5	14.8	38.2
2020	737	51.5	14.2	40.3
2021	643	50.1	12.8	37
2022	663	43.5	15.2	33.2
2023	698	49.1	14.2	18.5

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 Cielo Azul Elementary

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
2009	709	48.3	14.7	37.1
2010	829	51.2	16.1	48.7
2011	882	56.1	15.7	49.9
2012	854	54.1	15.7	52.7
2013	854	52.1	16.3	49.6
2014	828	52.1	15.8	46.4
2015	853	53.0	16.0	51.1
2016	840	52.0	16.1	49.5
2017	838	51.5	16.2	46.1
2018	794	53.4	14.8	47.2
2019	752	50.5	14.8	38.2
2020	737	51.5	14.2	40.3
2021	643	50.1	12.8	37
2022	663	43.5	15.2	33.2
2023	698	49.1	14.2	18.5

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 Cielo Azul Elementary

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2019	$8,635

Data source: New Mexico Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Cielo Azul 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 113^th of 396 Elementary schools	Ranks 185^th of 435 Elementary schools	14%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
3rd Grade Language Arts (Cielo Azul Elementary)	34	34.3	0.3%
3rd Grade Language Arts (Rio Rancho)	35	40.8	5.8%
3rd Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	31.8	1.8%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Cielo Azul Elementary)	37	25.7	11.3%
3rd Grade Mathematics (Rio Rancho)	41	30.9	10.1%
3rd Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	32	22.5	9.5%
4th Grade Language Arts (Cielo Azul Elementary)	36	47.1	11.1%
4th Grade Language Arts (Rio Rancho)	37	41.9	4.9%
4th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	30	35.2	5.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Cielo Azul Elementary)	42	37.8	4.2%
4th Grade Mathematics (Rio Rancho)	37	31.2	5.8%
4th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	27	24.5	2.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (Cielo Azul Elementary)	30	45.2	15.2%
5th Grade Language Arts (Rio Rancho)	39	45.5	6.5%
5th Grade Language Arts (New Mexico)	33	35.7	2.7%
5th Grade Mathematics (Cielo Azul Elementary)	32	47.6	15.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (Rio Rancho)	34	44.6	10.6%
5th Grade Mathematics (New Mexico)	24	30.7	6.7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	752	698	7.2%
African American	37	27	27%
American Indian	23	20	13%
Asian	8	6	25%
Hispanic	390	375	3.8%
Pacific Islander	1	0	100%
White	247	206	16.6%
Two or More Races	46	64	39.1%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	38.2%	18.5%	19.7%

Schools Near Cielo Azul Elementary

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NM-ASR Science (2024)	NM-MSSA English Language Arts (2024)	NM-MSSA Mathematics (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
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	NM-ASR Science All Grades	NM-MSSA English Language Arts All Grades	NM-MSSA Mathematics All Grades	Total
Cielo Azul Elementary	Public	K-5	3804 Shiloh Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 338-2320	698	49	14.2	18.5%	206 (29.5%)	27 (3.9%)	375 (53.7%)	6 (0.9%)	20 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	64 (9.2%)	57.3	157^th of 433 public elementary schools	63.7%		54.5	185^th of 435 public elementary schools	57.5%	28	32.0	41.0	30.0	$8,635
Colinas Del Norte Elementary	Public	K-5	1001 Night Sky Ave NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 896-3378	584	45	12.9	100.0%	145 (24.8%)	14 (2.4%)	370 (63.4%)	1 (0.2%)	16 (2.7%)	1 (0.2%)	37 (6.3%)	33.6	275^th of 433 public elementary schools	36.5%		52.1	197^th of 435 public elementary schools	54.7%	78	32.0	33.0	16.0	$8,935
Ernest Stapleton Elementary	Public	K-5	3100 Stapleton Ave NE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 891-8473	815	52	15.6	17.3%	298 (36.6%)	6 (0.7%)	427 (52.4%)	5 (0.6%)	24 (2.9%)	0 (0.0%)	55 (6.7%)	86.8	52^nd of 433 public elementary schools	88.0%		80.2	81^st of 435 public elementary schools	81.4%	29	47.0	57.0	44.0	$8,890
Vista Grande Elementary	Public	K-5	7001 Chayote Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 771-2366	768	52	14.8	10.2%	212 (27.6%)	14 (1.8%)	433 (56.4%)	13 (1.7%)	44 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.8%)	82.8	67^th of 433 public elementary schools	84.5%		85.2	64^th of 435 public elementary schools	85.3%	3	51.0	52.0	41.0	$8,253
Enchanted Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	5400 Obregon Rd NE	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	No	(505) 891-8526	723	48	14.9	14.7%	230 (31.8%)	16 (2.2%)	411 (56.8%)	7 (1.0%)	17 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (5.8%)	88.4	46^th of 433 public elementary schools	89.4%		81.9	77^th of 435 public elementary schools	82.3%	31	53.0	54.0	49.0	$7,891
Puesta Del Sol Elementary	Public	K-5	450 Southern Blvd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 994-3305	597	51	11.6	100.0%	136 (22.8%)	4 (0.7%)	414 (69.3%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (2.2%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (4.7%)	39.4	244^th of 433 public elementary schools	43.6%		32.6	294^th of 435 public elementary schools	32.4%	50	31.0	34.0	21.0	$8,908
Maggie Cordova Elementary School	Public	K-5	1500 Veranda Rd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 994-0229	674	56	12.0	100.0%	169 (25.1%)	14 (2.1%)	427 (63.4%)	6 (0.9%)	10 (1.5%)	0 (0.0%)	48 (7.1%)	67.2	125^th of 433 public elementary schools	71.1%		62.5	152^nd of 435 public elementary schools	65.1%	27	41.0	43.0	35.0	$8,930
Martin King Junior Elementary	Public	K-5	1301 Nicklaus Dr SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 892-2575	628	44	14.2	16.1%	182 (29.0%)	20 (3.2%)	339 (54.0%)	23 (3.7%)	12 (1.9%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (8.3%)	76.2	93^rd of 433 public elementary schools	78.5%		71.9	115^th of 435 public elementary schools	73.6%	22	41.0	53.0	35.0	$7,579
Rio Rancho Elementary	Public	K-5	4601 Pepe Ortiz Rd SE	Rio Rancho	87124	Sandoval County	Rio Rancho	No	(n/a)	No	Yes	(505) 892-0220	534	40	13.2	100.0%	136 (25.5%)	3 (0.6%)	331 (62.0%)	4 (0.7%)	31 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (5.4%)	42	232^nd of 433 public elementary schools	46.4%		58.4	170^th of 435 public elementary schools	60.9%	62	29.0	39.0	19.0	$9,461
Explore Academy - Rio Rancho	Public, Charter	K-6	6090 Zenith Court	Rio Rancho	87144	Sandoval County	Explore Academy - Rio Rancho	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(505) 306-5283	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)	50.0	48.0	29.0

Cielo Azul Elementary

Cielo Azul Elementary:

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Rio Rancho:

What do you think?

Rank History for Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for all students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Special Education students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Female students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Disabled students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Military Connected students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Male students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for African American students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Hispanic students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for Native American students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Rank History for White students at Cielo Azul Elementary

Enrollment information for Cielo Azul Elementary

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Cielo Azul Elementary

Student/Teacher Ratio Cielo Azul Elementary

Per Pupil Expenditures for Cielo Azul Elementary

Impact of COVID-19 on Cielo Azul Elementary

Rankings

Test Scores

Student Body

Schools Near Cielo Azul Elementary

Frequently Asked Questions about Cielo Azul Elementary

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