Is Mark Twain Elementary School a good school?

Mark Twain Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.5% of Washington elementary schools.

How many students attend Mark Twain Elementary School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 537 students attended Mark Twain Elementary School.

What is the racial makeup of Mark Twain Elementary School?

Students at Mark Twain Elementary School are 29% Hispanic, 22% Asian, 21% African American, 11% Two or more races, 9% Pacific Islander, 8% White.

What schools do graduates of Mark Twain Elementary School attend?

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary School usually go on to attend: Middle : Evergreen Middle School

Mark Twain Elementary School

Summary:

Mark Twain Elementary School is a public elementary school in Federal Way, Washington, serving 489 students in grades PK-5. The school is part of the Federal Way School District, which is ranked 213 out of 247 districts in the state and has a 1-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Mark Twain Elementary has a highly diverse student population, with significant percentages of African American (20.86%), Hispanic (30.67%), and Asian (18.81%) students. However, the school's academic performance, as measured by standardized test scores, is significantly lower than the state and district averages. In the 2023-2024 school year, only 27.78% of students were proficient or better in English Language Arts, compared to 52.63% statewide and 35.31% in the Federal Way School District. In math, the proficiency rate was just 13.18%, compared to 41.68% statewide and 23.51% in the district. The school also has a very high percentage of students (over 92%) who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a high level of economic disadvantage among the student population.

While Mark Twain Elementary has consistently ranked among the lowest-performing elementary schools in Washington, some nearby schools in the Federal Way School District, such as Camelot Elementary and Nautilus K-8, have significantly higher academic achievement, with proficiency rates in the 30-50% range for English Language Arts and Math. This suggests that there may be opportunities to learn from the practices and strategies of these higher-performing schools to help improve outcomes for the students at Mark Twain Elementary.

Detail:

Public PK, KG-5

2450 S Star Lake Rd
Federal Way, WA 98003-6977

(253) 945-3100

District: Federal Way School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1116^th of 1,168 Washington Elementary Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $21,457

Students who attend Mark Twain Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:

Evergreen Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7

Number of students: 537

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

28.7%

Asian:

22.3%

African American:

20.9%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 94.4%

See top rated Washington elementary schools

Compare Mark Twain Elementary School to nearby elementary schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Mark Twain Elementary School ranks worse than 95.5% of elementary schools in Washington. It also ranks 19^th among 23 ranked elementary schools in the Federal Way School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.8. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Mark Twain Elementary School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (28.7%), Asian (22.3%), African American (20.9%). (See more...)

Compare Details 94.4% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. This is the highest percentage in the Federal Way School District. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Mark Twain Elementary School is 16.7. 16 elementary schools in the Federal Way School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Mark Twain Elementary School employs 32 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Mark Twain Elementary School is $21,457, which is the 11^th highest among 23 elementary schools in the Federal Way School District.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Mark Twain Elementary School:

SchoolDigger ranks Mark Twain Elementary School 1116^th of 1168 Washington public elementary schools. (See Mark Twain Elementary School in the ranking list.)

Elementary School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

English Language Learner students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

Federal Way School District:

SchoolDigger ranks Federal Way School District 213^th of 247 Washington school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Mark Twain Elementary School.

What do you think?

Your rating for Mark Twain Elementary School?

(Ranking FAQ)

Rank History for Mark Twain Elementary School

Compare

Rank History for all students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2004	25.92	816^th	1026	20.5%
2005	30.22	761^st	1031	26.2%
2006	33.71	752^nd	1051	28.4%
2007	29.32	811^th	1069	24.1%
2008	31.81	782^nd	1067	26.7%
2009	40.87	685^th	1072	36.1%
2010	43.18	649^th	1088	40.3%
2011	50.53	558^th	1092	48.9%
2012	37.39	755^th	1097	31.2%
2013	28.21	863^rd	1106	22.0%
2015	17.00	936^th	1067	12.3%
2016	23.66	847^th	1053	19.6%
2017	8.25	1010^th	1056	4.4%
2018	9.65	998^th	1054	5.3%
2019	7.00	1090^th	1130	3.5%
2021	6.20	1093^rd	1107	1.3%
2022	6.13	1145^th	1169	2.1%
2023	7.63	1128^th	1169	3.5%
2024	7.80	1116^th	1168	4.5%

See the entire list of Washington Elementary School Rankings!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	30.55	268^th	333	19.5%
2023	16.61	226^th	254	11.0%
2024	9.69	316^th	320	1.3%

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

Rank History for Special Education students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	21.48	549^th	637	13.8%

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

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	14.15	792^nd	835	5.1%
2019	14.09	928^th	979	5.2%
2021	13.51	821^st	854	3.9%
2022	11.80	983^rd	1019	3.5%
2023	11.46	971^st	1013	4.1%
2024	13.07	962^nd	1024	6.1%

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

Rank History for Female students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	13.34	914^th	1004	9.0%
2019	7.19	1036^th	1068	3.0%
2021	6.30	997^th	1008	1.1%
2022	5.22	1092^nd	1100	0.7%
2023	7.59	1063^rd	1094	2.8%
2024	7.77	1059^th	1093	3.1%

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

Rank History for Male students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	7.34	966^th	999	3.3%
2019	8.25	1030^th	1075	4.2%
2021	11.33	959^th	1025	6.4%
2022	11.62	1030^th	1113	7.5%
2023	9.02	1059^th	1099	3.6%
2024	10.38	1043^rd	1099	5.1%

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

Rank History for Asian students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	25.77	138^th	169	18.3%
2019	4.34	200^th	201	0.5%
2021	7.93	123^rd	131	6.1%
2022	3.02	183^rd	187	2.1%
2023	2.68	170^th	170	0.0%

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

Rank History for African American students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	49.65	47^th	107	56.1%
2019	30.52	86^th	110	21.8%
2022	31.54	75^th	108	30.6%
2023	21.19	56^th	66	15.2%
2024	47.68	36^th	71	49.3%

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

Rank History for Hispanic students at Mark Twain Elementary School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	WA State Percentile
2018	12.99	521^st	540	3.5%
2019	17.34	633^rd	697	9.2%
2021	15.03	478^th	501	4.6%
2022	11.90	680^th	694	2.0%
2023	15.43	590^th	633	6.8%
2024	24.67	523^rd	651	19.7%

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

Data source: test scores: Washington Office of Superindentent of Public Instruction, 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: Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 1)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Student behavior sucks. They have been told multiple times to stop running through the backyard of some of our condo owners at Village at Redondo. The bus drops them of at 285th, and they run through the backyard to 284th. They curse, and throw rocks if you confront them. Horrible students. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Mark Twain Elementary School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	92	0	2	2	4	n/a	n/a	0	100
1989	90	1	1	2	6	n/a	n/a	0	100
1990	92	0	1	5	2	n/a	n/a	0	100
1991	277	67	48	38	10	n/a	n/a	0	440
1992	312	105	64	39	8	n/a	n/a	0	528
1993	317	116	75	56	13	n/a	n/a	0	577
1994	298	120	74	55	12	n/a	n/a	0	559
1995	245	172	92	78	17	n/a	n/a	0	604
1996	245	172	92	78	17	n/a	n/a	0	604
1997	230	161	99	88	17	n/a	n/a	0	595
1998	234	131	100	130	11	n/a	n/a	0	606
1999	236	159	114	128	7	n/a	n/a	0	644
2000	217	170	110	148	9	n/a	n/a	0	654
2001	193	170	137	159	5	n/a	n/a	0	664
2002	158	121	130	189	4	n/a	n/a	0	602
2003	158	121	130	189	4	n/a	n/a	0	602
2004	111	127	101	199	2	n/a	n/a	0	540
2005	95	143	94	206	3	n/a	n/a	14	555
2006	97	112	87	201	5	n/a	n/a	39	541
2007	79	102	78	198	3	n/a	n/a	32	492
2008	76	91	74	175	6	n/a	n/a	27	449
2009	66	90	90	174	4	n/a	n/a	35	459
2010	58	70	110	147	4	n/a	n/a	48	437
2011	73	93	59	201	7	50	49	0	532
2012	68	103	56	222	4	50	53	0	556
2013	59	99	61	225	1	44	53	0	542
2014	61	87	57	257	2	49	48	0	561
2015	63	102	54	231	4	59	44	0	557
2016	48	110	54	264	1	57	48	0	582
2017	57	109	67	243	0	65	45	0	586
2018	51	114	60	231	0	46	35	0	537
2019	40	131	82	207	3	52	32	0	547
2020	22	136	86	163	2	61	40	0	510
2021	24	135	87	155	1	41	36	0	479
2022	29	121	84	153	1	51	42	0	481
2023	36	102	92	150	0	51	57	1	489
2024	42	112	120	154	1	48	59	1	537

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 Mark Twain Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	100	4.0	25.0	0
1989	100	4.0	25.0	n/a
1990	100	25.3	3.9	0
1991	440	17.5	25.1	n/a
1992	528	19.3	27.3	n/a
1993	577	22.9	25.2	n/a
1994	559	23.5	23.8	n/a
1995	604	27.2	22.2	n/a
1996	604	27.2	22.2	n/a
1997	595	27.5	21.6	n/a
1998	606	27.4	22.1	n/a
1999	644	30.0	21.5	n/a
2000	654	30.5	21.4	n/a
2001	664	32.7	20.3	n/a
2002	602	31.3	19.2	65.9
2003	602	31.3	19.2	65.9
2004	540	28.0	19.3	72.6
2005	555	27.8	20.0	78.7
2006	541	30.3	17.9	80.7
2007	492	29.5	16.7	87.2
2008	449	27.7	16.2	81.3
2009	459	27.7	16.6	77.8
2010	437	25.0	17.4	92.3
2011	532	29.0	18.3	57.7
2012	556	29.0	19.1	82.7
2013	542	29.0	18.6	81.2
2014	561	n/a	n/a	78.8
2015	557	34.0	16.3	77.9
2016	582	30.0	19.4	72.2
2017	586	33.2	17.6	84
2018	537	31.1	17.2	86.2
2019	547	32.4	16.8	91.2
2020	510	33.0	15.4	89.2
2021	479	31.0	15.4	97.3
2022	481	32.2	14.9	92.7
2023	489	30.1	16.2	92.2
2024	537	32.0	16.7	94.4

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 Mark Twain Elementary School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	100	4.0	25.0	0
1989	100	4.0	25.0	n/a
1990	100	25.3	3.9	0
1991	440	17.5	25.1	n/a
1992	528	19.3	27.3	n/a
1993	577	22.9	25.2	n/a
1994	559	23.5	23.8	n/a
1995	604	27.2	22.2	n/a
1996	604	27.2	22.2	n/a
1997	595	27.5	21.6	n/a
1998	606	27.4	22.1	n/a
1999	644	30.0	21.5	n/a
2000	654	30.5	21.4	n/a
2001	664	32.7	20.3	n/a
2002	602	31.3	19.2	65.9
2003	602	31.3	19.2	65.9
2004	540	28.0	19.3	72.6
2005	555	27.8	20.0	78.7
2006	541	30.3	17.9	80.7
2007	492	29.5	16.7	87.2
2008	449	27.7	16.2	81.3
2009	459	27.7	16.6	77.8
2010	437	25.0	17.4	92.3
2011	532	29.0	18.3	57.7
2012	556	29.0	19.1	82.7
2013	542	29.0	18.6	81.2
2014	561	n/a	n/a	78.8
2015	557	34.0	16.3	77.9
2016	582	30.0	19.4	72.2
2017	586	33.2	17.6	84
2018	537	31.1	17.2	86.2
2019	547	32.4	16.8	91.2
2020	510	33.0	15.4	89.2
2021	479	31.0	15.4	97.3
2022	481	32.2	14.9	92.7
2023	489	30.1	16.2	92.2
2024	537	32.0	16.7	94.4

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.

Kindergarten Immunization Rates