The top reported proficiency rate is 73% in English language arts. The lowest is 64% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Franklin Elementary
Franklin Elementary sits in Alameda, a residential island city in the San Francisco Bay with a blend of Victorian and Craftsman homes in established neighborhoods and mid-century housing near the shoreline. The school occupies a small enrollment for an elementary school, with students spread evenly across its kindergarten through fifth-grade span. Just over a fifth of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, and the school's population is ethnically diverse, with the largest share of white students, followed by multiracial, Asian, Hispanic, and Black students.
The most recent state testing data shows Franklin performing solidly in the lower tested grades and more unevenly at fifth grade. Third graders show strong performance in both English Language Arts and math, with the vast majority meeting or exceeding proficiency standards in both subjects. Fourth graders maintain similar levels of strength. By fifth grade, however, the picture shifts. English Language Arts proficiency remains high, and science proficiency (measured only at grade five in California) sits in the middle range. Math at fifth grade is where Franklin shows a notable dip, with a meaningful share of students falling below proficiency. Looking across all tested grades and subjects together, Franklin ranks in the top quartile of schools when compared against districts in Alameda County overall, placing it above the median performance level regionally.
The decline in fifth-grade math warrants a parent conversation with the school. This pattern, where students performing well in earlier grades encounter difficulty in grade five mathematics, can reflect either a curriculum or instruction shift at that level, changes in student engagement as children move into upper elementary, or a prior-year gap that widens as math grows more abstract. A parent may want to look into this further with the school to understand whether it is a cohort-specific issue, whether particular topics are proving difficult, and what support systems exist for students who are not yet proficient.
Alameda Unified, the district that operates Franklin, is in the midst of significant curriculum changes aimed at strengthening literacy and mathematics pathways. The district has been building a literacy framework since 2023 and recently recommended adoption of a new elementary English Language Arts curriculum to take effect in the 2026-2027 school year. In secondary math, the district approved a restructured integrated pathway in spring 2024 designed to expand access to advanced and AP courses, particularly for students who are underrepresented in upper-level math. These shifts are structural and apply across all schools in the district, so Franklin families can expect to see the new ELA curriculum roll out at the school and should monitor communication from the district about its implementation.
The Alameda housing market is expensive, with median home values well above the state benchmark and rents in the upper range for the region. The city has a genuine downtown anchored by Park Street, a walkable commercial and civic spine with shops, restaurants, libraries, and cultural venues. Schools are woven into neighborhood life, not separated to campuses. Transportation in and out of Alameda is via ferry and car; AC Transit bus service connects to the broader Bay Area, and a new pedestrian and bicycle water shuttle to Oakland began operation in mid-2024.
The city's primary growth is concentrated at Alameda Point, a large former Naval Air Station being redeveloped for residential and commercial use, which will add considerable new housing over the coming years. The rest of Alameda is relatively stable, characterized by family-oriented neighborhoods with established schools and services. For families considering Franklin, the practical question is whether they fit in this particular part of Alameda and whether the school's current strength in the early grades and emerging math pattern at fifth grade aligns with their child's needs and learning trajectory.
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