Columbia Elementary, Redding CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Columbia Elementary

Columbia Elementary is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through fourth grade in Redding, California. The school sits in a mid-sized regional city and serves a student body with moderate economic need and mostly White enrollment, alongside smaller populations of Hispanic, multiracial, Asian, Native Hawaiian, American Indian, and Black students.

The school's academic performance shows mixed results. In the most recent state testing, third graders in math proficiency sat slightly above half, while fourth graders dropped notably lower in both math and English language arts. English language arts proficiency across tested grades sits near half. The overall proficiency index places Columbia Elementary in the top quartile among schools across Shasta County's school districts, which is a genuine strength and suggests the school performs better than the typical elementary school in its county comparison set. However, the proficiency rates themselves, hovering around half or below, reflect a student body with substantial academic need. Available science data from earlier years showed higher proficiency, though that assessment has since been discontinued statewide.

About half the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, pointing to moderate economic stress among families. The school's enrollment sits at a typical size for an elementary school serving its grade band, with roughly balanced enrollment across grades, suggesting stable demand and no recent dramatic shifts in the school's student population.

Redding itself is the county seat and regional hub for far Northern California. The city has undergone active revitalization, especially downtown, with new mixed-use housing, walkable retail and dining, and public art concentrated around Market Street and the Sacramento River. The city is rebuilding after the Carr Fire and adding new residential subdivisions on the west and edges. Healthcare is the dominant industry, anchored by two hospitals and regional employers including Sierra Pacific Industries and Shasta College. Housing is moderately priced relative to the national benchmark and rental costs are modest, though the market has seen slight softening year-over-year. The unemployment rate is moderate.

Parents evaluating Columbia Elementary should note that while the school's proficiency index is competitive within its county, the absolute proficiency rates in recent state testing indicate that fewer than half of tested students in most grades are meeting grade-level standards in core subjects. The school's position in the top quartile reflects its county context; a reader looking for stronger absolute proficiency may want to investigate further with the school about intervention and support strategies for students below grade level. English learner and special education enrollment data were not available. No recent district-level policy changes or major program initiatives were identified that would signal shifting strategy or direction. The school serves a stable, moderate-income neighborhood in a growing regional city with expanding housing and services.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 360%

School 60% · District 59% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 17 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 442%

School 42% · District 42% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 51% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 11 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 47% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 5 pts above state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 564%

School 64% · District 30% · ▲ 35 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 30 pts above county median

This schoolColumbia Elementary, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income38%Higher-income64%27 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income45%7 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income69%13 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income50%Higher-income69%19 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income41%Higher-income43%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income53%Higher-income73%20 pp gap