Columbine Elementary, Delano CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Columbine Elementary

Columbine Elementary is a small K-8 public school in Delano, a mid-sized San Joaquin Valley city whose economy revolves around agriculture, with deep roots in the farmworker movement and a historic railroad origin. The school serves a student body of modest size, predominantly Hispanic and low-income, in a community defined by farm work and rural character.

The school's academic profile shows uneven strength. In the tested grade bands, Columbine's overall proficiency in math and English language arts sits above the midpoint for Tulare County districts, placing it in the top quartile among the county's schools. The pattern across grades, however, reveals a meaningful split. In the elementary grades (third and fourth), proficiency in both subjects runs below a majority. By fifth grade and above, results strengthen considerably. Math proficiency reaches the majority at fifth grade and stays there, climbing to notably strong performance by seventh and eighth grade. English language arts shows a sharper jump, with only about a third of fourth graders meeting proficiency but then two-thirds or higher from fifth grade forward, and reaching strong proficiency in grades six, seven, and eight. Science proficiency, where tested at fifth and eighth grade, sits closer to half, suggesting that subject may warrant closer attention. No recent social studies testing data is available to show current performance in that subject.

The school's context shapes expectations and constraints. A substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the majority speak a language other than English at home, though English learner enrollment data was not available. This is a lower-income, multilingual school serving a rural community tied to seasonal agriculture. Delano itself is experiencing moderate growth with housing development underway, but the housing market remains tight and affordability pressures persist; median home values in the area are moderate, and rents reflect working-family budgets.

Columbine is a traditional public school with no specialized programs, magnet status, or charter structure noted in the data. The school appears to operate as a single-school district, a structure that often reflects small, rural communities. Beyond the state testing results, detailed information on course offerings, staffing, discipline policies, or student support services was not available. The school's website, if one exists, was not provided. No graduation rate is reported because the school does not serve high school grades.

The upward trend in performance from fourth to fifth grade and beyond merits attention. Whether this reflects stronger instruction at upper grades, changing student populations, or other factors would be worth exploring with the school directly. The lower elementary proficiency rates, particularly in English language arts at fourth grade, suggest that a parent might want to ask about literacy support and intervention structures in those earlier grades. The science results also invite inquiry into how that subject is being taught and supported.

For a family considering this school, the profile is of a small rural school serving a working-family community, with demonstrated strength in upper-grade proficiency but some soft spots in the lower grades, particularly in literacy. The school's character, peer environment, and specific supports for multilingual learners and students from low-income families would be worth discussing directly with school leadership.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 357%

School 57% · District 57%

▲ 14 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

Grade 454%

School 54% · District 54%

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 565%

School 65% · District 65%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 64%

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 40 pts above county median

Grade 767%

School 67% · District 67%

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 54 pts above state median · ▲ 58 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 350%

School 50% · District 50%

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

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 31%

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 4 pts below county median

Grade 570%

School 70% · District 70%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 34 pts above county median

Grade 673%

School 73% · District 73%

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

Grade 783%

School 83% · District 83%

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 45 pts above county median

Grade 882%

School 82% · District 82%

▲ 38 pts above state median · ▲ 42 pts above county median

Science

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 52%

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 33 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 46%

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 26 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 844%

School 44% · District 44%

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

This schoolColumbine 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 5Lower-income75%Higher-income64%11 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income82%18 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income58%Higher-income73%14 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income64%Higher-income64%0 pp gap