Madrona Elementary, Thousand Oaks CA

Original Research by School Decision on Madrona Elementary

Madrona Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Thousand Oaks, with an enrollment of roughly a quarter thousand. The school sits in a predominantly residential suburb in the Conejo Valley, an area known for knolls, oak woodlands, and nature. The city was built largely as a planned community and is car-oriented; families here will likely drive their children to school rather than walking.

The student body is diverse. About half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Roughly half the students are Hispanic, two-fifths are white, and smaller numbers identify as Asian, two or more races, or Black. The school does not report counts or rates for English learners or students with individualized education programs, so parents seeking that detail will need to ask the school directly.

On California's state assessments in 2024-25, Madrona's results were mixed. In English language arts across grades three through five, proficiency ranged from one-third of students in grade three to three-fifths in grade five, with an overall rate around half. Math proficiency was lower, ranging from about two-fifths in grade four to three-fifths in grade three, with an overall rate near half. In science, tested only in grade five, proficiency was just over one-third. When proficiency rates across all tested subjects and grades are averaged together, the school sits above the midpoint among elementary and middle schools in Ventura County. That context matters: Madrona is performing better than many of its county neighbors, though the absolute numbers show plenty of students not yet meeting grade-level standards, particularly in math and science.

The state assessment data reflects only one year of results, so a parent may want to ask the school about performance trends over time and what instructional moves are underway to boost math and science proficiency, especially in the upper elementary grades where declines appear steeper.

Thousand Oaks itself is in transition. Long known for slow growth, the city is now adding multifamily and mixed-use housing to meet state-mandated housing targets, with several major projects either under construction or approved. The median home value in the area is substantial, well above state benchmarks, and rents have risen noticeably over the past year. Mortgage costs and rent both run high relative to median household income, so families should expect housing affordability to be a significant factor here.

At the district level, Conejo Valley Unified has adopted an ethnic studies course requirement for graduation, beginning with the class of 2030. The district is also defending a lawsuit filed by parents in 2022 alleging age-inappropriate health and sex education materials, with the case proceeding through appeals. Parents weighing this district should review the current curriculum materials and the district's approach to parent notification on these topics, as this remains an active contested issue within the community.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 358%

School 58% · District 70% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 66% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 59% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 333%

School 33% · District 64% · ▼ 31 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 451%

School 51% · District 70% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▲ 9 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 560%

School 60% · District 72% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 15 pts above county median

Science

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 57% · ▼ 22 pts below district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 6 pts above county median

This schoolConejo Valley Unified, 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-income25%Higher-income47%22 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income30%Higher-income71%41 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income50%Higher-income79%29 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income46%Higher-income77%30 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income19%Higher-income59%40 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income27%Higher-income86%59 pp gap