Leffingwell Elementary, Whittier CA

Original Research by School Decision on Leffingwell Elementary

Leffingwell Elementary is a traditional public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Whittier, a diverse Southern California city with a strong small-business presence and an economy anchored in healthcare and education. The school is part of the East Whittier City Elementary School District.

The student body of roughly a mid-sized cohort for its grade band is predominantly Latino, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic character of the area. Data on English learner enrollment and special education enrollment were not available.

In state testing from the most recent year, Leffingwell shows a mixed academic picture. In English language arts, proficiency across tested grades sits in the mid-to-upper range, with fourth and fifth graders posting stronger results than third graders. Mathematics proficiency is lower, declining noticeably from third grade through fifth grade. In science, only fifth grade is tested, and proficiency there falls below the school's performance in literacy and math. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index places it in the top quartile relative to districts in Los Angeles County, which is a genuine strength given the composition and economic context of the school's community.

The data offered only a single year of results, so trends over time cannot be assessed. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school on how proficiency has moved across recent years, particularly in mathematics where the downward grade-level pattern raises a question worth exploring directly.

Whittier itself is a residential community with active retail and service sectors, home to healthcare facilities including Whittier Hospital Medical Center, Whittier College, and a range of government and education institutions. The housing market reflects Southern California pricing, with median home values substantially above the national benchmark. The local economy emphasizes healthcare, education, retail, and manufacturing, with major employers including PIH Health and the school district itself.

The school's grades are among the age groups tested by the state, so full data coverage applies. No data was available on staffing, attendance, discipline, or course-level program offerings beyond grade-level structure. Whether the school offers enrichment programs, specialized instruction, or other course content within its elementary grades was not addressed in the available information.

Leffingwell is a neighborhood school in a stable, family-oriented community. Its academic performance, particularly the strong county-relative standing in overall proficiency, reflects effective instruction in a school serving a working-class, predominantly immigrant-heritage population. Parents should view the mathematics proficiency pattern as a concrete item to ask about directly with the school and to monitor as their child advances through the grades.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 381%

School 81% · District 60% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

Grade 469%

School 69% · District 53% · ▲ 17 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 49% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 57% · ▲ 13 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Grade 473%

School 73% · District 55% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 574%

School 74% · District 62% · ▲ 12 pts above district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 27 pts above county median

Science

Grade 546%

School 46% · District 38% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

This schoolEast Whittier City 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-income61%Higher-income81%20 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income56%Higher-income94%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income62%Higher-income87%25 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income76%Higher-income86%11 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income55%Higher-income85%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income77%29 pp gap