Joseph Sims Elementary, Elk Grove CA

Original Research by School Decision on Joseph Sims Elementary

Joseph Sims Elementary is a regular public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Elk Grove, a fast-growing suburban city south of Sacramento. The school enrolls about that many students, drawn from a diverse student body: roughly a third identify as Hispanic, about a quarter as Asian, and smaller shares of white, Black, and multiracial students. About two in five students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a rough proxy for economic need.

The most recent state testing data shows mixed results across the school's grades. In English language arts, performance ranges considerably by grade. Third and fifth graders score around the middle of the proficiency range, while fourth graders fall a bit below that, but sixth graders perform notably stronger. In mathematics, the pattern is weaker overall: fifth graders are the lowest-performing grade, sitting well below the midpoint, while third, fourth, and sixth graders cluster below the middle range. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows particularly low performance. Across all tested subjects and grades combined, Joseph Sims sits in the top quartile of elementary schools in Sacramento County on overall proficiency, a position that reflects some strength relative to its neighbors, though the school's own grade-by-grade picture is uneven. A parent looking at these numbers may want to discuss with the school where support is concentrated and what the school sees as priority areas for improvement, particularly in math and science.

Enrollment data shows the school is stable across its grade bands, with no dramatic swings. Special education enrollment numbers and English learner counts were not available in the data provided. Staff composition and attendance metrics were also not included.

Elk Grove itself is a mixed suburban landscape undergoing rapid growth. The city has shifted from agricultural roots to residential and commercial development, with thousands of acres converted to master-planned neighborhoods. A historic Old Town district survives, but most daily life is car-dependent beyond that core. The city sits about a short drive from downtown Sacramento and the airport, with transit available through the regional bus system. Housing values are somewhat above the national benchmark, and rental costs are in line with broader trends; a parent would find a suburban housing market in motion, neither especially affordable nor among the state's costliest. The school district, Elk Grove Unified, is among the area's largest employers.

Joseph Sims serves a neighborhood within this growth context, a pocket of suburban Elk Grove. For families seeking a regular public elementary school with a diverse peer group and room to evaluate where their own child fits academically, this school merits a closer conversation with staff about its instructional approach and where support concentrates.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 343%

School 43% · District 53% · ▼ 10 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 438%

School 38% · District 49% · ▼ 12 pts below district

even with state median · ▲ 3 pts above county median

Grade 533%

School 33% · District 39% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 649%

School 49% · District 46% · ▲ 4 pts above district

▲ 19 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 354%

School 54% · District 51% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Grade 445%

School 45% · District 53% · ▼ 8 pts below district

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

Grade 552%

School 52% · District 54% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Grade 668%

School 68% · District 58% · ▲ 10 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 527%

School 27% · District 34% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 1 pts below state median · ▲ 2 pts above county median

This schoolElk Grove 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-income46%Higher-income63%18 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income31%Higher-income57%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income34%Higher-income73%39 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income86%46 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income35%Higher-income53%17 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income24%Higher-income50%26 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income14%Higher-income56%41 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income23%Higher-income65%42 pp gap