Jefferson Elementary, Fresno CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Jefferson Elementary

Jefferson Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in downtown Fresno, near Mariposa Street. The school's enrollment is small for its grade span, with a student body that is predominantly Hispanic and nearly universally economically disadvantaged—virtually all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

The school's recent state test results show uneven performance across grades and subjects. In English language arts, fourth-graders show solid proficiency, while younger and older grades trail noticeably. Mathematics tells a similar story: fourth-grade students perform well, but fifth and sixth graders fall well below proficiency in substantial numbers, and third-graders sit in the middle. Fifth-grade science proficiency is notably low. Across both tested subjects, the school's overall proficiency sits above the median among Fresno County's school-serving districts, placing it in the top quartile countywide, though that comparison reflects where the school ranks among tested schools in the county, not how it compares to state benchmarks.

Performance varies meaningfully by grade level, and a parent may want to ask the school directly about what transitions happen between third and fourth grade (where results improve) and what academic supports are in place for the upper elementary grades, where test results suggest students encounter increasing difficulty.

The school sits in a downtown location in a city undergoing active revitalization. Fresno itself is California's largest Central Valley city, historically built outward in sprawl patterns but now seeing policy and investment directed at downtown growth. The neighborhood around Jefferson is mixed-use—part of a downtown core that includes cultural districts and is seeing new housing development. Housing costs are below state and national benchmarks. The broader region carries a strong agricultural employment base alongside services and government work. The city's walkability varies sharply: downtown pockets like the Cultural Arts and Mural Districts are genuinely walkable, while much of Fresno is car-dependent.

Jefferson's peer composition reflects concentrated poverty and a predominantly Hispanic student base. This is neither a strength nor a weakness as stated, but the concentration itself means the school serves a particular kind of learning environment—one where family economic hardship is near-universal and cultural continuity is strong. Such schools often benefit from deliberate language and literacy support; a parent with English learners in the household might ask whether the school offers robust ELL services, as specific counts were not available in the data. The school's location in a revitalizing downtown core may bring future changes in the surrounding neighborhood composition and services available to families.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 361%

School 61% · District 37% · ▲ 24 pts above district

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

Grade 479%

School 79% · District 34% · ▲ 46 pts above district

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

Grade 535%

School 35% · District 26% · ▲ 9 pts above district

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

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 29% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 352%

School 52% · District 35% · ▲ 18 pts above district

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

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 35% · ▲ 37 pts above district

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

Grade 542%

School 42% · District 36% · ▲ 6 pts above district

▼ 3 pts below state median · even with county median

Grade 660%

School 60% · District 38% · ▲ 22 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 19% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

This schoolFresno 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.