Woodcrest Elementary, Fullerton CA

Original Research by School Decision on Woodcrest Elementary

Woodcrest Elementary is a small public school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in Fullerton, located in Orange County. The school enrolls a student body that is predominantly Latino, with most students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. The economic profile of the school's enrollment reflects broader affordability pressures in Orange County: though median home values in the area remain high and rents have climbed modestly, the cost of living outpaces what many households in the Woodcrest attendance zone earn.

The state assessment results show persistently low proficiency across tested subjects and grades. In English language arts, overall proficiency across the tested grades falls well below the midpoint among the county's elementary schools. Math proficiency is notably lower still, with only a small fraction of students meeting state standards in the upper elementary grades. Science proficiency at the grade where it is assessed sits in the lowest range. These results place Woodcrest in the bottom quartile of schools in the county when proficiency is averaged across all tested subjects and grades.

The pattern of results is worth noting: students in third grade perform somewhat better in both subjects than students in fourth through sixth grades, where proficiency drops sharply. A parent may want to ask the school what instructional supports are available to address this performance gap and what the school has identified as barriers to proficiency in the upper elementary years.

Fullerton Elementary School District, which serves the school, operates structured programs that may be of interest to families. The district runs gifted and talented education screening for all second graders using a nationally recognized assessment, with qualified students either receiving enrichment at their home school or transferring to designated GATE schools where cohorts remain together through sixth grade. The district also maintains dual language programs in Spanish and Korean. In late 2025, the board directed administration to identify a south Fullerton school site to expand the Spanish dual language program, with a new offering planned for the 2027-28 school year, signaling continued investment in language immersion. Additionally, the district has launched the Spyder Lab, a Career Technical Education program at the junior high level, blending entrepreneurship, graphic design, and business strategy with industry tools.

Fullerton itself is a mixed residential, commercial, and industrial city known as "The Education Community," home to California State University, Fullerton and Fullerton College, along with major employers in healthcare and manufacturing. The Fullerton Transportation Center, one of Orange County's busiest transit hubs, anchors downtown and connects residents to regional rail and bus service. The city has invested in downtown revitalization centered around mixed-use redevelopment near the transit station, and recent state policy changes are pushing higher-density housing near transit corridors.

For a family considering Woodcrest, the school's small size, the composition of its student population, and its location in an urbanizing neighborhood are straightforward characteristics to weigh. The state test data, however, signal that the school faces academic challenges. Understanding what the school is doing to address proficiency gaps, what support systems exist for students who are not yet meeting grade-level standards, and how the broader district strategy filters down to classroom practice would be worth exploring in conversations with school leadership.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 338%

School 38% · District 58% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 423%

School 23% · District 57% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 50% · ▼ 39 pts below district

▼ 20 pts below state median · ▼ 35 pts below county median

Grade 612%

School 12% · District 51% · ▼ 39 pts below district

▼ 18 pts below state median · ▼ 34 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 336%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Grade 429%

School 29% · District 59% · ▼ 30 pts below district

▼ 13 pts below state median · ▼ 26 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 62% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 38 pts below county median

Grade 633%

School 33% · District 66% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Science

Grade 511%

School 11% · District 44% · ▼ 33 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

This schoolFullerton 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.