Valley Oaks Elementary, Galt CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Valley Oaks Elementary

Valley Oaks Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Galt, a small, growing Sacramento County city on Highway 99 between Sacramento and Stockton. The school enrolls a small student body drawn largely from the surrounding Galt neighborhoods, with a student composition that reflects the city's demographics: the student population is predominantly Hispanic, with a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

In state testing for the 2024-25 school year, Valley Oaks showed mixed results by grade and subject. English language arts proficiency ranged from the upper forties in third grade down to the upper thirties in fifth grade, then recovered to above midway in sixth grade. Mathematics proficiency was lower overall, starting in the mid-forties in third grade, dropping to around forty percent in fourth grade, then falling sharply to around twenty percent in fifth grade before rising again in sixth grade. Science proficiency, measured only in fifth grade, was in the mid-teens. Across all tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index placed it in the top quartile among schools in Sacramento County districts, a notable strength relative to its peers.

The pattern of results suggests strengths in early grades and a particular challenge in fifth-grade mathematics. Parents may want to look into what's happening in that grade level and what support the school offers for students who are not yet meeting proficiency. The sixth-grade recovery in both English language arts and mathematics offers some evidence that upper-grade instruction can shift outcomes, though the science result points to an area the school may need to address.

Galt itself is on an active growth trajectory. New master-planned subdivisions on the city's east and northeast sides are bringing families with school-aged children into the community. Housing values in the area reflect a working-to-middle-income market, with an estimated price-to-income ratio above the national average, meaning housing is less affordable than the national norm. The city has a defined downtown anchored by C Street and a city-run farmer market, though the broader setting is car-oriented and suburban. Public transit exists but is limited; a car is effectively necessary for most daily trips outside the immediate neighborhood. The local economy centers on manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, education, and government, with most workers commuting to jobs elsewhere in Sacramento County.

Valley Oaks is a neighborhood elementary school in a community of young families, serving students across the full K-6 band. The school's location on C Street places it in the central part of town. Data on special education enrollment and English learner support was not available, so a parent may want to ask the school directly about the scope of those services and how they are staffed. The district brief did not yield information on recent changes or strategic initiatives, so understanding the school's own priorities and any recent shifts in staffing or programming would be worth asking about when considering the school as a placement.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 53% · ▼ 9 pts below district

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 440%

School 40% · District 41% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 5 pts above county median

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 41% · ▼ 20 pts below district

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

Grade 645%

School 45% · District 40% · ▲ 5 pts above district

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

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 50% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 441%

School 41% · District 45% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 539%

School 39% · District 56% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 1 pts below county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 52% · ▲ 4 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 31% · ▼ 14 pts below district

▼ 11 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolGalt Joint Union 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-income44%Higher-income46%2 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income35%Higher-income53%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income50%Higher-income85%35 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income41%Higher-income54%13 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income24%4 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income38%Higher-income77%39 pp gap