The top reported proficiency rate is 33% in English language arts. The lowest is 29% in Math.
Original Research by School Decision on Sally Ride Elementary: a Smart Academy
Sally Ride Elementary: A SMArT Academy sits in South Los Angeles, in a neighborhood where the vast majority of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch and where the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a smaller share of Black students. It serves roughly equal cohorts across kindergarten through fifth grade, enrolling a small elementary school population.
On California's state assessments, the school's proficiency results are low. In English language arts, overall proficiency across tested grades stands in the bottom quartile when compared to other schools in Los Angeles County. In math, results are similarly weak. In fifth-grade science, proficiency is also low. The gap is substantial: a parent reviewing these numbers would see that fewer than a third of students, and in some grades fewer than a quarter, are meeting state proficiency standards in core subjects. This is the kind of pattern where a parent may want to look into further with the school what specific interventions are underway, what the trajectory has been, and what support systems are in place for students who are not yet proficient.
The school does not appear to have previous-year test data in the available records, so trend information is not available. The proficiency results shown are from the most recent school year only.
The neighborhood and the broader Los Angeles housing market shape context here. The zip code sits in an area where home values have declined modestly year over year, though they remain high in absolute terms. Rents are substantial and have also declined slightly. The affordability picture is tight: monthly rent consumes nearly half of median household income in the area, and mortgage payments would be significantly higher. The city of Los Angeles is in an active growth and housing phase, with new zoning and incentive programs adopted to increase housing supply, but long-term affordability pressures persist, especially in neighborhoods where family incomes are lower.
Los Angeles Unified, the parent district, has undertaken several district-wide changes relevant to families. The district implemented an all-day ban on student cellphones, smartwatches, and earbuds, effective in February, which affects daily communication between home and school and campus culture. Voters approved a large school facilities bond to repair aging buildings, funded through property tax increases that families will carry long-term. The district also revamped its Black Student Achievement Plan, which funds culturally responsive curriculum and additional counseling and staffing support at selected schools; the program received increased funding for the current school year. These changes reflect the district's priorities around building condition, phone and focus, and culturally informed instruction, and they apply system-wide.
Sally Ride Elementary's name references an astronaut and scientist, and the school identifies itself as a SMArT Academy, suggesting an emphasis on science, technology, and related coursework, though specific program details are not available in the data provided. The school is a regular public elementary, not a charter or specialized magnet, and sits within the broader LAUSD footprint.
For families considering this school, the central question is the gap between current proficiency and grade-level mastery, the support available to close it, and how the school's particular approach or staffing addresses student needs. The neighborhood context is economically stretched, the student population speaks to the diversity of Los Angeles, and the school operates within a district navigating major structural shifts in facilities, technology policy, and curriculum focus.
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