Browning Road Steam Academy, Mcfarland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Browning Road Steam Academy

Browning Road STEAM Academy is a public elementary school serving kindergarten through sixth grade in McFarland, a small agricultural city in Kern County. The school enrolls a small student population drawn almost entirely from the surrounding neighborhood, with an economic profile that reflects the broader economic realities of the area: a substantial share of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly Hispanic/Latino.

The school's name signals an emphasis on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) programming. State assessment data from the most recent school year shows student proficiency in English language arts and mathematics across the tested grades. In English language arts, proficiency rates range across the grade levels, with sixth grade showing higher achievement than the other grades. In mathematics, proficiency rates are lower, ranging from the high teens to low twenties across grades three through six. A science assessment was administered in grade five, showing limited proficiency. On a composite measure of overall proficiency across tested subjects and grades, Browning Road sits below the midpoint relative to districts in Kern County.

The school draws from McFarland itself, a working-class farm town of modest size where agriculture and related food-processing sectors dominate employment. The area is characterized by family-centered, quiet residential neighborhoods with local retail scattered along avenues like Perkins. Larger shopping and dining are typically sought in nearby Delano and Bakersfield. Housing values in the McFarland area are well below state and national medians, making it more affordable than much of California, though affordability metrics remain modest. The town is experiencing slow, steady growth, anchored by recent affordable housing development and the agricultural sector's ongoing presence.

Parents considering Browning Road should note the low overall proficiency figures, particularly in mathematics. A parent may want to look into further detail with the school about how the STEAM focus is being implemented and what academic support strategies are in place for students working toward proficiency. Data on English learner enrollment, special education representation, and chronic absenteeism were not available, so those are questions worth asking the school directly. The school's location in a high-poverty, predominantly Hispanic community means it is serving a population with substantial socioeconomic needs; understanding the school's approach to closing achievement gaps and supporting economically disadvantaged learners would be important for a parent evaluating fit.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 323%

School 23% · District 32% · ▼ 9 pts below district

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

Grade 420%

School 20% · District 26% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

Grade 514%

School 14% · District 17% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 622%

School 22% · District 27% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 28% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

Grade 426%

School 26% · District 29% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 526%

School 26% · District 31% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

Grade 636%

School 36% · District 38% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · even with county median

Science

Grade 518%

School 18% · District 16% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 3 pts below county median

This schoolMcFarland 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.