Global Family Elementary, Oakland CA

Original Research by School Decision on Global Family Elementary

Global Family Elementary is a public school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Oakland's central neighborhoods, with an enrollment of around four hundred students. The school draws a predominantly Hispanic student body; virtually the entire population qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, marking this as a high-poverty school serving families with very limited income.

The academic picture shows substantial challenges. On California's state assessments in 2024-25, proficiency rates across tested grades and subjects were consistently low. In mathematics, proficiency in third grade was in single digits, rising modestly to roughly one in six students by fifth grade. English language arts proficiency ranged from around one in ten students in fourth grade to one in five in fifth grade. Science proficiency in fifth grade was similarly modest. Across all tested subjects and grades, the school's overall proficiency index placed it in the bottom quartile when compared to other districts in Alameda County.

The school does not report data on English learner enrollment or students with individualized education plans; a parent seeking to understand the makeup of students receiving special support or how bilingual services function would want to ask the school directly.

Oakland itself is a walkable, diverse city with strong neighborhood character. The school's location on 40th Avenue sits in a residential area with access to transit, shopping, and services along neighborhood corridors. Lake Merritt, a central civic anchor, is nearby, as is downtown Oakland with its museums, government institutions, and cultural venues. Housing in the school's zip code is more affordable than much of the Bay Area, though prices remain substantial; local median monthly rent is roughly in the mid-range for the region. The city has shifted its development focus toward affordable housing construction in recent years after a period of market-rate building.

A parent considering Global Family Elementary should go in with clear eyes about the current academic performance and consider the school's specific supports, classroom practice, and progress trajectory in their own conversations with school leadership. The proficiency data reflects a school serving a very economically stressed population and would benefit from direct inquiry into remediation strategies, instructional approaches, and any improvement initiatives underway.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 39%

School 9% · District 36% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 46 pts below county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 33% · ▼ 18 pts below district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 28% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 25 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 312%

School 12% · District 31% · ▼ 19 pts below district

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

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 34% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 43 pts below county median

Grade 520%

School 20% · District 36% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 25 pts below state median · ▼ 37 pts below county median

Science

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 25% · ▼ 12 pts below district

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

This schoolOakland 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.