The top reported proficiency rate is 46% in English language arts. The lowest is 35% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on C. W. Haman Elementary
C. W. Haman Elementary is a neighborhood school serving kindergarten through fifth grade in Santa Clara, with an enrollment of about three hundred students. The school sits within Santa Clara Unified, a mid-sized district that has undergone notable recent shifts in how it structures secondary math and introduces new civics curriculum—changes that may matter more as families look ahead to middle and high school, but that reflect the district's current policy direction.
The school's academic profile shows uneven performance across subjects and grades. In English language arts, fourth and fifth graders perform at about the midpoint, with roughly half of students meeting proficiency; third graders are notably lower. In math, the picture is weaker across all tested grades, with proficiency in the low-to-mid range in third and fourth grade and substantially lower in fifth grade. Science testing, available only for fifth grade, shows proficiency near the level of math. Across all tested areas, Haman's overall proficiency index sits below the midpoint relative to other schools within Santa Clara County. The data available covers only the most recent school year, so trend information is not yet available. A parent looking at these numbers may want to ask the school directly about what drives the dip in fifth-grade math and science, and what supports are in place for students not yet meeting grade-level benchmarks.
The school's student body is diverse and economically mixed. About one-quarter of families qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Racially and ethnically, the enrollment is roughly one-third Hispanic, about one-quarter Asian, about one-quarter white, and the remainder split among other groups. Special education and English learner enrollment data were not available in the public reporting. The kindergarten class is notably larger than the upper grades, a typical pattern in many schools as enrollment fluctuates.
Santa Clara itself is a mix of established residential neighborhoods and a significant technology and commercial base in the heart of Silicon Valley. The city is home to major tech employers including Intel, Nvidia, Oracle, and Applied Materials. Housing costs are very high; home values in the area are substantially above state averages, and monthly rent is also elevated. Central Park anchors the city's civic life with a library, swim center, sports fields, and green space. The historic Old Quad district near Santa Clara University offers walkable, tree-lined streets, but much of the city's everyday landscape is more generic and car-dependent, the result of a downtown demolition in the 1960s. The city is pursuing transit-oriented development near the future BART station and has several active housing projects underway, though downtown revitalization has moved slower than planned.
Within the Santa Clara Unified context, families should be aware that the district recently restructured its secondary math sequence. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, all ninth graders now start in Geometry rather than Algebra 1, with optional acceleration opportunities in eighth and tenth grades through course combinations rather than grade skipping. The goal is to create pathways to AP Calculus without requiring outside courses, though the change has drawn some parent discussion. The district also opened Kathleen MacDonald High School in north San Jose in 2022, expanding secondary options, and has made Ethnic Studies a graduation requirement for the Class of 2027. These shifts shape the landscape any student will enter as they leave elementary school.
For families considering Haman, the school offers a neighborhood setting in a diverse community with established residential character and strong commercial anchors. The academic results show particular strength in early-elementary English language arts and weaker proficiency in upper-grade math and science; whether this reflects curriculum, instruction, student composition, or other factors is a question the school can address. The high-cost, high-employment environment of Santa Clara itself is a permanent context shaping family choices and housing decisions here.
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