Terry Elementary, Selma CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Terry Elementary

Terry Elementary is a small public school in Selma serving kindergarten through sixth grade, with enrollment clustered around a few hundred students. The student body is predominantly Hispanic, and nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of this agricultural region in Fresno County.

The school's state assessment results are substantially below proficiency benchmarks across both English language arts and mathematics. In ELA, proficiency rates range from low single digits in third and fourth grades to roughly one-third of sixth graders meeting the standard. Math performance is notably weaker, with proficiency rates ranging from less than one in twenty students to roughly one in ten, with the lowest results in fifth grade. A science assessment was administered in fifth grade, and proficiency there was also minimal. Compared to other schools within Fresno County districts, Terry's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among tested schools.

The district that operates Terry Elementary, Selma Unified, recently made a significant shift in how elementary math is taught. In the 2024-25 school year, the district adopted a new K-5 Illustrative Mathematics curriculum that emphasizes understanding and explaining problems rather than simply producing answers. This represents a pedagogical change across the system and applies to every student at Terry. The district has also invested in broader family and early-learning supports, including community school liaisons, a Family Resource Center, and plans for a district-operated preschool. In addition, voters approved a general obligation bond measure in late 2022 to modernize school facilities, which will be repaid through property taxes on homes in the district.

The Selma housing market shows median home values and rental costs modestly above the national average, though mortgage affordability measures indicate a rent-to-income ratio approaching one-third of household income. For families considering relocation to the area, a parent may want to look into further detail with the school and district regarding the specific academic supports and interventions in place to address the performance gap, as well as how the curriculum transition is being implemented at the school level. State data on English learner enrollment and special education services at Terry were not available, so understanding those populations and their support structures would require direct conversation with school leadership.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 310%

School 10% · District 30% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 30 pts below county median

Grade 46%

School 6% · District 25% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 31 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 55%

School 5% · District 20% · ▼ 16 pts below district

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

Grade 69%

School 9% · District 24% · ▼ 15 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 36% · ▼ 19 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 410%

School 10% · District 30% · ▼ 20 pts below district

▼ 32 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 42% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 19 pts below county median

Grade 632%

School 32% · District 39% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 12 pts below state median · ▼ 9 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 22% · ▼ 14 pts below district

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

This schoolSelma 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.