The top reported proficiency rate is 23% in English language arts. The lowest is 9% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Standard Elementary
Standard Elementary sits in Oildale, a neighborhood area of Bakersfield that is predominantly Hispanic and white, with a high concentration of families relying on free or reduced-price meals. The school serves children from kindergarten through fifth grade, with an enrollment spread fairly evenly across the grade levels. Nearly all students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the economic circumstances of the families the school serves.
The school's recent physical transformation is significant. Using local bond funds, the district razed and rebuilt much of the aging campus, opening a new main building in fall 2021. The rebuilt facility includes more secure classrooms, an expanded library, and a dedicated STEM education center, alongside additional classrooms designed to lower student-teacher ratios and help students recover from pandemic learning losses.
Beyond the buildings themselves, the district has embraced a whole-child community school model through a California Community Schools Partnership Program grant. This shift means the school now integrates health services, mental health supports, and family resources directly into school operations, alongside expanded learning opportunities. For families, this translates to a school deliberately designed to address barriers to learning that extend beyond academics.
State testing results paint a clear picture of academic struggle. Across all tested subjects and grades, proficiency is low. In English language arts, roughly one-quarter of students tested meet proficiency. In mathematics, the picture is steeper: less than one-fifth of students overall meet proficiency, and proficiency rates decline as students progress through the upper elementary grades. Science proficiency in fifth grade is similarly minimal. Among schools in Kern County, Standard Elementary's overall proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile. These numbers do not improve across grades, which means that the challenge is persistent, not a function of any single grade level.
The low proficiency reflects the school's position serving a population with substantial economic need. Families navigating tight financial margins, combined with the learning disruptions many students experienced during the pandemic and potentially English learner status for many children, create a complex backdrop. The rebuilt facilities and expanded services signal that the school and district recognize these barriers and are investing to address them.
What Standard Elementary is not is a school with multiple AP courses, dual-credit pathways, or career-focused programs. It is not tracking students into advanced academic tracks or college-preparatory sequences. It is an elementary school focused on foundational literacy and numeracy for a population that needs substantial support to reach grade-level proficiency.
Whether this school is the right fit depends on what a family is seeking. Parents wanting early-childhood education in a school with newly renovated buildings and wraparound supports, in a neighborhood with affordable housing and a strong community identity, will find that here. Parents with students performing below grade level academically may appreciate the explicit investment in whole-child services and the deliberate effort to reduce class sizes. Parents hoping their children will test at proficiency levels or move ahead of grade level will need to look elsewhere or plan for supplemental support, given the school's current performance profile.
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