Alderwood Elementary, Irvine CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Alderwood Elementary

Alderwood Elementary serves kindergarten through sixth grade in Irvine, a master-planned community known for a robust economy, strong public services, and a high standard of living. The school enrolls about eight hundred twenty-five students in a stable, balanced grade configuration.

The student body is diverse by race and ethnicity. About two-fifths of students identify as Asian, about one-third as white, roughly one-eighth as Hispanic, and the remainder across multiple other groups. About one-quarter of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mixed economic profile within an affluent zip code.

On state assessments in English language arts and mathematics, Alderwood's proficiency rates sit solidly above the median among the county's elementary schools. In ELA across tested grades, students averaged about seven in ten meeting proficiency; in math, about two-thirds met proficiency standards. Performance is somewhat stronger in third and fourth grades and notably lower in fifth-grade math, where less than six in ten students reached proficiency. A spring science assessment in fifth grade showed about six in ten students proficient. These results reflect a school where a clear majority of students are on grade level in core subjects, though a meaningful share fall below proficiency benchmarks, particularly in higher elementary grades. A parent may want to look into the school's math support structures and interventions, especially in the upper elementary grades.

The school sits within Irvine Unified, a district undergoing several curriculum and planning shifts. Beginning in fall 2025, the district is implementing an ethnic studies graduation requirement at the high school level. More broadly, the district has raised high school graduation credit requirements for the class of 2027 onward. The district is also working through a high school boundary adjustment affecting neighborhoods in south Irvine, though this is not expected to alter elementary assignments. Most relevant to families with younger children at Alderwood now, Irvine voters approved a major bond measure that has funded modernization work across the district's older schools, bringing facility standards more in line with newer campuses.

Housing in the 92603 zip code is substantially above the national average, with median home values reflective of Orange County's high-cost market. Monthly rent is also well above national norms. Mortgage affordability relative to income stands at a multiple indicating significant capital outlay; renting comes in somewhat higher cost than carrying a mortgage on median local prices. Major employers in Irvine include UC Irvine, healthcare systems, and a wide range of technology and manufacturing firms. The economic context shows stable employment levels and steady wage patterns.

Alderwood Elementary represents a typical elementary option in an established, affluent Irvine neighborhood. It offers a conventional K-6 program serving a racially and economically mixed but overall well-resourced student body, with academic performance above county median but room for strengthening in upper-grade math. The school's setting and enrollment profile differ from newer or specialized alternatives elsewhere in the district, but for families committed to the area, it provides a grounded, mainstream elementary pathway.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 370%

School 70% · District 73% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 27 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 72%

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 66% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 25 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 665%

School 65% · District 73% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 34 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 373%

School 73% · District 68% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 23 pts above county median

Grade 471%

School 71% · District 73% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 29 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Grade 568%

School 68% · District 75% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 22 pts above state median · ▲ 10 pts above county median

Grade 664%

School 64% · District 76% · ▼ 12 pts below district

▲ 20 pts above state median · ▲ 4 pts above county median

Science

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 65% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 33 pts above state median · ▲ 21 pts above county median

This schoolIrvine 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.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 3Lower-income64%Higher-income76%12 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income77%25 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income56%Higher-income72%16 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income40%Higher-income71%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income55%Higher-income76%21 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income52%Higher-income79%28 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income28%Higher-income66%38 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income73%39 pp gap