Woodland Elementary School, Atlanta GA

Original Research by School Decision on Woodland Elementary School

Woodland Elementary serves pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Spalding Drive area of Atlanta, drawing a diverse student body reflective of the city's demographic mix. The school enrolls a population where Asian and Black students each comprise roughly a third of the student body, with Hispanic students making up a smaller share and white enrollment minimal. About two-fifths of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, indicating a mix of low- and middle-income families.

In state testing on the 2024-25 Georgia Milestones, the school's performance is uneven across grade levels and subjects. Mathematics proficiency sits in the low- to mid-50s in third and fourth grade but dips notably in fifth grade. English language arts shows stronger footing in fifth grade but lags in third, hovering in the mid-40s there. Science proficiency in fifth grade is comparatively solid. Across tested grades and subjects, the school's overall proficiency index places it at the top quartile relative to other schools in Fulton County, a position worth noting in a district where performance varies considerably.

Reading instruction at Woodland is influenced by a district-wide initiative called "Every Child Reads," a substantial literacy reform launched by Fulton County using federal pandemic relief funds. The program replaced multiple school-level reading approaches with a unified Science of Reading framework, training teachers in a method called LETRS and placing a dedicated literacy coach at every elementary school. This standardized approach is relatively new and has been credited with measurable reading gains across the district.

The neighborhood context is Atlanta proper. The city is a major employment hub anchored by Fortune companies and institutions like Emory, Delta Air Lines, and the CDC, with walkable pockets concentrated along the BeltLine trail corridor and in neighborhoods like Midtown, Inman Park, and Old Fourth Ward, though the broader region remains car-dependent. Housing in the Spalding Drive zip code is moderately valued by Atlanta standards, with monthly rental costs and home prices each showing slight recent declines. Mortgage affordability metrics sit modestly above national benchmarks, and the rental market represents a smaller household budget burden than homeownership.

Woodland is a standard district school, not a magnet or charter, and draws its attendance zone from the surrounding residential area. It is one of many elementary schools in Fulton County, a large urban district that has been in the midst of enrollment management changes. In February 2025 the district voted to close and consolidate nearby Spalding Drive Charter Elementary, with new attendance zones taking effect in 2025-26; parents may want to confirm current and near-future boundaries if considering this school. The district has also maintained stable school property tax millage rates while property assessments have risen, meaning effective tax bills have grown in line with home values.

Woodland's demographic and economic profile suggests it serves a neighborhood in transition, with substantial immigrant Asian and Black family populations alongside economic diversity. Testing results indicate students are meeting proficiency at rates broadly competitive within the county, though with soft spots in upper elementary mathematics and early-grade reading that may warrant a closer conversation with the school about classroom support and intervention strategies, particularly if your child is entering third through fifth grade.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 58% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 461%

School 61% · District 62% · ▼ 2 pts below district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 16 pts above county median

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 54% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 346%

School 46% · District 50% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 456%

School 56% · District 54% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 562%

School 62% · District 59% · ▲ 3 pts above district

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

Science

Grade 563%

School 63% · District 56% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 24 pts above state median · ▲ 28 pts above county median

Social studies

Grades 3-885%

School 85% · district not reported

▲ 1 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

This schoolFulton County, 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-income38%Higher-income63%25 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income46%Higher-income76%30 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income42%Higher-income81%39 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income42%Higher-income73%31 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income32%Higher-income69%37 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income37%Higher-income83%46 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income25%Higher-income72%47 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income31%Higher-income74%44 pp gap