Adams Elementary, Coon Rapids MN

Original Research by School Decision on Adams Elementary

Adams Elementary, a regular public school in Coon Rapids serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade, operates as part of the Anoka-Hennepin School District, one of Minnesota’s largest. The school sits in a primarily residential northern suburb of Minneapolis that has grown substantially over recent decades and now projects steadier, moderate growth. The community is car-dependent in its day-to-day layout, though it maintains an extensive network of parks and trails. Major local employers include a regional hospital, the school district itself, and several manufacturing and retail firms, which together shape the economic base families encounter.

The school’s enrollment is sizable for an elementary building. The student body is racially and ethnically diverse, with no single group forming an overwhelming majority. White students make up the largest share, followed by Black students, Asian students, students identifying as two or more races, and Hispanic students. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, which indicates that the school serves a population with significant economic need. Data on students receiving special education services or English learner support was not available in the source record.

State testing results from the most recent year show a mixed picture. In math, proficiency rates varied by grade, with fourth graders performing at the highest level among tested grades, while fifth graders posted the lowest. In English language arts, proficiency rates were modest across all tested grades, with the fifth grade again recording the highest figure of the three. Science results for fifth graders were well below the other tested subjects. When looking across all tested subjects and grades, the school’s overall proficiency index landed above the midpoint compared to other elementary schools in Anoka County, placing it in the middle range of its county peers. Because only one year of data was available for these assessments, there is no basis to describe a trend or trajectory.

Several pieces of information that parents often consider are absent from the available data. The school’s status regarding Title I funding was not reported, nor was information about discipline incidents, chronic absenteeism, teacher staffing ratios, or access to specialized courses. A parent may want to ask the school directly about these areas. Since Adams Elementary serves only through fifth grade, there is no graduation rate to report, and civil rights data such as student discipline by subgroup was not included in the source materials. The district brief turned up no recent parent-relevant changes involving referenda, curriculum shifts, or budget moves, though that may simply reflect a gap in what was found through web research rather than an absence of activity.

For a family considering this school, the main takeaway is a diverse, economically mixed elementary community in a growing suburban setting, with academic proficiency that sits in the middle range of its county peers. The math and reading results show room for improvement, particularly in science and in the lower-performing grade levels. The lack of information on special programs, staffing, and student support services means a prospective parent would need to gather those details through a direct conversation with the school.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 340%

School 40% · District 63% · ▼ 24 pts below district

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

Grade 447%

School 47% · District 63% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 5 pts below state median · ▼ 6 pts below county median

Grade 530%

School 30% · District 59% · ▼ 29 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 321%

School 21% · District 46% · ▼ 25 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 17 pts below county median

Grade 431%

School 31% · District 49% · ▼ 18 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

Grade 536%

School 36% · District 63% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Science

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 33% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 7 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

This schoolAnoka-Hennepin School District, 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-income20%Higher-income22%2 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income18%Higher-income56%38 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income32%Higher-income44%12 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income33%Higher-income47%14 pp gap

Grade 4Lower-income33%Higher-income72%39 pp gap

Grade 5Lower-income20%Higher-income48%28 pp gap