Adams Elementary School, Yakima WA

Original Research by School Decision on Adams Elementary School

Adams Elementary School is a regular public school serving pre-kindergarten through fifth grade in the Yakima School District. It is located in the city of Yakima, the central city and county seat of Yakima County, an area that blends urban civic functions with a prominent agricultural identity. Yakima is a hub for apple, wine, and hop production, with a local economy shaped heavily by agriculture, healthcare, and retail. The city has seen slight population growth in recent years, and development includes suburban expansion in unincorporated areas like West Valley and Terrace Heights.

The student body at Adams is large for an elementary school, drawing from the surrounding neighborhood. The student population is overwhelmingly Hispanic, with a much smaller number of white students and very few students identifying with any other racial or ethnic group. A very substantial share of students come from low-income households, as measured by eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Data on the share of students with disabilities or those identified as English learners was not available.

On the most recent state assessments, which are the primary measure of academic performance in Washington, Adams’s results fell well below the midpoint of schools in the county across tested subjects. In math, proficiency rates were low at every tested grade level and declined as students moved from third to fifth grade. In English language arts, proficiency was also low, though fifth graders performed somewhat better than their younger classmates. In science, the only tested grade is fifth, and the proficiency rate there was similarly low. Because only a single year of testing data was provided for this school, there is no trend information to indicate whether performance has been improving or declining over time.

The district itself has recently received statewide recognition for its school board and has been expanding programs. Publicly reported information indicates that dual-language programs are now in nearly every elementary school, and college-access initiatives allow high school students to graduate with an associate’s degree while remaining on their high school campus. However, Adams serves only through fifth grade, so these pathways would apply to the middle and high schools its students eventually attend.

A parent considering Adams should know that the academic proficiency levels are well below county averages, and this is consistent across subjects and grades. The school serves a high-poverty population, and families may want to ask the school what targeted supports and interventions are in place to accelerate student learning. The school has a clear demographic profile and a location in a growing, agriculturally centered city. The district’s recent initiatives around dual-language and college access may provide a longer-term academic context, but for the elementary years, the core picture is one of a school facing significant challenges in raising student achievement.

See more original research from School Decision →

Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 327%

School 27% · District 38% · ▼ 10 pts below district

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

Grade 421%

School 21% · District 58% · ▼ 37 pts below district

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

Grade 517%

School 17% · District 23% · ▼ 5 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 320%

School 20% · District 23% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 29% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▼ 30 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 529%

School 29% · District 34% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 521%

School 21% · District 27% · ▼ 6 pts below district

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

This schoolYakima 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.