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What advice would you give to incoming students at Independent Elementary?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
662
Elementary
DISTRICT 483 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·CASTRO VALLEY UNIFIED·NCES 060780009342
Independent Elementary
21201 Independent School Rd., Castro Valley, CA 94552 · (510) 537-9558 · Alameda County
GRADES KG–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBREGULAR SCHOOL662 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 75% of California public elementary schools
- ATest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- B+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- DThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
25.0:1
27 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.9:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
28%
187 students
DISTRICT 41% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other elementary schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 154 | 23% |
| Grade 1 | 73 | 11% |
| Grade 2 | 105 | 16% |
| Grade 3 | 106 | 16% |
| Grade 4 | 99 | 15% |
| Grade 5 | 125 | 19% |
This year's kindergarten class (154) is 23% larger than its 5th grade class (125).
Student demographics
68%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
67.2%
CA avg 49.1% . -1.8pp since 2014
Math
68.1%
CA avg 37.7% . +1.1pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 67 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 68 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 2 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 1 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 42.5% | 24.6% | 14.9% | 17.9% |
| Math | 40.4% | 27.7% | 14.6% | 17.3% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 67.2% | 68.1% |
| 2023-24 | 72.4% | 70.2% |
| 2022-23 | 71.2% | 64.4% |
| 2021-22 | 74.9% | 68.0% |
| 2020-21 | 66.3% | 56.6% |
| 2018-19 | 77.9% | 75.4% |
| 2017-18 | 71.7% | 75.0% |
| 2016-17 | 75.3% | 75.8% |
| 2015-16 | 77.0% | 74.0% |
| 2014-15 | 69.0% | 67.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
69.6%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
63.0%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+6.6pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 70% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 63% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Independent Elementary
Independent Elementary's state test result (69.6% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Elementary this school | 662 | 28.2% | 69.6% |
| Heritage Elementary Tustin | 567 | 32.5% | 69.7% |
| Tustin Memorial Elementary Santa Ana | 613 | 22.5% | 85.9% |
| Hickory Elementary Torrance | 847 | 25.6% | 70.2% |
| Natomas Pacific Pathways Prep Elementary Sacramento | 504 | 30.8% | 68.5% |
| Tamura (Hisamatsu) Elementary Fountain Valley | 526 | 29.3% | 83.3% |
Matched among California elementary schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Independent Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Alameda County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 69.6% | #671 of 5,151 | #58 of 189 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 68.1% | #686 of 5,172 ▼ 93 | #59 of 192 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 67.2% | #896 of 5,172 ▼ 305 | #65 of 192 ▼ 9 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest drop first | -3.8pp | #776 of 5,116 | #54 of 187 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 662 | #943 of 5,915 | #30 of 216 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 25.0:1 | #4,412 of 5,352 | #155 of 201 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 67.7% | #921 of 5,354 | #73 of 201 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 28.2% | #4,826 of 5,625 | #151 of 211 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +0.3% | #1,121 of 1,139 | #46 of 48 |
Ranked against other public elementary schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
662
+33 (+5%) vs 2020
+76% since 1990-91, when it was 376
Student : Teacher
25.0:1
was 25.2:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 662 | 26.5 | 25.0:1 | 28% (187) |
| 2023-24 | 661 | 27 | 24.5:1 | 28% (184) |
| 2022-23 | 634 | 27 | 23.5:1 | 27% (172) |
| 2020-21 | 629 | 25 | 25.2:1 | 14% (90) |
| 2017-18 | 660 | 25 | 26.4:1 | 17% (111) |
| 2015-16 | 653 | 25 | 26.1:1 | 14% (89) |
| 2010-11 | 593 | N/A | N/A | 8% (48) |
| 2000-01 | 445 | 21 | 21.2:1 | 4% (18) |
| 1990-91 | 376 | 18 | 20.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independent Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students unchanged (660 to 662); teachers up 6% (25 to 26.5).
About Independent Elementary
Independent Elementary is a mid-sized elementary school in California, with an address in Castro Valley. The school enrolls 662 students in kindergarten through 5. Elementary schools in California average about 465 students, which makes this school 42% larger than average.
Independent Elementary reports to Castro Valley Unified, which has 15 schools and 9,548 students.
The largest group at Independent Elementary is Asian students, at 50%. It is also 16% multiracial, 16% White, 16% Hispanic, and 3% Black. For comparison, the population of Alameda County is roughly 33% Asian. The diversity index for Independent Elementary is 68%. For US public schools as a whole it is 70%.
Staffing at Independent Elementary comes to 26.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, or 25.0:1. The school's 25.0:1 compares with an average of 22.3:1 for elementary schools in California. On the income side, 28% of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The gap from the 49% average for public schools in Alameda County is 21 points.
Independent Elementary earns an A- on the allk12 Grade, which blends test scores, results against poverty-based expectations, and the three-year trend. It scored higher than 75% of California public elementary schools.
BeatsExpectations compares each school's average proficiency rate across its state test results with a prediction based on free or reduced-price lunch eligibility. For Independent Elementary, the prediction is 63.0% and the result is 69.6%.
The school is in Alameda County, where the median household earns about $129,367 a year, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 52% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 6%. Across Alameda County, 394 public schools serve about 210,511 students.
Canyon Middle is the nearest public school to Independent Elementary, about 0.5 miles away. Within five miles of Independent Elementary, there are at least 8 other public schools. Its average proficiency rate of 69.6% is above the 59.9% average for nearby schools.
The school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more, according to its NCES locale (Suburb: Large).
Since 2020-21, enrollment has grown 5%, from 629 to 662.
The discussion board for Independent Elementary is open to topics like pickup and drop-off, after-school programs, and teacher feedback. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
Alameda County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
1,649,473
Census ACS
Median income
$129,367
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
52%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
6%
Below federal line
Schools in county
394
210,511 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Castro Valley Unified
- Castro Valley HighHigh · 2,874 students
- Canyon MiddleMiddle · 1,418 students
- Creekside MiddleMiddle · 754 students
- Proctor ElementaryElementary · 613 students
- Vannoy ElementaryElementary · 536 students
- Marshall ElementaryElementary · 515 students
Other schools in Castro Valley
- Castro Valley HighHigh · 2,874 students
- Canyon MiddleMiddle · 1,418 students
- Creekside MiddleMiddle · 754 students
- Proctor ElementaryElementary · 613 students
- Vannoy ElementaryElementary · 536 students
- Marshall ElementaryElementary · 515 students
Nearby schools
- Canyon Middle0.5 mi · 1,418
- Creekside Middle0.5 mi · 754
- Vannoy Elementary0.7 mi · 536
- Marshall Elementary0.9 mi · 515
- Fairview Elementary1.2 mi · 543
- Palomares Elementary1.4 mi · 135
Frequently asked questions
About Independent ElementaryWhat is the total enrollment at Independent Elementary?
Independent Elementary enrolls approximately 662 students in grades KG-05.
What grades does Independent Elementary serve?
Independent Elementary serves grades KG-05.
How many students per teacher at Independent Elementary?
Approximately 25.0:1 students per teacher at Independent Elementary.
How diverse is Independent Elementary?
Independent Elementary reports a student body of 16% White, 16% Hispanic, 3% Black, 50% Asian, 16% Two or more.
Who oversees Independent Elementary?
Independent Elementary is overseen by Castro Valley Unified in Alameda County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.