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Alumni: what's one memory from Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary that still sticks with you?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
736
Elementary
DISTRICT 710 · STATE 465
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·DOWNEY UNIFIED·NCES 061146001280
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary
7530 East Arnett St., Downey, CA 90241 · (562) 904-3564 · Los Angeles County
GRADES KG–03ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL736 STUDENTS
A+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 99% 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.
- A+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- A+Three-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
23.0:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.3:1 · STATE 22.3:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
76%
561 students
DISTRICT 78% · 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 | 256 | 35% |
| Grade 1 | 155 | 21% |
| Grade 2 | 152 | 21% |
| Grade 3 | 173 | 24% |
Student demographics
20%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 21% · 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
School pathway
Students here typically continue to
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary→Old River Elementary
Based on grade levels within Downey Unified. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
63.8%
CA avg 49.1% . +20.8pp since 2014
Math
75.2%
CA avg 37.7% . +24.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 64 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 75 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are up about 21 points since 2014, while math scores are up about 24 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 38.1% | 25.6% | 18.8% | 17.5% |
| Math | 46.0% | 29.2% | 12.4% | 12.4% |
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 | 63.8% | 75.2% |
| 2023-24 | 65.9% | 71.2% |
| 2022-23 | 54.4% | 54.9% |
| 2021-22 | 44.4% | 50.9% |
| 2018-19 | 51.3% | 49.0% |
| 2017-18 | 56.2% | 44.2% |
| 2016-17 | 50.8% | 47.2% |
| 2015-16 | 53.0% | 53.0% |
| 2014-15 | 43.0% | 51.0% |
% 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
69.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
34.9%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+34.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 69% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 35% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 34 points, placing it in California's top 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 Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary's state test result (69.0% proficient) is higher than 5 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary this school | 736 | 76.2% | 69.0% |
| Pedley Elementary Jurupa Valley | 736 | 76.4% | 18.4% |
| Imperial Elementary Downey | 653 | 75.7% | 48.3% |
| Lorena Falasco Elementary Los Banos | 669 | 77.0% | 27.4% |
| Thurgood Marshall Elementary Oxnard | 702 | 74.8% | 36.5% |
| Daisy Gibson Elementary Palmdale | 714 | 77.2% | 19.4% |
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 Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 69.0% | #698 of 5,151 | #156 of 1,126 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 75.2% | #412 of 5,172 ▲ 127 | #87 of 1,129 ▲ 34 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 63.8% | #1,099 of 5,172 ▼ 185 | #250 of 1,129 ▼ 46 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +21.8pp | #32 of 5,116 | #18 of 1,116 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 736 | #594 of 5,915 | #108 of 1,300 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.0:1 | #2,979 of 5,352 | #738 of 1,213 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 19.5% | #4,448 of 5,354 | #885 of 1,214 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 76.2% | #2,528 of 5,625 | #782 of 1,276 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +1.0% | #1,051 of 1,139 | #162 of 181 |
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
736
+30 (+4%) vs 2020
-5% since 1990-91, when it was 776
Student : Teacher
23.0:1
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 | 736 | 32 | 23.0:1 | 76% (561) |
| 2023-24 | 691 | 29 | 23.8:1 | 68% (467) |
| 2022-23 | 630 | 27 | 23.3:1 | 70% (440) |
| 2020-21 | 706 | 28 | 25.2:1 | 64% (450) |
| 2017-18 | 729 | 29 | 25.1:1 | 70% (513) |
| 2015-16 | 746 | 30 | 24.9:1 | 68% (509) |
| 2010-11 | 680 | N/A | N/A | 62% (423) |
| 2000-01 | 720 | 38 | 18.9:1 | 59% (424) |
| 1990-91 | 776 | 29 | 26.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary.
Since 2017-18: students up 1% (729 to 736); teachers up 10% (29 to 32).
About Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary is a high-enrollment elementary school with an address in Downey, California. The school serves 736 students in kindergarten through 3 in 2024-25. The average among elementary schools in California is roughly 465 students; this school is 58% bigger than that.
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary sits within Downey Unified, which has 21 schools and 22,405 students.
At Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary, Hispanic students make up 90% of the student body. The school is also 4% White, 4% Asian, and 2% Black. The Hispanic share of the county population is lower, at 48%. Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary has a diversity index of 20%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
A ratio of 23.0:1 comes from the school's 32 full-time-equivalent teachers. Elementary schools in California have a similar average ratio of 22.3:1. The lunch program counts 76% of students at Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary as eligible for free or reduced-price meals.
allk12 grades Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary an A+. The grade compares the school only with California public elementary schools, because each state gives its own test.
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary beats its predicted average proficiency rate on state tests by 34.1 points (69.0% versus 34.9%), a top-10% result in California on BeatsExpectations.
In the county around the school, Los Angeles County, median household income is about $90,112, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 36% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 10%. A total of 2,244 public schools operate in Los Angeles County, serving about 1,265,907 students.
Old River Elementary is the public school closest to Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary, about 0.6 miles away. Inside a five-mile radius, there are at least 8 other public schools. Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary is 1st of 8 nearby schools by average proficiency rate.
Federal records code the school's setting as Suburb: Large.
The student count in 2024-25 was 736, 4% above the 706 of 2020-21. The school's ratio fell from 25.2:1 to 23.0:1 between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
The allk12 site hosts a discussion page for Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary covering things like enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news. Posting is open to anyone connected to the school.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Downey Unified
- Downey HighHigh · 4,051 students
- Warren (Earl) HighHigh · 3,609 students
- Stauffer (Mary R.) MiddleMiddle · 1,329 students
- Doty (Wendy Lopour) MiddleMiddle · 1,304 students
- Griffiths (Gordon) MiddleMiddle · 1,264 students
- Sussman (Edward A.) MiddleMiddle · 1,240 students
Other schools in Downey
- Downey HighHigh · 4,051 students
- Warren (Earl) HighHigh · 3,609 students
- Stauffer (Mary R.) MiddleMiddle · 1,329 students
- Doty (Wendy Lopour) MiddleMiddle · 1,304 students
- Griffiths (Gordon) MiddleMiddle · 1,264 students
- Sussman (Edward A.) MiddleMiddle · 1,240 students
Nearby schools
- Old River Elementary0.6 mi · 540
- Stauffer (Mary R.) Middle0.6 mi · 1,329
- Warren (Earl) High0.7 mi · 3,609
- Rio Hondo Elementary0.8 mi · 838
- Los Padrinos Juvenile Hall1.0 mi · 225
- Downey High1.4 mi · 4,051
Frequently asked questions
About Williams (Spencer V.) ElementaryHow many students attend Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary?
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary enrolls approximately 736 students in grades KG-03.
What age range does Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary serve?
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary serves students from grade KG through grade 03.
How many students per teacher at Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary?
Approximately 23.0:1 students per teacher at Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary.
How diverse is Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary?
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary reports a student body of 4% White, 90% Hispanic, 2% Black, 4% Asian, 1% Two or more.
What district is Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary in?
Williams (Spencer V.) Elementary is part of Downey Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.