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What's the biggest difference between VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
487
Elementary
DISTRICT 475 · STATE 443
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT·NCES 362445003342
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
25 VAN RENSSELAER DR, RENSSELAER, NY 12144 · (518) 436-4618 · Rensselaer County
GRADES PK–05ELEMENTARY21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL487 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 12% of New York public elementary schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- DBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- ·Three-year trend Not available for this school, so the grade uses the other parts.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded New York public elementary schools
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
32 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 12.1:1 · STATE 12.8:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
67%
327 students
DISTRICT 70% · STATE 58%
Community
1
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 52 | 11% |
| Kindergarten | 78 | 16% |
| Grade 1 | 70 | 14% |
| Grade 2 | 71 | 15% |
| Grade 3 | 71 | 15% |
| Grade 4 | 76 | 16% |
| Grade 5 | 69 | 14% |
This year's kindergarten class (78) is 13% larger than its 5th grade class (69).
Student demographics
74%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 74% · STATE 72% · 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
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL→RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
Based on grade levels within RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
NYS Assessments 2024-25 . % Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4)English Language Arts
36.0%
NY avg 58.3% . +11.0pp since 2023
Math
35.0%
NY avg 57.4% . +1.0pp since 2023
What this means: On the NYS Assessments, New York's statewide test, about 36 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 35 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all New York schools, those numbers are about 58 and 57. Reading and writing scores are up about 11 points since 2023, while math scores are up about 1 points.
NYS Assessments results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 36.0% | 35.0% |
| 2023-24 | 25.0% | 34.0% |
% Proficient (Level 3 + Level 4), all students and all tested grades.
Source: NYS Assessments. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
UNDERPERFORMING
Bottom 10% of NY schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
31.2%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
50.3%
based on NY schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-19.1pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 31% of students here test proficient in math and reading, below the roughly 50% typical for New York schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations compares each school with others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school lands here when its results trail those comparable schools, which is not the same as having low scores. A higher-scoring school can still fall in this tier if similar schools score higher still.
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 VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL's state test result (31.2% proficient) is higher than 1 of the 4 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL this school | 487 | 67.1% | 31.2% |
| ALBANY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UTICA | 478 | 68.4% | 38.9% |
| JOHNSON CITY ELEMENTARY/INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL JOHNSON CITY | 509 | 71.5% | 31.8% |
| JOHNSON CITY ELEMENTARY/PRIMARY SCHOOL JOHNSON CITY | 560 | 69.3% | N/A |
| CHARLES F JOHNSON JR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ENDICOTT | 413 | 72.4% | 29.4% |
| MARYVALE INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL CHEEKTOWAGA | 490 | 65.5% | 42.0% |
Matched among New York 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 VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ranks
Among elementary schools| Measure | This school | In New York | In Rensselaer County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 31.2% | #1,978 of 2,335 | #20 of 21 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 35.0% | #1,997 of 2,342 ▼ 104 | #20 of 21 ▼ 1 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 36.0% | #1,967 of 2,343 ▲ 57 | #20 of 21 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 487 | #893 of 2,585 | #4 of 23 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.1:1 | #2,061 of 2,338 | #18 of 22 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 73.7% | #81 of 2,388 | #3 of 22 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 67.1% | #1,027 of 2,534 | #4 of 22 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -29.4% | #299 of 1,757 | #2 of 17 |
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
487
-73 (-13%) vs 2020
-15% since 1990-91, when it was 575
Student : Teacher
15.1:1
was 13.3:1
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 | 487 | 32.2 | 15.1:1 | 67% (327) |
| 2023-24 | 475 | 32.5 | 14.6:1 | 61% (289) |
| 2022-23 | 493 | 31.3 | 15.8:1 | 70% (346) |
| 2020-21 | 560 | 42 | 13.3:1 | 58% (327) |
| 2017-18 | 690 | 51 | 13.5:1 | 63% (432) |
| 2015-16 | 693 | 52 | 13.3:1 | 71% (491) |
| 2010-11 | 648 | 56 | 11.6:1 | 54% (350) |
| 2000-01 | 542 | 42 | 12.9:1 | 59% (320) |
| 1990-91 | 575 | 41 | 14.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
About VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is a medium-sized elementary school based in RENSSELAER, New York. It covers pre-K through 5, with a total enrollment of 487 students.
RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT oversees VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL and 1 other school, with 949 students in total.
Enrollment at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is mixed, with White students the largest group at 42%. The school is also 17% multiracial, 16% Hispanic, 13% Asian, and 11% Black. That is lower than the 80% White share among all Rensselaer County residents. The chance that two students picked at random at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL belong to different racial or ethnic groups, known as the diversity index, is 74%.
The school reports 32.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, which works out to about 15.1 students per teacher. The 12.8:1 average for elementary schools in New York is lower than this school's figure. The free or reduced-price lunch share, often used to gauge student poverty, is 67%. The 46% average for public schools in Rensselaer County is 21 points lower.
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is graded D by allk12, scoring above 12% of New York public elementary schools once test results, poverty-adjusted performance, and the recent trend are combined.
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is in the bottom 10% of New York schools on the allk12 BeatsExpectations measure. Based on its free or reduced-price lunch share, the model predicts an average proficiency rate on state tests of 50.3%. The school's actual rate is 31.2%, 19.1 points lower.
In Rensselaer County (population about 160,332), median household income is about $87,915, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 38% of adults, and the share of residents below the poverty line is 8%. VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is one of 42 public schools in Rensselaer County, which together enroll about 19,274 students.
The nearest other public school, RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, is less than a tenth of a mile away. In all, at least 8 other public schools sit within five miles of VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL places 6th of 8 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
For locale, NCES codes VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL as Suburb: Large.
The number of students dropped from 560 to 487 over 4 years. The number of students per teacher rose from 13.3 to 15.1 over 4 years.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss science fairs, picture day, and bus routes at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Rensselaer County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
160,332
Census ACS
Median income
$87,915
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
38%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
8%
Below federal line
Schools in county
42
19,274 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
- RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 462 students
Other schools in RENSSELAER
- RED MILL SCHOOLElementary · 473 students
- RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOLHigh · 462 students
- NURSES MIDDLE COLLEGE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL-CAPITAL REGIONHigh · 83 students
Other Van Rensselaer Elementary schools
One other US public school is named Van Rensselaer Elementary. VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is the largest of the 2.
- Van Rensselaer Elementary SchoolRensselaer, IN · 329 students
Nearby schools
- RENSSELAER JUNIOR/SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL0.0 mi · 462
- NURSES MIDDLE COLLEGE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL-CAPITAL REGION0.5 mi · 83
- ARBOR HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL1.6 mi · 301
- NORTH ALBANY ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL1.6 mi · 588
- DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM AT ALBANY INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY1.9 mi · 213
- GIFFEN MEMORIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL2.0 mi · 387
Frequently asked questions
About VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLWhat is the total enrollment at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL enrolls approximately 487 students in grades PK-05.
Is VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL an elementary, middle, or high school?
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is an elementary school covering grades PK-05.
How many teachers does VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL have?
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL employs 32 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.1:1.
What is the student diversity at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?
Student demographics at VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL are roughly 42% White, 16% Hispanic, 11% Black, 13% Asian, 17% Two or more.
What district is VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL in?
VAN RENSSELAER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL is part of RENSSELAER CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.