Christopher Dena Elementary vs Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary

Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary holds a meaningful edge in overall rating, scoring 9.5 out of 10 against Christopher Dena Elementary's 8.9 — a 0.6-point gap that reflects a substantial difference in state standing. That margin translates directly into rank: Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary sits at #18 of 9,533 schools statewide, while Christopher Dena Elementary ranks #279 of 9,533 in California. Both are elite performers, but Fifty-Fourth Street's position puts it in the top 0.2 percent of all California elementary schools, versus Christopher Dena's top 3 percent.

Academically, Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary leads with an 8.7 out of 10 versus Christopher Dena Elementary's 7.6 — a 1.1-point difference that signals stronger proficiency outcomes across tested subjects. Where the gap closes is in growth: Christopher Dena Elementary scores a 9.5 out of 10 in student growth, while Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary earns a perfect 10.0. Both schools are accelerating students relative to peers, with Fifty-Fourth Street achieving top marks on this dimension while also maintaining higher absolute academic proficiency.

Christopher Dena Elementary enrolls 337 students compared to Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary's 232, making Dena roughly 45 percent larger. Despite that size difference, the student-teacher ratios are nearly identical — 17.7:1 at Christopher Dena and 17.8:1 at Fifty-Fourth Street — meaning classroom density is comparable at both campuses. Both schools serve an identical free and reduced-price lunch population at 94 percent, reflecting the same high-need community demographic and comparable resource demands on each staff.

Both Christopher Dena Elementary and Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary serve grades KG through 6 and sit 7.8 miles apart within Los Angeles. The grade span means families with children entering kindergarten through sixth grade have a complete elementary pathway at either school, with no programmatic gap in coverage. The distinction between them is not structure or demographics — it is outcomes, where Fifty-Fourth Street consistently posts higher scores across every rating dimension measured.