Clifford Street Elementary Math & Technology Magnet vs Third Street Elementary

Third Street Elementary sits at #8 of 9,533 California elementary schools, while Clifford Street Elementary Math & Technology Magnet ranks #357 of 9,533 — a gap of 349 positions that reflects a meaningful performance difference despite both schools serving Los Angeles families within 4.6 miles of each other. The overall rating gap between the two schools is 0.8 points, with Third Street Elementary at 9.6/10 and Clifford Street at 8.8/10, placing Third Street among California's very top performers and Clifford Street solidly in the top 4 percent statewide.

Academically, Third Street Elementary scores 10.0/10 versus Clifford Street Elementary Math & Technology Magnet's 9.1/10 — a full point separating two otherwise high-performing schools. The growth score delta is similarly decisive: Third Street earns 9.9/10 against Clifford Street's 8.5/10, meaning students at Third Street are advancing faster relative to their starting points by a 1.4-point margin. For parents weighing whether a school accelerates learning year over year, that gap carries real weight.

On demographics and classroom structure, the two schools diverge notably. Clifford Street Elementary Math & Technology Magnet enrolls 131 students versus Third Street Elementary's 691, making Clifford Street a significantly smaller community. Clifford Street's student-teacher ratio of 18.7:1 is lower than Third Street's 22.3:1, meaning more adult attention per child despite the academic gap. Clifford Street also serves a higher share of economically disadvantaged students — 53% free/reduced lunch versus 43% at Third Street — reflecting different neighborhood compositions across the 4.6-mile distance between them.

Both schools serve grades KG–05, so grade-span is not a differentiator for families choosing between them. The key structural distinction is Clifford Street's magnet designation in math and technology, which gives it a focused curricular identity that Third Street, as a comprehensive neighborhood school, does not offer. That specialization comes with an application process and a more concentrated student body, while Third Street's larger enrollment supports a broader range of programming scale.