Learning by Design Charter vs Canfield Avenue Elementary

Canfield Avenue Elementary ranks #17 of 9,533 California schools with a 9.5/10 overall rating, placing it in the top 0.2% of the state. Learning by Design Charter earns a strong 9.2/10 overall but ranks #100 of 9,533 — still elite, but 83 positions behind Canfield Avenue Elementary. The 0.3-point overall gap understates the meaningful separation in how these two schools get there, particularly on the academic side.

Canfield Avenue Elementary posts a 9.7/10 academic score against Learning by Design Charter's 8.3/10 — a 1.4-point gap that represents a real difference in tested proficiency outcomes. The dynamic flips on growth: Learning by Design Charter scores a perfect 10.0/10 on student growth versus Canfield Avenue Elementary's 9.8/10. Learning by Design Charter is effectively maximizing progress given where its students start, while Canfield Avenue Elementary combines very high starting proficiency with near-perfect growth — a rarer combination.

The two schools serve meaningfully different student populations. Learning by Design Charter enrolls 115 students with 64% qualifying for free or reduced lunch and a student-teacher ratio of 19.2:1. Canfield Avenue Elementary is more than twice the size at 296 students, serves 49% free/reduced lunch, and has a slightly larger class footprint at 21.1:1. The 15-percentage-point FRL gap indicates Learning by Design Charter draws a higher share of lower-income families, which gives its perfect growth score additional weight — those gains are happening with a more economically diverse student body.

Both schools cover kindergarten through fifth grade and sit 6.6 miles apart in Los Angeles. The distinction is structural: Learning by Design Charter operates as a charter school with an intentionally small enrollment that keeps classes tighter, while Canfield Avenue Elementary functions as a traditional neighborhood public school with more than double the student body. Families choosing between them are weighing a top-20 statewide performer in a conventional public setting against a high-growth charter with smaller classes and a mission-driven model.