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Excellent

#44 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 1% in state

Emerson Elementary

Elementary School · Berkeley Unified · Berkeley, CA

A Berkeley Unified elementary school where students score 17 points above what's typical for similar communities.

2800 Forest Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705

  • Math 72% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 75% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 21.7:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress9.6Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data12
Annual Change+0.33 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendStable
Academics9.5Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency71.8% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency75.6% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+26.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+32.8 pts
Overall Proficiency74% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)57% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+17.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile92th
Resources & Environment8.9Excellent20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio21.7:1
District spending per student$22,833
Chronic Absenteeism17.7%

Students at Emerson Elementary score 74% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 57%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency72%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency75%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

→ Steady

Proficiency has held near 74% across the 16-year record (2009–2024).

Show all 12 years
2009
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2010
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2011
Math
67%
ELA
67%
2012
Math
67%
ELA
67%
2014
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2015
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2016
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2017
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2018
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2019
Math
67%
ELA
72%
2022
Math
68%
ELA
72%
2024
Math
72%
ELA
75%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 67% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 71% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

Based on 30 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

31.6%

Students qualifying for federal meal assistance

How we rate schools

A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.

See how we rate

The neighborhood

Where Emerson Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Open the San Francisco Bay Area map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 87Very Walkable
  • Transit 56Good Transit
  • Bike 61Bikeable
  • City Safety: High5,909/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Berkeley), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details

Source period: 2024. Freshness not available.

Area profileU.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates (ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates)

Median income

$163,254

Median home value

$1,892,300

Median rent

$2,330/mo

College educated

78.7%

Homeownership

59%

Poverty rate

9.8%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 94705; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
Berkeley Rose Waldorf SchoolPrivate · tuition8.5privatePK–80.4 mi128Compare →
John Muir ElementaryEnrollment path unverified9.4K–50.4 mi264Compare →
Sylvia Mendez ElementaryEnrollment path unverified9.2K–50.7 mi386Compare →
Escuela Bilingue InternacionalPrivate · tuition8.3privatePK–80.8 mi297Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Public and private scores come from different models and are shown side by side, not blended into one ranking.

Berkeley Unified

Schools in district
18
Rank in district
#3 of 16
District spending per student
$22,833NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
5.0%Census SAIPE · 2024

Emerson Elementary is listed in Berkeley Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Emerson Elementary

Emerson Elementary is a public elementary school in Berkeley, CA, part of Berkeley Unified, serving approximately 282 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 21.7:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 9.4 out of 10 and ranks #44 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 67% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Emerson Elementary

What grades does Emerson Elementary serve?

Emerson Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Emerson Elementary?

Emerson Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 282 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Emerson Elementary is 21.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Emerson Elementary rank in CA?

Emerson Elementary ranks #44 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Emerson Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Emerson Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 9.4 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Emerson Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Emerson Elementary has 67% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 71% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Emerson Elementary a charter school?

No, Emerson Elementary is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Emerson Elementary a Title I school?

No, Emerson Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Emerson Elementary?

31.6% of students at Emerson Elementary qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School factsNCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24)

Grades
Kindergarten – 5th
Enrollment
282
Student-Teacher Ratio
21.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
13
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Alameda County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
17.7%
Area population (ZIP 94705)
14,149
Area average commute
32.2 min
Area median age
44.5
About this school's data

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named below.

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2024 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2024 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
NCES EdFacts · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 94705; this does not measure the attendance area.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2024; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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