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Excellent

#1647 of 9,539 schools in CA

Top 17% in state

Howard Wood Elementary

Elementary School · Torrance Unified · Torrance, CA

A Torrance Unified elementary school where students score 13 points above what's typical for similar communities.

2250 West 235th St., Torrance, CA 90501

  • Math 65% vs CA 39% (2024)
  • Reading 61% vs CA 45% (2024)
  • 22.3:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress8.1Excellent50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-0.73 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2024
TrendStable
Academics9.0Excellent30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency64.8% (2024 CAASPP)
Reading/ELA Proficiency60.3% (2024 CAASPP)
Math vs. State Avg+19.1 pts
Reading vs. State Avg+17.5 pts
Overall Proficiency63% (2024 CAASPP, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)49% (model expectation from 2024 CAASPP)
vs. Expected+13.1 pts
Adjusted Percentile84th
Resources & Environment6.3Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio22.3:1
District spending per student$15,134
Chronic Absenteeism19.8%

Students at Howard Wood Elementary score 63% proficient, which is above what's typical for similar communities (expected: 49%).

How we calculate scores →

2024 CAASPP proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CA average.

Math Proficiency65%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
39%(2024 CAASPP)
ELA Proficiency61%(2024 CAASPP)
School
State
45%(2024 CAASPP)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 16-year record (2009–2024), then recovered 38 points since 2020, reaching 63% in 2024.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
62%
ELA
62%
2010
Math
62%
ELA
57%
2011
Math
62%
ELA
57%
2012
Math
72%
ELA
62%
2013
Math
25%
ELA
75%
2014
Math
52%
ELA
52%
2015
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2016
Math
52%
ELA
47%
2017
Math
57%
ELA
57%
2018
Math
59%
ELA
52%
2019
Math
59%
ELA
52%
2020*
Math
25%
ELA
25%
2021*
Math
25%
ELA
25%
2022
Math
54%
ELA
54%
2024
Math
65%
ELA
61%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2024) · reading/ELA 54% (multi-year average, 2009-2024)

* COVID-affected year — test participation was uneven nationwide. This data is weighted at 50% in the Growth score calculation.

Based on 36 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

44.3%

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 Howard Wood 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 Los Angeles map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 59Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 34Some Transit
  • Bike 71Very Bikeable
  • City Safety: High3,096/100K

Powered byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2024 · city context (Torrance), 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

$92,815

Median home value

$887,300

Median rent

$1,868/mo

College educated

38.7%

Homeownership

45.6%

Poverty rate

11.6%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 90501; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Programs & students

Programs & Offerings

Gifted & Talented ProgramAvailable
This school offers a gifted and talented program for qualifying students.·CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Compare nearby

Nearby same-level schools

4 from a 5-mile search; district fallback available

SchoolScoreGradesDistanceEnrollmentCompare
John Adams ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.2K–50.3 mi333Compare →
Nishiyamato Academy of CaliforniaPrivate · tuition7.5privatePK–90.6 mi85Compare →
Torrance Montessori SchoolPrivate · tuitionNot ratedPK–K0.6 mi3Compare →
Lomita Math/science/technology MagnetEnrollment path unverified8.2K–50.8 mi852Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

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

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

Torrance Unified

Schools in district
32
Rank in district
#8 of 30
District spending per student
$15,134NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.2%Census SAIPE · 2024

Howard Wood Elementary is listed in Torrance Unified; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Howard Wood Elementary

Howard Wood Elementary is a public elementary school in Torrance, CA, part of Torrance Unified, serving approximately 379 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 22.3:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 out of 10 and ranks #1,647 of 9,539 schools in CA. State assessment records show 54% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Howard Wood Elementary

What grades does Howard Wood Elementary serve?

Howard Wood Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Howard Wood Elementary?

Howard Wood Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 379 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Howard Wood Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Howard Wood Elementary is 22.3:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Howard Wood Elementary rank in CA?

Howard Wood Elementary ranks #1,647 of 9,539 schools in CA.

What is Howard Wood Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Howard Wood Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 8.0 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 Howard Wood Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Howard Wood Elementary has 54% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024) and 54% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2024).

Is Howard Wood Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Howard Wood Elementary a Title I school?

No, Howard Wood Elementary is not currently a Title I school.

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

44.3% of students at Howard Wood 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
379
Student-Teacher Ratio
22.3:1
Teachers (FTE)
17
Type
regular
Setting
Midsize City
County
Los Angeles County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
19.8%
Area population (ZIP 90501)
41,319
Area average commute
26.4 min
Area median age
38.8
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 90501; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

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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