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Needs Improvement

#1637 of 1,815 schools in CO

Little Elementary School

Elementary School · Jefferson County School District No. R-1 · Arvada, CO

A Jefferson County School District No. R-1 elementary school where students score 8 points below what's typical for similar communities.

8448 OTIS DRIVE, Arvada, CO 80003

  • Math 15% vs CO 40% (2025)
  • Reading 24% vs CO 45% (2025)
  • 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress2.8Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data15
Annual Change-4.72 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics4.0Below Average30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency15.2% (2025 CMAS)
Reading/ELA Proficiency24.9% (2025 CMAS)
Math vs. State Avg-20.9 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-20 pts
Overall Proficiency20% (2025 CMAS, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)28% (model expectation from 2025 CMAS)
vs. Expected-8.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile21th
Resources & Environment6.6Average20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio16.1:1
District spending per student$14,483
Chronic Absenteeism28.1%

Students at Little Elementary School score 20% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 28%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 CMAS proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. CO average.

Math Proficiency15%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
40%(2025 CMAS)
ELA Proficiency24%(2025 CMAS)
School
State
45%(2025 CMAS)

Trend

↑ Recovering

Proficiency declined earlier in the 17-year record (2009–2025), then recovered 6 points since 2020, reaching 20% in 2025.

Show all 15 years
2009
Math
90%
ELA
91%
2010
Math
89%
ELA
89%
2011
Math
58%
ELA
68%
2012
Math
56%
ELA
65%
2013
Math
55%
ELA
66%
2014
Math
23%
ELA
34%
2015
Math
29%
ELA
36%
2016
Math
28%
ELA
37%
2017
Math
25%
ELA
39%
2018
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2019
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2020*
Math
5%
ELA
22%
2021*
Math
5%
ELA
22%
2022
Math
12%
2025
Math
15%
ELA
24%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 32% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 44% (multi-year average, 2009-2025)

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

Based on 35 test records from CO state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

67.8%

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 Little Elementary School 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 Denver map →

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 13Car-Dependent
  • Transit 34Some Transit
  • Bike 54Bikeable
  • City Safety: High2,804/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$82,754

Median home value

$486,600

Median rent

$1,729/mo

College educated

33.3%

Homeownership

69.7%

Poverty rate

10.4%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 80003; 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
Colorado Preparatory Academy Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified6.3K–50.9 mi903Compare →
Destinations Career Academy of ColoradoEnrollment path unverified4.84–120.9 mi565Compare →
Adams Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified3.9PK–51.1 mi317Compare →
Hackberry Hill Elementary SchoolEnrollment path unverified7.5K–51.4 mi441Compare →

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

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

Jefferson County School District No. R-1

Schools in district
148
Rank in district
#129 of 140
District spending per student
$14,483NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.4%Census SAIPE · 2024

Little Elementary School is listed in Jefferson County School District No. R-1; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Little Elementary School

Little Elementary School is a public elementary school in Arvada, CO, part of Jefferson County School District No. R-1, serving approximately 338 students in grades Kindergarten-5th with a 16.1:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 3.9 out of 10 and ranks #1,637 of 1,815 schools in CO.

State assessment records show 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Little Elementary School

What grades does Little Elementary School serve?

Little Elementary School serves students in grades Kindergarten through 5th.

How many students attend Little Elementary School?

Little Elementary School has an enrollment of approximately 338 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Little Elementary School?

The student-teacher ratio at Little Elementary School is 16.1:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Little Elementary School rank in CO?

Little Elementary School ranks #1,637 of 1,815 schools in CO.

What is Little Elementary School's MySchoolScout rating?

Little Elementary School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 3.9 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 Little Elementary School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Little Elementary School has 32% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 44% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Little Elementary School a charter school?

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

Is Little Elementary School a Title I school?

No, Little Elementary School is not currently a Title I school.

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

67.8% of students at Little Elementary School 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
338
Student-Teacher Ratio
16.1:1
Teachers (FTE)
21
Type
regular
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Jefferson County
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
28.1%
Area population (ZIP 80003)
35,381
Area average commute
26.3 min
Area median age
38.3
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 · 2025 CMAS · 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 from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CMAS · 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 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 80003; 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, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our data · How we calculate scores

Related reading

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