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Needs Improvement

#1835 of 1,851 schools in VA

Cradock Elementary

Elementary School · Portsmouth City Public Schools · Portsmouth, VA

A Portsmouth City Public Schools elementary school where students score 21 points below what's typical for similar communities.

18 Dahlgren Ave, Portsmouth, VA 23702

  • Math 43% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • Reading 41% vs VA 72% (2025)
  • 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio

Academics

Full Profile · 3/3 metrics
Student Progress1.7Needs Improvement50%
Year-over-year improvement in student test scores.
View breakdown
Years of Data14
Annual Change-2.58 pts/yr
Data Period2009–2025
TrendDeclining
Academics1.9Needs Improvement30%
Student proficiency on state tests, adjusted for community poverty levels.
View breakdown
Math Proficiency43% (2025 SOL)
Reading/ELA Proficiency41% (2025 SOL)
Math vs. State Avg-30.2 pts
Reading vs. State Avg-34.7 pts
Overall Proficiency42% (2025 SOL, Math+ELA)
Expected (poverty-adj.)63% (model expectation from 2025 SOL)
vs. Expected-21.2 pts
Adjusted Percentile4th
Resources & Environment3.4Needs Improvement20%
Student-teacher ratio, district spending per student, and attendance.
View breakdown
Student-Teacher Ratio14.4:1
District spending per student$14,888
Chronic Absenteeism32.3%

Students at Cradock Elementary score 42% proficient, which is below what's typical for similar communities (expected: 63%).

How we calculate scores →

2025 SOL proficiency

Most recent published year. School vs. VA average.

Math Proficiency43%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)
ELA Proficiency41%(2025 SOL)
School
State
72%(2025 SOL)

Trend

↓ Declining

Proficiency has fallen 25 points since 2019, to 42% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).

Show all 14 years
2009
Math
89%
ELA
85%
2010
Math
80%
ELA
82%
2011
Math
56%
ELA
80%
2012
Math
66%
ELA
67%
2013
Math
72%
ELA
59%
2014
Math
77%
ELA
72%
2015
Math
73%
ELA
66%
2016
Math
76%
ELA
73%
2017
ELA
68%
2018
Math
72%
ELA
62%
2019
Math
72%
ELA
62%
2020*
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2021*
Math
22%
ELA
37%
2025
Math
43%
ELA
41%

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 58% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 59% (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 VA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

Equity & diversity

Shown separately, not included in the overall score

Free/reduced lunch

100%

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 Cradock Elementary sits, and what the surrounding area looks like.

Nearby same-level schools are colored by their score. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Getting around & local context

  • Walk 64Somewhat Walkable
  • Transit 28Some Transit
  • Bike 45Somewhat Bikeable
  • City Safety: High4,615/100K

Powered byWalk Score

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

$48,288

Median home value

$188,600

Median rent

$1,228/mo

College educated

9.1%

Homeownership

45.1%

Poverty rate

20.7%

ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 23702; 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
Victory ElementaryEnrollment path unverified3.3K–61.1 mi570Compare →
St Mark Christian AcademyPrivate · tuition6.5privatePK–51.2 mi56Compare →
G.a. Treakle ElementaryEnrollment path unverified7.5PK–51.5 mi401Compare →
Portsmouth Christian SchoolPrivate · tuition5.7privatePK–121.5 mi504Compare →

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.

Portsmouth City Public Schools

Schools in district
23
Rank in district
#21 of 22
District spending per student
$14,888NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
22.5%Census SAIPE · 2024

Cradock Elementary is listed in Portsmouth City Public Schools; a district label does not verify attendance for an address.

About Cradock Elementary

Cradock Elementary is a public elementary school in Portsmouth, VA, part of Portsmouth City Public Schools, serving approximately 606 students in grades Kindergarten-6th with a 14.4:1 student-teacher ratio. It holds a MySchoolScout rating of 2.1 out of 10 and ranks #1,835 of 1,851 schools in VA. State assessment records show 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about Cradock Elementary

What grades does Cradock Elementary serve?

Cradock Elementary serves students in grades Kindergarten through 6th.

How many students attend Cradock Elementary?

Cradock Elementary has an enrollment of approximately 606 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Cradock Elementary?

The student-teacher ratio at Cradock Elementary is 14.4:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Cradock Elementary rank in VA?

Cradock Elementary ranks #1,835 of 1,851 schools in VA.

What is Cradock Elementary's MySchoolScout rating?

Cradock Elementary has a current MySchoolScout rating of 2.1 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 Cradock Elementary?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Cradock Elementary has 58% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 59% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Cradock Elementary a charter school?

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

Is Cradock Elementary a Title I school?

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

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

100.0% of students at Cradock 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 – 6th
Enrollment
606
Student-Teacher Ratio
14.4:1
Teachers (FTE)
42
Type
regular
Setting
Small City
County
Portsmouth city
Chronic Absenteeism (SY 2022-23)
32.3%
Area population (ZIP 23702)
12,087
Area average commute
23.1 min
Area median age
30
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 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 SOL · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 SOL. 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 23702; 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

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