How does Carmela Elementary compare to other elementary schools in Whittier?

Carmela Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 37.4/100, placing it at the 30th percentile statewide. 6% of students exceed standard, with a total of 708 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Carmela Elementary?

6.2% of students at Carmela Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 21.5% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Carmela Elementary improving or declining?

Carmela Elementary's proficiency rate increases by 1.1 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is adding value over time.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Carmela Elementary?

11.2% of students at Carmela Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Carmela Elementary

South Whittier Elementary Whittier Los Angeles County 90605

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

708 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

337 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

21:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

95%

Teachers

16 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 95.0%

White 3.3%

Asian 0.3%

Black 0.6%

Other 0.9%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Carmela Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	6.2%
Met Standard	15.3%
Below Standard	78.5%

Exceeded

6.2%

Met

15.3%

Below

78.5%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "21% proficient" for Carmela Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

6.2% of students exceeded standard while 15.3% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 14.8 points below the state average of 21.0%. That's 6.1 points below the South Whittier Elementary district average of 12.3%. The 29 nearby schools within ~3 miles average 21.2% exceeded — 15.1 points higher. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Students here improve by 1.1 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

Chronic absenteeism is 11.2%, better than the state average of 18.7%.