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Coleman Elementary · San Rafael

Coleman Elementary: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Coleman posts 48% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

800 Belle Avenue, 94901 (opens in new tab)·San Rafael City Elementary·San Rafael·Grades TK-5·378 students·61% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(415) 485-2420·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4945
% Exceeded27%21%
% Met+48%43%
Growth-6.8-2.9
Absence11.3%17.9%
Suspension1.8%1.6%
Scope Score
49
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,940 statewide · #4 of 7 in San Rafael City Elementary

Coleman Elementary scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 66th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “48% proficient” and call it done. Coleman deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Rafael, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 66th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 48% meet the standard today, versus 53% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 355%22%44%35%47%
Grade 450%44%32%55%49%
Grade 544%43%44%33%48%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 355%31%52%38%58%
Grade 459%50%30%58%43%
Grade 554%48%56%39%43%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

22%
25%
53%
Grade 3 · 47% proficient
28%
21%
51%
Grade 4 · 49% proficient
28%
20%
52%
Grade 5 · 48% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.7pp across grades; the floor rises 1.7pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
26.6%
State 21.3%
5.2pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-6.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
47.9%
State 42.7%
5.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
11.3%
State 17.9%
6.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.8%
State 1.6%
0.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
13.4%
State 18.0%
4.6pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Coleman Elementary in San Rafael, 32.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Coleman Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 106 students tested.

All students at this school: 48% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 48%, district —, state 43%48%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 32%, district 25%, state 32%32% · −16 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 29%, district 23%, state 32%29% · −19 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 49%, district 37%, state 44%49% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 47%, district 37%, state 42%47% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 17%, district 8%, state 11%17% · −32 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 77%, district 79%, state 56%77% · +29 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 28%, district 15%, state 22%28% · −20 vs school

7 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 1.9pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.4pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 11.3%, district 10.7%, state 17.9%11.3% · −6.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.8%, district —, state 1.6%1.8% · +0.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–611.0%
TK/K8.9%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Coleman Elementary
49/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 21:122:1
Teaching staff18 teachers
Avg. experience13.0 years
Fully credentialed94%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,840 – $131,572
Principal salary$136,949 – $184,302
Superintendent salary$288,400

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $20,525, CA average $14,815$20,525 · spent at this school
Federal share$165 per student

$165 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,370 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction65%
Instruction support12%
Student services9%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance8%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,931 per pupil
2019$13,221 per pupil
2018$13,385 per pupil
2017$12,069 per pupil
2016$11,647 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic55.0%
District 71.8% · CA 56.1%
White33.1%
District 20.6% · CA 19.9%
Other6.6%
District 4.7% · CA 9.0%
Asian3.7%
District 2.1% · CA 10.2%
Black1.6%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 60.9% (3pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$115K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.51M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+49% · CA 35%
ZIP population41,307
Median age42 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 43% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Coleman Elementary a good elementary school?

Coleman Elementary has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 66th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,940 statewide. 26.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.2 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Coleman Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 47.9% of students at Coleman Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 26.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 26.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 339 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Coleman Elementary rank in California?

Coleman Elementary ranks #1,940 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 66th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

Is Coleman Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Coleman Elementary decreases by 6.8 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Coleman Elementary?

11.3% of students at Coleman Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.8%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does Coleman Elementary compare to other schools in San Rafael?

Coleman Elementary scores 49/100 (66th percentile) among California elementary schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 378 students. Use the schools in San Rafael page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Coleman Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Coleman Elementary in San Rafael, 32.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Coleman Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 106 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 38%
26.6%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 55th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-6.8pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
47.9%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 54th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
11.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 61th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.8%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 49th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
13.4%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 45th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36022%25%20%33%47%+3
Grade 44728%21%21%30%49%+4
Grade 56028%20%20%32%48%+0
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36239%19%15%27%58%+12
Grade 44719%23%40%17%43%+1
Grade 56324%19%22%35%43%+8
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/116123%20%36%21%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged10632.1%+5−6
Hispanic/Latino9328.0%+3−11
English Learners5813.8%+7+3
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Coleman Elementary ←4926.6%47.9%−6.81.8%
Ross Elementary2.3 mi9167.7%91.0%−10.40.7%
Sun Valley Elementary1.7 mi7047.5%73.1%−1.90.8%
Vallecito Elementary2.5 mi6339.5%62.5%+9.40.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195269#171027.3%52.5%6.5%0.2%-5.9pp
20225178#124521.1%39.5%23.1%0.3%+18.8pp
20234360#228223.4%43.0%23.1%2.6%+2.0pp
20245272#162423.0%42.9%16.3%4.3%-0.3pp
20254966#194026.6%47.9%11.3%1.8%-6.8pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female6.6%11.9%+5.3pp
Male6.2%9.6%+3.4pp
Asian7.1%7.1%+0.0pp
Hispanic/Latino6.3%14.5%+8.2pp
Two or More Races15.4%5.0%-10.4pp
Students with Disabilities7.5%17.9%+10.4pp
English Learners3.2%13.4%+10.2pp
Homeless11.8%18.8%+7.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.6%14.8%+6.2pp
All Students6.4%10.7%+4.3pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction