How does Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary compare to other elementary schools in Bakersfield?

Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 34.4/100, placing it at the 20th percentile statewide. 11% of students exceed standard, with a total of 2,046 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary?

11.0% of students at Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 28.0% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary improving or declining?

Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary's proficiency rate decreases by 12.9 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary?

19.7% of students at Colonel Howard Nichols 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.

Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary

Bakersfield City Bakersfield Kern County 93306

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

2,046 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

926 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

22:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

92%

Teachers

42 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 82.6%

White 10.9%

Asian 0.7%

Black 4.1%

Other 1.7%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	11.0%
Met Standard	16.9%
Below Standard	72.0%

Exceeded

11.0%

Met

16.9%

Below

72.0%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "28% proficient" for Colonel Howard Nichols Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

11.0% of students exceeded standard while 16.9% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 9.9 points below the state average of 21.0%. That's 3.3 points above the Bakersfield City district average of 7.8%. Compared to the 15 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 3.4 points higher (vs 7.6% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 12.9 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 19.7%, above the state average of 18.7%.