How does Independence Elementary compare to other elementary schools in South Gate?

Independence Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 41.4/100, placing it at the 43rd percentile statewide. 14% of students exceed standard, with a total of 860 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Independence Elementary?

14.3% of students at Independence Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 35.8% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Independence Elementary improving or declining?

Independence Elementary's proficiency rate decreases by 6.1 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Independence Elementary?

20.6% of students at Independence 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.

Independence Elementary

Los Angeles Unified South Gate Los Angeles County 90280

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

860 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

440 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

19:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

93%

Teachers

23 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 98.2%

White 0.5%

Black 0.2%

Other 1.1%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Independence Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	14.3%
Met Standard	21.4%
Below Standard	64.2%

Exceeded

14.3%

Met

21.4%

Below

64.2%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "36% proficient" for Independence Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

14.3% of students exceeded standard while 21.4% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 6.6 points below the state average of 21.0%. That's 6.8 points below the Los Angeles Unified district average of 21.2%. Nearby schools (within ~3 miles) average 14.8% exceeded — about the same. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 6.1 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 20.6%, above the state average of 18.7%.