Franklin Elementary
2400 Montana Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Phone: 310-828-2814
Franklin Elementary is one of a handful of California elementary schools to earn top scores from greatschools.com. This K-5 school in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified District excels in academics, academic contests, and has a stellar band and PE program. The school believes in a strong partnership between parents and teachers to foster a good educational environment for its students. According to the school’s website, the school has parent/teacher conferences in November and two report cards during the school year. If you are looking to be involved in your child’s education, Franklin may be your school of choice.
Population and Enrollment
According to Ed-Data, Franklin has a population of 772 students. In the last decade the school has seen dips and rises in enrollment. At its peak, Franklin had 810 students in the 2002-2003 school year.
Teaching Staff
Franklin prides itself on its teachers. The school has a dedicated and qualified staff. 100 percent of the teachers at Franklin are certified, compared to 96 percent statewide. Teachers at the school have an average of 15 years of teaching experience and an average of nine years of teaching at the district, according to greatschools.com. For parents concerned with high teacher turnover, Franklin could look very appealing.
Class Size
For most parents, class size is an important factor in choosing the school of choice. At Franklin, there are 33 classrooms and the average class size is 23.4 compared to 25 students in the state.
Technology
The school owns or leases 14 computers, which are used at least part time for instructions or other educational activities. There are 45 classrooms connected to the Internet, and the ratio for students per computer is 55.1.
Test Scores
n California, public schools annually participate in statewide testing called the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program. Based on the performance, schools get assigned an Academic Performance Index (API). The measure is also used to evaluate adequate yearly progress of schools. For parents who value these test scores, Franklin seems to be a good option. For the 2010-2011 school year, Franklin met all growth targets including the ones set for ethnic and economically disadvantaged students. The school scored at or above statewide performance target in 2010, according to data from the California Department of Education. Franklin’s API score was 954 compared to 855 in the district and 779 statewide.
Diversity
77.6 percent of the student body at Franklin is White. Asians are the largest minority group at 9.3 percent. Hispanic or Latinos make up 7.4 percent of the population. Students at Franklin speak languages such as Farsi, Russian, Spanish, German and Japanese. In California, about a quarter of public school students require special instruction in English to help them succeed in school, according to Ed-Data. At Franklin, 73 students were identified as English learners in the 2010-2011 school year. That’s 9.5 percent of the school’s total enrollment.
After-School Programs
Franklin offers childcare from kindergarten through fifth grade from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. and from school dismissal until 6:00 p.m., according to the school’s website.
Extracurricular Activities
If you want a school that focuses on overall development for your child, Franklin could be a strong lure. The school offers a wide range of programs such as band, chorus, dance, photography, orchestra, computer arts, ceramics/sculpture, drawing/painting, theater/drama, and video/film production. Among the language offerings are: Hebrew, Latin, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin. The school also has special programs such as academic contests, community service, newspaper, student council and student government, debate, and science and technology.
