Tam Valley Elementary ranks No. 160 in California

Tamalpais Valley Elementary on Bell Lane in the Mill Valley School District placed No. 160 out of 5,920 ranked California elementary schools in the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools rankings.

The K-5 school scored 97.31 out of 100. Its U.S. News profile lists 368 students and proficiency rates of 89% in math and 84% in reading on 2023-24 state assessments.

Both figures topped the Mill Valley School District averages of 82% in each subject and far exceeded the profile’s statewide rates of 38% in math and 44% in reading.

Tam Valley’s math proficiency ranked No. 90 statewide. Its reading proficiency tied for No. 133. The school received “well above expectations” ratings in both reading and math performance, a metric that adjusts for student demographics.

In a school website introduction about her 2021 appointment, Principal Lisa Lamar said, “I believe in working collaboratively with teachers and families.” The page describes her emphasis on a positive school culture and social-emotional learning.

Other southern Marin schools

Cove School in Corte Madera ranked No. 572 statewide with a score of 90.34 out of 100. The K-5 school, part of the Larkspur-Corte Madera School District, posted 77% math proficiency and 76% reading proficiency. The district’s two elementary campuses are in Corte Madera.

Neil Cummins Elementary, also in Corte Madera and part of the same district, ranked No. 1,234 with a score of 79.15. Its students scored 69% proficient or above in math and 73% in reading.

In Tiburon, Bel Aire Elementary ranked No. 1,218 with a score of 79.42. Its proficiency rate was 74% in each subject, math and reading.

Those rates exceeded the statewide figures reported by U.S. News, but the school’s performance ratings, which adjust results for student demographics, came in below expectations.

How the rankings work

U.S. News ranked nearly 47,000 elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools across the country, according to its rankings overview. The rankings were released Oct. 20 and are at state and district levels, not national rankings.

The rankings weigh four factors at 25% each: math proficiency, math performance, reading proficiency and reading performance. Half the formula measures assessment results without demographic adjustments. The other half factors in socioeconomic demographics.

Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in the organization’s press release that the updated methodology uses direct state data across all proficiency levels to give families and educators a clearer picture of academic achievement.

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