I ama teacher at McDowell school. The school is very sensitive to students needs, especially in reading and English learning. We do have a high percentage of English learners , low socio economic disadvantaged students; however, the leadership of the school and staff have worked together to really focus
... Read more on how to help all students meet academic needs. I truly wish there was more parent involvement as the school is doing as much as they can to promote it with an active PTA, healthy start program, full day kindergarten, etc. If you are looking at sending your child to a school with a truly caring staff and need your child to have extra support in reading with a direct instruction approach, McDowell could be your choice in schools. Read less
Posted by a teacher on 09/14/08
My son has attend McDowell Elementary for two years and we love it. Yes, there is a high percentage of English learners but the school is really focused on reading skills. Their test scores improved 33 points in one year. They also have the Boys and Girls Club on campus so kids can attend after school
... Read more for homework help and for extra-curricular activities. Read less
Posted by a parent on 10/03/07
My Son went to McDowell when he was in Kindergarten, and even though the teacher was great I was not very happy with the school. I felt that they were not teaching everything the kids needed to learn. We had to move the next year to Rohnert Park and when my son went to first grade he was indeed behind
... Read more academically to the other kids in his class. I am sorry to say that I would not recommend this school to any parent. Read less
Posted by a parent on 06/05/07
We have a child at McDowell Elementary, this is not a private school it is public, but we are actually not very satisfied with the school, the teacher my child has is great but the focus on education isn't there. There is a lot of children that do not understand English and/or speak English and therefore
... Read more that sets the entire classes back. They aren't focusing on the needs of the school like new gutters (there are some being held up with duct tape) or offering P.E. with a physical education teacher. Read less
Posted by a parent on 02/26/07
McDowell is a wonderful, family oriented small private school. It has small classes and wonderful caring teachers. The atmosphere in the school is 'old-fashioned' in the best sense in that it feels like home. Every child is an individual and is treated as someone special not just by their own teacher
... Read more but by every member of staff. We have 2 children at McDowell and I couldn't recommend it more highly. Read less
*The resources listed are programs that the institution is staffed to support. Staffing for a program does not guarantee that it will be offered. This content is provided by the institution and may be incomplete. The institution may offer programs not listed here. Please contact the school directly for additional details.
Advanced Placement
AP classes are college-level classes offered at the high school level. Once a student completes an AP class and passes a final comprehensive examination conducted by the College Board, the student earns college credit for the course. AP classes are specific and not to be confused with other higher-level classes such as honors classes.
Before/After School
"Extended day" programs where the school day is extended before and after school to accommodate working parents. These programs should not be confused with common after school clubs or athletic activities.
Gifted and Talented
A school system may identify 10% to 15% or more of its student population as gifted and talented. A brief description of each area of giftedness or talent as defined by the Office of Gifted and Talented:
general intellectual ability or talent - high intelligence test score (usually two standard deviations above the mean), and high levels of vocabulary, memory, abstract work knowledge and abstract reasoning;
specific academic aptitude or talent in one area such as mathematics or language arts;
creative and productive thinking, the ability to produce new ideas;
leadership ability, the ability to direct individuals or groups to a common decision or action;
visual and performing arts, special talents in visual art, music, dance, drama, or other related studies;
psychomotor ability, such as practical, spatial, mechanical, and physical skills.
Vocation/Technical Curriculum
Vocational and/or technical courses offered within a comprehensive school, usually a senior high school.
Special Education Classes
A school or program within a school that provides services and training to students with moderate to severe mental and/or physical disabilities.
Adult Education Classes
Programs offering GED or equivalent courses for adults within regular schools, whether classes are held during evening or daytime schedules.
English as Second Language
English language classes for students whose first language is not English.
Petaluma schools — Mcdowell Elementary School is located at 421 S Mcdowell Blvd, Petaluma CA 94954. 421 S Mcdowell Blvd is in the 94954 ZIP code in Petaluma, CA The school district for Mcdowell Elementary School is the Petaluma City School District. Mcdowell Elementary School is a Public school that serves grade levels K - 6.
School information provided by OnBoard Informatics Copyright (c) 2008. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
We won't spam you. Nor will we give, sell, rent or otherwise make your email address available to third parties.
All our mailings include a link so you can easily unsubscribe. For more details, read our full privacy policy.
Parent Reviews
These reviews include feedback from parents, students, former students, administrators and other staff. This feedback
may help you further evaluate and compare schools, along with other information such as test scores, academic programs,
school resources, classroom and teacher ratios, etc. The reviews are provided by GreatSchools.
Ask a question about this school on Trulia Voices to learn more
about this school or district from residents and other local experts.
Test Score Ratings
Test score ratings are based on the most recent standardized test results reported by this state. These ratings may help
you compare similar schools in this district or area. For example, a rating of 8 indicates that, on average, students in
this school scored better than 70% of the students in the state on the same tests. We have indicated below which tests
were used in calculating these ratings. Other factors should be considered when comparing schools, including teacher
experience, academic programs, extracurricular activities, resources for special needs students, etc. These ratings are
not provided by the state Department of Education, which may have their own rating systems.
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
