Holbrook Language Academy

3333 Ronald Way

School District

Mt. Diablo Unified
Grade

K-8
Teacher/Student Ratio

1:21
Type

public

School Map for Mt. Diablo Unified School District

GreatSchools Rating

The school rating calculation is based on four ratings: the Student Progress Rating or Academic Progress Rating, College Readiness Rating, Equity Rating, and Test Score Rating each designed to show different facets of school success. Learn more about GreatSchools Ratings

Reviews

Submitted by parent on January 29, 2024

While I was in doubt the first few years whether the dual immersion would work and my kids would learn Spanish (I am an ESL myself and my standards on acquiring language are very high), my doubts disappeared when my older kid gave a speech at her 5th grade promotion. She wrote it herself, she got up there and spoke in front of all the parents and teachers and she was amazing. Having other parents and educators, who are fully fluent in Spanish, congratulate us on her amazing language skills was a testament to this program's truly working. She frequently presents in Spanish, her comprehension is incredible, and her vocabulary as well. I am impressed! Also, don't be fooled by the overall rating- this is a truly mixed school, many students are just learning English which means that they can't test as high as English speakers. My daughter has been constantly exceeding state testing (CAASPP, CAST, LEXQUAN) - in all areas.I wish our school had more funding, but this is a district/ state/ federal issue. As far as our school - my kids are thriving and best of all language skills are such superpowers that will be with them their entire time.
Submitted by parent on September 23, 2023

My child been attending for 2 years now and they’ve had a wonderful experience so far. She’s developing at the right pace while also being challenged with learning a second language. The teachers, families, and community are engaged and are always looking for ways to bring students together. I’d recommend this school to anyone and would definitely not judge Holbrook by the outdate rankings you see online.
Submitted by student on August 03, 2023

Amazing experience I love this school and how that are bilingual
Submitted by parent on February 19, 2022

This Website's Data May Be Inaccurate. I'm only here because home shopping in the area showed me Holbrook is 3/10 on this site. I was surprised to see that as my 3rd grader reads and writes in English and Spanish. She has attended the TWDI since Kinder and struggled with Spanish, especially during remote learning (we do not speak Spanish at home), but this year it's like a lightbulb turned on and she reading me bedtime stories in Spanish and translating things I say like "time to eat" - which I learned yesterday is tiempo a comido :)It's a clean school, free afterschool program, sports, girls scouts, etc. I get messages from my child's teacher about things I should be aware of. I was explaining the order of operations and PEMDAS to her for math homework the other night, which I am floored to be doing at 3rd grade, btw, thought I had a few more years to brush up..A sidenote: I once worked in a capacity that required me to know student data for the school district. Very few cases from Holbrook were escalated to the School Attendance Review Board or Juvenile/Dependency court during the few years I was privy to such data, so there was that, too.
Submitted by parent on October 18, 2021

Best school!This school is a hidden gem. Don’t let the test scores trick you. My older kids went to school in Walnut Creek and I greatly prefer this school. The after school program is great and completely free. If you are Latino you want to go to this school that affirms students home culture for more than one month a year. The neighborhood is adorable and affordable. Couldn’t be happier. Oh and did I mention it’s TK-8… also the best so the kids aren’t stuck in 3 years of pergatory between elementary and high school.
Submitted by parent on June 07, 2021

Rude staff. Called with some simple questions and was met with hostility and mockery. Totally inappropriate way for a professional staff to handle inquiries.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2020

Great school, great team. The principal is super dedicated and attentive to the needs of the school and especially the students. It is a safe place for our children with attentive and respectful staff. Dual language dual immersion are challenging but certainly the best
Submitted by parent on January 12, 2019

Just an fyi. The scores from here are based on 3rd graders and above. The 2nd through 5th grade classes are NOT our dual immersion classes (as of this review). The school opened the 2017/2018 year. All the upper grades came from all over the area, and thus any scores posted until about 2021 are from students primarily educated in not so great schools from around the area. Many of students left for a new school because they were not doing great at their other schools...
Submitted by parent on November 25, 2018

We have had an overall good experience at this school. What initially attracted us was the language component, as well as the investment in modern 21st classrooms replete with smart TVs, computers, tech- based learning, STEM lab, etc. There is a strong academic focus. I do agree with the prior review about the wish for even more academic rigor; however, I think we have to realize that kids in the dual immersion classes are already learning almost twice the amount of information in a day as a comparable English only class. The principal is open, supportive, approachable, and determined. Her own son is at Holbrook. This is clearly the job she wants, and there has been a commitment to not only providing a quality education for the kids, but to work on a pathway to continue the dual immersion program through middle and high school. The parents in the dual programs (these just started with last year's kinder class, with the re-opening of the school) are generally great and collaborative. Of course, there is always that small group of parents who cause problems and are difficult to deal with. However, that will be true at any school! The families of the older grade students have generally not been involved with the school, and I believe that to be due to how the school was just opened, and those families being from all over and outside of this district (and this has not been true with the classes who have started at Holbrook as Kinders). The PFC Club is a very welcoming group of hard working and dedicated parents, who have a goal of bettering the school in any way possible. They have been an instrumental support for the school, and are committed to the culture of diversity one would expect from a language- based school, as well as making sure all possible academic supports are in place. It is truly a melding of parents and community members, who are very invested in this school. This school also surprisingly has the CARES after school program (which is usually for lower income schools, but a high number of our families are fairly well off, and the surrounding area is full of high paid commuters). I have found they have more activities than Diane Adair, and are also more academic focused. The CARES leadership at Holbrook is amazing and also very approachable. Lastly, as an FYI, the school does not have data here because there are not sufficient numbers yet.
Submitted by parent on October 15, 2018

This is the second year since the school has opened. Our experience so far has been positive. My boys have enjoyed small classroom sizes, the dual immersion program, and the innovative use of technology in the classroom. The only drawback would be rigor. I wish my boys were challenged more in their academics. 4/5