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The Pleasanton Virtual Academy

Grades K-12Alternative School2024–25 data
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
Strong
94/100
Strong — 99th percentile statewide
#3 of 1,714 CA middle schools
↑ 3.8 pts since 2023
⭐ High Ceiling

A high-ceiling school — students here are pushed to exceed, not just meet, the standard. Achieves top results on below-average funding — one of the most efficient schools in the state

School Climate
86% of students attend consistently
Chronic absenteeism: 14.2% (state avg: 19.1%)
"Attend consistently" means missing ≤10% of school days (the chronic absenteeism threshold).
Moderate suspension rate
2.4% suspension rate (state avg: 4.2%)
Share of students who received at least one suspension during the year.
Source: California Dept. of Education, 2024–25See breakdown by student group →

What the numbers actually mean

Most rating sites report "86% proficient" and stop there. We think that number deserves more context — here's what we found when we looked deeper:

63.6% of students exceeded standard? Level 4 on California's CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment — the state defines four levels: Not Met, Nearly Met, Met, and Exceeded. while 22.7% met it. That exceeded rate is 46.3 points above the state average of 17.3%. That's 16.7 points above the Pleasanton Unified district average of 46.9%. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" can reveal how much a school's curriculum challenges students beyond proficiency.

The Pleasanton Virtual Academy
64%
23%
California average
17%
22%
ExceededMet onlyBelow

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance increased significantly and Math increased significantly year-over-year.

Chronic absenteeism? Missing 10%+ of enrolled school days. This is an official California Dashboard accountability indicator. is 14.2%, better than the state average of 19.1%.

Data you won't find on other sites: School-level per-pupil spending (not just district averages) · Current-year 2025 data direct from CDE · The exceeded vs. met split that most rating sites collapse into one number

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters → · Scope Score is SchoolScope's analysis of CDE data — not an official CDE rating. How we built this score (and what it misses) →

No single score captures a school. This is a starting point — visit, ask questions, trust your instincts.

What this score doesn't capture
  • — Teaching quality, classroom culture, and how teachers connect with students
  • — Arts, athletics, extracurriculars, and enrichment programs
  • — How well the school serves students with IEPs or gifted learners
  • — Parent community engagement and satisfaction
  • — Whether the curriculum aligns with your family's values
  • — Growth data unavailable for this school — the score overweights proficiency, which tends to correlate with household income

Most of our data is updated once per year and may reflect the prior school year.


Before you visit
Questions worth asking and signals worth checking
Who this school is great for
Students already performing at or above grade level — 64% of students here push past the standard
Families where consistent attendance and school culture matter — absenteeism is well below state average
Families who value a smaller school community — 125 students
Worth checking: May feel competitive — check that support exists for kids who hit a wall
These reflect data patterns, not guarantees. Your child's experience will depend on their teacher, grade, and classroom — things no score captures.

Score Factors
Academic Performance
Exceeded standard: 63.6%
46.3pp above state avg (state avg 17.3%)
43% weight

Exceeded rate gets the highest weight because it separates schools that clear the bar from those that raise it.

Limitation: Reflects tested students only — opt-out rates are not published by CDE.

CDE CAASPP 2025
Met or exceeded: 86.4%
46.9pp above state avg (state avg 39.5%)
22% weight

Overall proficiency provides the broadest measure of academic achievement.

Limitation: Combines ‘met’ and ‘exceeded’ — the gap between them matters more than either alone.

CDE CAASPP 2025
School Climate
Chronic absenteeism: 14.2%
4.9pp below state avg (state avg 19.1%)
10% weight

Absenteeism reflects school culture and family engagement — an official CA Dashboard accountability indicator.

Limitation: 10% threshold is the same for all schools regardless of demographics or geography.

CDE Attendance 2025
Suspension rate: 2.4%
1.8pp below state avg (state avg 4.2%)
5% weight

Low suspension rates correlate with positive school culture and restorative practices.

Limitation: Schools may differ in reporting practices — some underreport to improve metrics.

CDE Discipline 2025
We make judgment calls about what matters. We believe exceeded scores reveal more than proficiency alone, and that growth matters more than raw test results. Reasonable people could weight these differently — and that's fine. The factors above show exactly what we weighted and why, so you can decide where you agree and where you'd adjust. The middle school Scope Score uses 4 dimensions. How we built this score (and what it misses) →

The Scope Score emphasizes academic performance. It weights test proficiency, the exceeded-vs-met gap, and growth trajectory most heavily. If your family prioritizes arts, athletics, school culture, or teaching philosophy, this score captures some of that indirectly (through absenteeism and suspension) but not all of it. Different families should weight these dimensions differently — the score factors above let you see exactly what drives this number.

How to use this
  • Use for long-term academic patterns, not this week's classroom experience
  • Verify with a recent visit — scores can't capture a school mid-transformation
  • Combine with local context — talk to parents, attend a school board meeting, trust your gut

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic12.8%
White42.4%
Asian27.2%
Black2.4%
Other15.2%
GenderFemale 47.2%Male 52.8%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
125
1,075 below CA avg (~1,200)
Free/Reduced Lunch
8%
56pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
7 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,829
District avg: $12,555 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$76,813 – $136,658
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 64%Support 32%Other 4%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$187K
$102K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.45M
$794K above CA median
Bachelor's+
68%
33pp above CA avg
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
21.8 years avg experience
15 teachers

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

3-year trend

9094'23'24'25
↑ 3.8 points since 2023
Rank: #24 → #202 → #3Exceeded: 52% → 27% → 64%
2023 · 2024 · 2025 · Scope Score based on CAASPP, absenteeism & suspension data

How The Pleasanton Virtual Academy compares

The Pleasanton Virtual Academy vs. California averages — 2025 CAASPP data
MetricThis schoolCA avg
Exceeded Standard63.6%17.3%
Met or Exceeded86.4%39.5%
Chronic Absenteeism14.2%19.1%
Suspension Rate2.4%4.2%

Source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025 · Analyzed by SchoolScope

ELA scores by grade

GradeTestedExceededMetNearly MetNot MetMet+Above
3rd4
4th5
5th7
6th10
7th7
8th1154.5%36.4%9.1%0.0%90.9%
11th1838.9%33.3%11.1%16.7%72.2%

Math scores by grade

GradeTestedExceededMetNearly MetNot MetMet+Above
3rd
4th5
5th7
6th9
7th7
8th1172.7%9.1%18.2%0.0%81.8%
11th1833.3%11.1%27.8%27.8%44.4%

Science scores by grade

GradeTestedExceededMetNearly MetNot MetMet+Above
8th3917.9%43.6%35.9%2.6%61.5%

39 students tested · CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually like ELA/Math. Not included in the Scope Score. · Data source: CDE CAST 2025

K-12 Path

The Pleasanton Virtual Academy serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.

Schools nearby

Frequently asked questions

Is The Pleasanton Virtual Academy a good middle school?
The Pleasanton Virtual Academy has a Scope Score of 94 out of 100, placing it in the 99th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #3 statewide. 63.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 46.3 percentage points above the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights five dimensions: the exceeded-vs-met split (45%), proficiency (25%), grade-level growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are The Pleasanton Virtual Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 86.4% of students at The Pleasanton Virtual Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 63.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 63.6% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 22 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does The Pleasanton Virtual Academy rank in California?
The Pleasanton Virtual Academy ranks #3 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 99th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
What is the attendance and school culture like at The Pleasanton Virtual Academy?
14.2% of students at The Pleasanton Virtual Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 2.4%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does The Pleasanton Virtual Academy compare to other schools in Pleasanton?
The Pleasanton Virtual Academy scores 94/100 (99th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 125 students. Use the schools in Pleasanton page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

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Data source: California Department of Education (2025 test year) · How we score · Explore all schools · Blog