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Oakland Unified

Below Average2024–25 data73 schools · avg 30.5/100

Oakland Unified has 73 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 30.5/100 — 13.3 points below the California state average of 43.8. The highest-scoring school is Hillcrest at 67/100, where 50.9% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $18,173 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 2 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 32.9%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score
30.5
State avg: 43.8
SchoolScope composite
Score Range
60.9
6.5 – 67.3
Avg Exceeded %
12.4%
State avg: 21.6%
CDE CAASPP 2025
Chronic Absenteeism
32.9%
State avg: 18.1%
CDE Attendance 2025
Schools Ranked
73
With Scope Scores
LevelAvg ScoreSchoolsExceededAbsent
ElementaryDeveloping
32.5/100
5014.4%28.4%
MiddleNeeds Support
26.6/100
119.8%31.7%
HighNeeds Support
25.7/100
126.1%52.9%

K–12 pipeline

The typical school path in Oakland Unified, top-scoring shown first.

Elementary
32.5
avg score · 50 schools
Hillcrest
Solid
67/100
Redwood Heights Elementary
Solid
67/100
Chabot Elementary
Solid
67/100
+47 more elementary schools
→
Middle
26.6
avg score · 11 schools
Claremont Middle
Solid
53/100
Edna Brewer Middle
Solid
50/100
Montera Middle
Developing
44/100
+8 more middle schools
→
High
25.7
avg score · 12 schools
Oakland Technical High
Solid
59/100
Skyline High
Developing
50/100
Oakland High
Developing
40/100
+9 more high schools

District Analysis

Strongest level: Oakland Unified's elementary schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 32.5.

Growth story: District-wide elementary growth averages -0.3pp (state avg: -3.0pp), growth is essentially flat.

Consistency: Score range of 60.9 points — showing significant variation between schools.

Absenteeism: District chronic absenteeism averages 32.9%, 14.8pp below the state average of 18.1%.

Suspensions: District suspension rate averages 3.6%, near the state average of 1.7%.

Top school: Hillcrest leads the district at 67 with 50.9% exceeding standard.

How we score · Scope Score methodology

School archetypes in Oakland Unified

24 On the Rise2 Strong All-Around2 Growth Engine2 Culture First42 Building Momentum

Hidden gems: 26 schools in Oakland Unified are classified as On the Rise (24) or Growth Engine (2) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

Student demographics

Hispanic
47.7%
White
10.7%
Asian
7.6%
Black
22.6%
Other
11.3%
Free/Reduced Lunch
83%
Economic need indicator · district avg
CDE CAASPP 2025

District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data

District Funding

Oakland Unified spends $18,173 per student in current expenditures — $3,359 above the state average of $14,815.

Per-Pupil Spending
$18,173
State avg: $14,815
District Enrollment
35,489
Students for funding calc
2016–2020 Trend
↑ 56.4%
$11,617 → $18,173
Spending Efficiency
1.68
Scope Score per $1K spent
Spending Breakdown
Instruction 61%Support 36%Other 3%
NCES F-33 Finance · District-level data — not school-specific

Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020

Teacher compensation

Salary Range
$62,696–$109,878
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
Teaching Staff
2,010
Full-time equivalent teachers

CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25

Elementary Schools (50)

Oakland Unified has 50 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 32.5 — 11.3 points below the state average of 43.8.

Growth is essentially flat at -0.3pp.

The highest-scoring elementary school is Hillcrest with a Scope Score of 67 and 50.9% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Hillcrest
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
50.9%Solid
67/100
2Redwood Heights Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
44.5%Solid
67/100
3Chabot Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
47.6%Solid
67/100
4Crocker Highlands Elementary
Oakland Unified Strong All-Around
43.6%Solid
66/100
5Peralta Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
46.5%Solid
65/100
6Lincoln Elementary
Oakland Unified Growth Engine
35.3%Solid
65/100
7Montclair Elementary
Oakland Unified Solid Base
39.8%Solid
60/100
8Thornhill Elementary
Oakland Unified Strong All-Around
38.4%Solid
59/100
9Sequoia Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
39.7%Solid
59/100
10Cleveland Elementary
Oakland Unified Culture First
33.8%Solid
51/100
11Glenview Elementary
Oakland Unified Culture First
33.6%Developing
49/100
12Melrose Leadership Academy
Oakland Unified Growth Engine
20.2%Developing
48/100
13Joaquin Miller Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
30.4%Developing
48/100
14Emerson Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
23.8%Developing
40/100
15Burckhalter Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
11.6%Developing
32/100
16Carl B. Munck Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
11.7%Developing
32/100
17Franklin Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
10.4%Developing
32/100
18Piedmont Avenue Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
12.6%Developing
31/100
19Manzanita SEED Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
16.6%Developing
30/100
20EnCompass Academy Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
3.7%Developing
30/100
21Bella Vista Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
12.5%Developing
30/100
22Think College Now Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
9.2%Needs Support
29/100
23Global Family Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
2.1%Needs Support
29/100
24Madison Park Academy Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
7.9%Needs Support
27/100
25ACORN Woodland Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
6.2%Needs Support
27/100
26Esperanza Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
4.4%Needs Support
26/100
27Laurel Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
8.0%Needs Support
26/100
28La Escuelita
Oakland Unified On the Rise
6.8%Needs Support
25/100
29International Community Elementary
Oakland Unified On the Rise
5.9%Needs Support
24/100
30Garfield Elementary
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
4.9%Needs Support
23/100

Middle Schools (11)

Oakland Unified has 11 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 26.6 — 13.9 points below the state average of 40.5.

District-wide growth averages +1.3pp, suggesting schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.

The highest-scoring middle school is Claremont Middle with a Scope Score of 53 and 30.6% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Claremont Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
30.6%Solid
53/100
2Edna Brewer Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
28.0%Solid
50/100
3Montera Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
20.3%Developing
44/100
4Roosevelt Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
7.3%Needs Support
23/100
5Bret Harte Middle
Oakland Unified On the Rise
5.5%Needs Support
22/100
6Westlake Middle
Oakland Unified On the Rise
2.6%Needs Support
19/100
7Urban Promise Academy Middle
Oakland Unified On the Rise
3.0%Needs Support
19/100
8West Oakland Middle
Oakland Unified On the Rise
2.4%Needs Support
19/100
9Elmhurst United Middle
Oakland Unified On the Rise
4.2%Needs Support
18/100
10United for Success Academy Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
3.2%Needs Support
16/100
11Frick United Academy of Language Middle
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.5%Needs Support
10/100

High Schools (12)

Oakland Unified has 12 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 25.7 — 21.7 points below the state average of 47.5.

The highest-scoring high school is Oakland Technical High with a Scope Score of 59 and 26.0% exceeding standard.

#SchoolExceededScore
1Oakland Technical High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
26.0%Solid
59/100
2Skyline High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
19.1%Developing
50/100
3Oakland High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
12.1%Developing
40/100
4MetWest High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
9.4%Developing
35/100
5McClymonds High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
2.8%Developing
32/100
6Fremont High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.9%Needs Support
25/100
7Castlemont High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
1.1%Needs Support
16/100
8Ralph J. Bunche Continuation High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
16/100
9Dewey Academy High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
2.0%Needs Support
12/100
10Oakland International High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
9/100
11Rudsdale Continuation High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
8/100
12Street Academy Alternative High
Oakland Unified Building Momentum
0.0%Needs Support
6/100

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

What Scope Scores can't tell you about Oakland Unified

  • Class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality
  • Quality of arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs
  • Teacher experience, turnover, and professional development
  • Campus safety, bullying climate, and social-emotional support
  • Parent and community engagement levels
  • Quality of special education and gifted programs
  • How resources are distributed across schools within the district

Scope Scores measure academic performance and school climate using public data. They are one lens among many. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Is Oakland Unified a good school district?
Oakland Unified has 73 ranked schools averaging a Scope Score of 30.5/100, which is 13.3 points below the California state average of 43.8. 12.4% of students exceed the state standard on average. The Scope Score measures academic performance and school climate across six dimensions. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What is the best school in Oakland Unified?
The highest-scoring school in Oakland Unified is Hillcrest with a Scope Score of 67/100 and 50.9% exceeding standard. See methodology.
How much does Oakland Unified spend per student?
Oakland Unified spends $18,173 per student in current expenditures. The state average is $14,815. Spending data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data Fiscal Survey (F-33). Higher spending does not automatically mean better outcomes — the Scope Score measures what happens in the classroom regardless of budget.
What is the teacher salary range in Oakland Unified?
Teacher salaries in Oakland Unified range from $62,696–$109,878 based on the district's salary schedule (CDE Form J-90). The California statewide median teacher salary is approximately $98,000.
What does the Scope Score measure?
The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on six dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade-level growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, and ELPAC English Learner proficiency. Full methodology and weights.

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