San Jose Unified
San Jose Unified has 40 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 43.8/100 — 0.1 points near the California state average of 43.8. The highest-scoring school is Leland High at 86/100, where 56.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $13,878 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 23.6%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 41.8/100 | 27 | 21.7% | 20.8% |
| Middle | Developing 41.3/100 | 6 | 22.3% | 23.1% |
| High | Solid 53.8/100 | 7 | 21.3% | 34.8% |
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in San Jose Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Strongest level: San Jose Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 53.8.
Growth story: District-wide elementary growth averages +1.3pp (state avg: -3.0pp), suggesting schools are making incremental gains.
Consistency: Score range of 69.6 points — showing significant variation between schools.
Absenteeism: District chronic absenteeism averages 23.6%, 5.5pp below the state average of 18.1%.
Suspensions: District suspension rate averages 4.0%, below the state average of 1.7%.
Top school: Leland High leads the district at 86 with 56.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in San Jose Unified
Hidden gems: 8 schools in San Jose Unified are classified as On the Rise (7) or Growth Engine — 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
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
San Jose Unified spends $13,878 per student in current expenditures — $936 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Elementary Schools (27)
San Jose Unified has 27 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.8 — 1.9 points near the state average of 43.8. 3 of 27 elementary schools score above 70.
District-wide growth averages +1.3pp, suggesting schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Williams Elementary with a Scope Score of 82 and 63.6% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams Elementary San Jose Unified High Ceiling | Strong 82/100 |
| 2 | Graystone Elementary San Jose Unified High Ceiling | Strong 76/100 |
| 3 | Los Alamitos Elementary San Jose Unified High Ceiling | Strong 72/100 |
| 4 | Booksin Elementary San Jose Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 70/100 |
| 5 | Simonds Elementary San Jose Unified Growth Engine | Solid 69/100 |
| 6 | Hammer Montessori at Galarza Elementary San Jose Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 68/100 |
| 7 | Hacienda Science/Environmental Magnet San Jose Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 65/100 |
| 8 | Reed Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Solid 56/100 |
| 9 | Schallenberger Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Solid 54/100 |
| 10 | River Glen San Jose Unified Culture First | Developing 45/100 |
| 11 | Willow Glen Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 44/100 |
| 12 | Almaden Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 41/100 |
| 13 | Walter L. Bachrodt Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 37/100 |
| 14 | Rachel Carson Elementary San Jose Unified On the Rise | Developing 37/100 |
| 15 | Canoas Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 34/100 |
| 16 | Merritt Trace Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 33/100 |
| 17 | Allen at Steinbeck San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 18 | Horace Mann Elementary San Jose Unified On the Rise | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 19 | Terrell Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 20 | Ernesto Galarza Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 21 | Selma Olinder Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 22 | Washington Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 23/100 |
| 23 | Gardner Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 24 | Grant Elementary San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 21/100 |
| 25 | Anne Darling Elementary San Jose Unified On the Rise | Needs Support 20/100 |
| 26 | Lowell Elementary San Jose Unified On the Rise | Needs Support 17/100 |
| 27 | Empire Gardens Elementary San Jose Unified On the Rise | Needs Support 17/100 |
Middle Schools (6)
San Jose Unified has 6 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.3 — 0.8 points near the state average of 40.5. 1 of 6 middle schools score above 70.
District-wide growth averages +0.3pp, suggesting schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring middle school is Bret Harte Middle with a Scope Score of 74 and 51.0% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bret Harte Middle San Jose Unified High Ceiling | Strong 74/100 |
| 2 | Castillero Middle San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Solid 51/100 |
| 3 | John Muir Middle San Jose Unified On the Rise | Developing 39/100 |
| 4 | Willow Glen Middle San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 36/100 |
| 5 | Herbert Hoover Middle San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 6 | Muwekma Ohlone Middle San Jose Unified On the Rise | Needs Support 23/100 |
High Schools (7)
San Jose Unified has 7 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 53.8 — 6.4 points above the state average of 47.5. 2 of 7 high schools score above 70.
The highest-scoring high school is Leland High with a Scope Score of 86 and 56.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leland High San Jose Unified High Ceiling | Strong 86/100 |
| 2 | Pioneer High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Strong 70/100 |
| 3 | Willow Glen High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Solid 62/100 |
| 4 | Abraham Lincoln High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Solid 58/100 |
| 5 | Gunderson High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 50/100 |
| 6 | San Jose High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Developing 34/100 |
| 7 | Broadway High San Jose Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 18/100 |
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 San Jose 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