How does Adams Elementary compare to other elementary schools in Costa Mesa?

Adams Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 53.1/100, placing it at the 73rd percentile statewide. 27% of students exceed standard, with a total of 572 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Adams Elementary?

26.6% of students at Adams Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 56.3% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Adams Elementary improving or declining?

Adams Elementary's proficiency rate decreases by 5.4 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Adams Elementary?

11.7% of students at Adams Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Adams Elementary

Newport-Mesa Unified Costa Mesa Orange County 92626

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

572 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

326 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

16:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

78%

Teachers

21 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 73.6%

White 14.7%

Asian 2.5%

Black 2.1%

Other 7.1%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Adams Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	26.6%
Met Standard	29.7%
Below Standard	43.7%

Exceeded

26.6%

Met

29.7%

Below

43.7%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "56% proficient" for Adams Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

26.6% of students exceeded standard while 29.7% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 5.6 points above the state average of 21.0%. That's 5.4 points below the Newport-Mesa Unified district average of 32.0%. The 20 nearby schools within ~3 miles average 28.6% exceeded — 2.1 points higher. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 5.4 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 11.7%, better than the state average of 18.7%.