School Profile · Murphys
Albert A. Michelson Elementary: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.
Albert A. Michelson pairs 54% proficiency with gains of 4.7pp per cohort — the rare school that posts both.
196 Pennsylvania Gulch Road, 95247·Vallecito Union·Murphys·Grades K-5·226 students·46% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 728-3441
Scope Score
51
📈 On the Rise · Solid
ranked #1,542 statewide
Albert A. Michelson Elementary scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 71st percentile of 5,230 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “54% proficient” and call it done. Albert A. Michelson deserves a closer read. The school sits in Murphys, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 50.0% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
31%
19%
50%
Grade 3 · 50% proficient
37%
16%
47%
Grade 4 · 53% proficient
29%
37%
34%
Grade 5 · 66% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 1.8pp across grades; the floor rises 15.8pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
50.0%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Albert A. Michelson's most underrated number
50.0% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.
Albert A. Michelson low-income: 50.0%State low-income: 38.2%
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
29.4%
State 21.6%
7.8pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
54.0%
State 42.9%
11.1pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+4.7pp
State -3.0pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
20.8%
State 18.1%
2.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 1.7%
0.7pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0%
State 17.7%
17.7pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Albert A. Michelson Elementary
51/100
This school
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Planning ahead? 2 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic16.4%
White72.1%
Asian1.3%
Other10.2%
GenderFemale 47.4%Male 52.6%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
226
254 below CA avg (~480)
Free/Reduced Lunch
46%
17pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,502
District avg: $16,184 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
0.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$46,734 – $114,213
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Albert A. Michelson Elementary in Murphys, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 52.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Albert A. Michelson Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (45.7% Math proficient); White students (55.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.2 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 46 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+10.9pp
31.7% vs 20.8% overall · n=41
Suspension · Disabilities+3.8pp
4.8% vs 1.0% overall · n=42
ELA · Low-Income−6.2pp
50.4% vs 56.6% overall · n=46
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−8.5pp
23.9% vs 32.4% overall · n=46
Math · Low-Income−5.7pp
45.8% vs 51.5% overall · n=46
Math Exceeded · White−5.4pp
21.1% vs 26.5% overall · n=77
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income46 tested
ELA 50.0%·Math 45.7%· -2.2pp vs district
White77 tested
ELA 55.8%·Math 50.6%· -2.6pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
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
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$73K
$12K below CA median
Median Home Value
$444K
$215K below CA median
Bachelor's+
35%
0pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.8 years avg experience
12 teachers
Teacher Credentials
83% fully credentialed
8.3% on intern/emergency permit
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 →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
29.4%
↑ vs CA 21.6% · 57th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
54.0%
↑ vs CA 42.9% · 58th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+4.7pp
↑ vs CA -3.0pp · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
20.8%
↓ vs CA 18.1% · 46th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 1.7% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 26 | 31% | 19% | 31% | 19% | 50% | +7 |
| Grade 4 | 43 | 37% | 16% | 26% | 21% | 53% | +9 |
| Grade 5 | 38 | 29% | 37% | 18% | 16% | 66% | +18 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 26 | 27% | 27% | 31% | 15% | 54% | +8 |
| Grade 4 | 43 | 19% | 35% | 28% | 19% | 53% | +12 |
| Grade 5 | 38 | 34% | 13% | 37% | 16% | 47% | +12 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 38 | 13% | 29% | 47% | 11% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 46 | 50.0% | −2 | +12 |
| White | 77 | 55.8% | −3 | −6 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albert A. Michelson Elementary ← | — | 51 | 29.4% | 54.0% | +4.7 | 1.0% |
| California average | — | 44 | 21.6% | 42.9% | −3.0 | 1.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1539 → #1404 → #2185 → #1545 → #1542
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,230 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Albert A. Michelson Elementary a good elementary school?
Albert A. Michelson Elementary has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 71st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,542 statewide. 29.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.8 percentage points above the California average of 21.6%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Albert A. Michelson Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 54.0% of students at Albert A. Michelson Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 29.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 29.4% 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. 214 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Albert A. Michelson Elementary rank in California?
Albert A. Michelson Elementary ranks #1,542 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 71st percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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.
Is Albert A. Michelson Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Albert A. Michelson Elementary increases by 4.7 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Albert A. Michelson Elementary?
20.8% of students at Albert A. Michelson Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 1.0%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Albert A. Michelson Elementary compare to other schools in Murphys?
Albert A. Michelson Elementary scores 51/100 (71st percentile) among California elementary 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 226 students. Use the schools in Murphys page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Albert A. Michelson Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Albert A. Michelson Elementary in Murphys, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 52.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Albert A. Michelson Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (45.7% Math proficient); White students (55.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.2 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 46 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.