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Aliso Viejo Middle · Aliso Viejo

Aliso Viejo Middle: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Aliso Viejo posts 39.7% exceeding the standard — versus 16.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

111 Park Avenue, 92656 (opens in new tab)·Capistrano Unified·Aliso Viejo·Grades 6-8·803 students·35% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 831-2622·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6643
% Exceeded40%17%
% Met+68%39%
Growth+3.3+1.5
Absence13.9%18.5%
Suspension2.5%3.7%
Scope Score
66
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #211 statewide · #9 of 18 in Capistrano Unified

Aliso Viejo Middle scores 66 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 91st percentile of 2,238 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “68% proficient” and call it done. Aliso Viejo deserves a closer read. The school sits in Aliso Viejo, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Aliso Viejo's low-income kids hit 58.5% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has held the 91st-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 68% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 667%66%72%68%71%
Grade 769%72%81%81%71%
Grade 874%73%76%74%73%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 661%65%62%58%63%
Grade 764%57%65%64%65%
Grade 870%61%59%64%67%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

42%
28%
30%
Grade 6 · 70% proficient
33%
38%
29%
Grade 7 · 71% proficient
35%
38%
27%
Grade 8 · 73% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 7.2pp across grades; the floor rises 2.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

58.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Aliso Viejo's most underrated number

58.5% 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.

Aliso Viejo low-income: 58.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
39.7%
State 16.8%
22.9pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+3.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
68.1%
State 39.3%
28.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.9%
State 18.5%
4.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.5%
State 3.7%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
32.7%
State 18.0%
14.8pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Aliso Viejo Middle in Aliso Viejo, 58.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aliso Viejo Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (52.2% Math proficient); White students (74.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 289 students tested.

All students at this school: 68% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 68%, district —, state 39%68%
WhiteWhite: this school 71%, district 74%, state 56%71% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 69%, district 66%, state 42%69% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 67%, district 69%, state 44%67% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 55%, district 49%, state 32%55% · −13 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 49%, district 45%, state 32%49% · −19 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 65%, district 60%, state 46%65% · −3 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 88%, district 86%, state 72%88% · +20 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 27%, district 32%, state 15%27% · −41 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 70%, district 76%, state 56%70% · +2 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 25%, district 14%, state 11%25% · −44 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 36%, district 32%, state 22%36% · −32 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 14.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +5.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 13.9%, district 13.9%, state 18.5%13.9% · −4.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.5%, district —, state 3.7%2.5% · −1.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–612.7%
Grades 7–814.3%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 23:1, district 23:123:1
Teaching staff38 teachers
Avg. experience14.4 years
Fully credentialed95%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,219 – $130,638
Principal salary$185,421 – $206,216
Superintendent salary$348,333

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,818, CA average $14,815$18,818 · spent at this school
Federal share$320 per student

$320 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,166 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction64%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$12,431 per pupil
2019$11,341 per pupil
2018$10,665 per pupil
2017$9,388 per pupil
2016$8,875 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White53.9%
District 51.0% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic19.2%
District 26.7% · CA 56.1%
Other13.3%
District 14.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian11.6%
District 7.4% · CA 10.2%
Black2.0%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 35.4% (28pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$138K · CA $85K
Median home value$903K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+57% · CA 35%
ZIP population52,229
Median age39 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 55% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aliso Viejo Middle a good middle school?

Aliso Viejo Middle has a Scope Score of 66 out of 100, placing it in the 91st percentile of California middle schools and ranked #211 statewide. 39.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 22.9 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Aliso Viejo Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 68.1% of students at Aliso Viejo Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 39.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 39.7% 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. 1,597 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Aliso Viejo Middle rank in California?

Aliso Viejo Middle ranks #211 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 91st 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.

Is Aliso Viejo Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Aliso Viejo Middle increases by 3.3 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 middle 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 Aliso Viejo Middle?

13.9% of students at Aliso Viejo Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.5%. 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 Aliso Viejo Middle compare to other schools in Aliso Viejo?

Aliso Viejo Middle scores 66/100 (91st 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 803 students. Use the schools in Aliso Viejo page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Aliso Viejo Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Aliso Viejo Middle in Aliso Viejo, 58.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aliso Viejo Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (52.2% Math proficient); White students (74.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 55.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 289 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.

Your other options

All schools in Aliso Viejo →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

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 · 38%
39.7%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 75th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+3.3pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
68.1%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 73th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.9%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.5%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
32.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 66th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625142%28%16%13%71%+24
Grade 727033%38%16%14%71%+23
Grade 827735%38%15%12%73%+27
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625244%19%22%15%63%+28
Grade 727038%27%20%14%65%+31
Grade 827746%21%16%17%67%+35
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1127725%30%38%7%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged28958.5%+3+20
White43074.2%−4+12
Hispanic/Latino15355.6%+4+17
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Aliso Viejo Middle ←—6639.7%68.1%+3.32.5%
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle1.1 mi7047.7%72.6%−1.22.1%
Don Juan Avila Middle1.2 mi6639.3%69.4%+11.02.1%
Niguel Hills Middle3.1 mi6135.8%64.0%−0.47.8%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196692#16138.0%67.5%8.7%3.9%+7.5pp
20226189#23232.2%65.6%17.3%2.7%+1.5pp
20237093#16338.4%69.2%16.5%3.5%+0.6pp
20246792#18637.6%68.1%13.0%3.6%+5.8pp
20256691#21139.7%68.1%13.9%2.5%+3.3pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female8.0%13.2%+5.2pp
Male9.4%14.5%+5.1pp
Asian0.9%6.0%+5.1pp
Black/African American18.8%11.8%-7.0pp
Filipino9.1%13.6%+4.5pp
White11.1%12.5%+1.4pp
Hispanic/Latino10.7%21.0%+10.3pp
Two or More Races9.5%9.1%-0.4pp
Students with Disabilities21.1%20.6%-0.5pp
English Learners14.3%17.6%+3.3pp
Homeless14.9%29.6%+14.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged14.7%20.9%+6.2pp
All Students8.7%13.8%+5.1pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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