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Alta Sierra Elementary · Grass Valley

Alta Sierra Elementary: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Alta Sierra posts 52% meeting the standard, and 24.9% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

16607 Annie Drive, 95949 (opens in new tab)·Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary·Grass Valley·Grades TK-5·338 students·34% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 272-2319
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5245
% Exceeded25%21%
% Met+52%43%
Growth-1.2-2.9
Absence15.0%17.9%
Suspension2.0%1.6%
Scope Score
52
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #1,671 statewide · #2 of 3 in Pleasant Ridge Union Elementary

Alta Sierra Elementary scores 52 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 71st percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

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

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “52% proficient” and call it done. Alta Sierra deserves a closer read. The school sits in Grass Valley, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 71st percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 52% meet the standard today, versus 56% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 358%46%35%62%48%
Grade 454%54%48%41%60%
Grade 570%49%64%56%45%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 363%62%46%53%51%
Grade 444%50%48%49%59%
Grade 546%45%66%47%51%

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.

23%
25%
52%
Grade 3 · 48% proficient
30%
30%
40%
Grade 4 · 60% proficient
23%
23%
54%
Grade 5 · 46% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor slips 2.5pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
24.9%
State 21.3%
3.6pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-1.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
52.4%
State 42.7%
9.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
15.0%
State 17.9%
2.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.0%
State 1.6%
0.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • 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 Alta Sierra Elementary in Grass Valley, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 41.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Alta Sierra Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.6% Math proficient); White students (53.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.3 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 59 students tested.

All students at this school: 53% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 53%, district —, state 43%53%
WhiteWhite: this school 55%, district 46%, state 56%55% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 51%, district 46%, state 42%51% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 56%, district 45%, state 44%56% · +3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 44%, district 37%, state 32%44% · −9 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 39%, district 38%, state 32%39% · −14 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 31%, district 17%, state 15%31% · −23 vs school

5 of 12 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

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 6.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.5pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 15.0%, district 12.7%, state 17.9%15.0% · −2.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.0%, district —, state 1.6%2.0% · +0.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–612.0%
TK/K17.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Alta Sierra Elementary
52/100
This school

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? 10 licensed preschools near this school →

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff18 teachers
Avg. experience15.2 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers17%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$54,621 – $110,652
Principal salary$130,062 – $0
Superintendent salary$185,298

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $14,904, CA average $14,815$14,904 · spent at this school
Federal share$645 per student

$645 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$14,397 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance8%

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$10,714 per pupil
2019$10,411 per pupil
2018$11,061 per pupil
2017$10,500 per pupil
2016$10,092 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White70.4%
District 70.0% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic16.6%
District 16.2% · CA 56.1%
Other12.1%
District 13.2% · CA 9.0%
Black0.9%
District 0.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 34.3% (29pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$98K · CA $85K
Median home value$551K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+33% · CA 35%
ZIP population20,552
Median age54 years

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

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 39% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Alta Sierra Elementary a good elementary school?

Alta Sierra Elementary has a Scope Score of 52 out of 100, placing it in the 71st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,671 statewide. 24.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.6 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 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 Alta Sierra Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 52.4% of students at Alta Sierra Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 24.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 24.9% 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. 322 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Alta Sierra Elementary rank in California?

Alta Sierra Elementary ranks #1,671 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 Alta Sierra Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Alta Sierra Elementary decreases by 1.2 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Alta Sierra Elementary?

15.0% of students at Alta Sierra Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.0%, 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 Alta Sierra Elementary compare to other schools in Grass Valley?

Alta Sierra Elementary scores 52/100 (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 338 students. Use the schools in Grass Valley page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Alta Sierra Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Alta Sierra Elementary in Grass Valley, 42.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 41.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Alta Sierra Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (46.6% Math proficient); White students (53.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.3 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 59 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

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%
24.9%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 53th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-1.2pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 58th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
52.4%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
15.0%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 55th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.0%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 47th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34823%25%29%23%48%+5
Grade 47030%30%20%20%60%+15
Grade 54423%23%18%36%45%−2
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34715%36%36%13%51%+5
Grade 47029%30%33%9%59%+17
Grade 54330%21%26%23%51%+16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114416%23%55%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 Disadvantaged5942.4%+1+4
White12053.3%+3−8
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Alta Sierra Elementary ←—5224.9%52.4%−1.22.0%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195066#188024.1%55.8%12.9%1.2%-2.1pp
20224570#174925.9%50.8%26.2%1.7%-7.2pp
20236286#77727.3%51.0%34.2%2.3%+24.6pp
20244967#191920.7%51.2%16.3%1.4%-6.4pp
20255271#167124.9%52.4%15.0%2.0%-1.2pp
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
Female10.7%11.4%+0.7pp
Male15.3%17.2%+1.9pp
Filipino15.4%25.0%+9.6pp
Hispanic/Latino8.3%19.3%+11.0pp
Two or More Races18.5%10.7%-7.8pp
Students with Disabilities12.2%22.4%+10.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged15.0%24.2%+9.2pp
All Students13.0%14.7%+1.7pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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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