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Anza Elementary · Torrance

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

Anza posts 51.8% exceeding the standard — versus 21.3% 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.

21400 Ellinwood Drive, 90503 (opens in new tab)·Torrance Unified·Torrance·Grades TK-5·613 students·15% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 533-4559
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope8045
% Exceeded52%21%
% Met+77%43%
Growth+6.7-2.9
Absence7.3%17.9%
Suspension0.4%1.6%
Scope Score
80
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #146 statewide · #2 of 17 in Torrance Unified

Anza Elementary scores 80 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 97th 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “77% proficient” and call it done. Anza deserves a closer read. It sits at the 97th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Anza's low-income kids hit 62.9% 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 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has held the 97th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Maintained)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 77% meet the standard today, versus 81% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 369%86%72%70%75%
Grade 483%87%88%66%73%
Grade 585%82%83%85%83%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 380%86%72%77%75%
Grade 485%83%89%78%75%
Grade 584%79%76%77%80%

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.

48%
27%
25%
Grade 3 · 75% proficient
53%
20%
27%
Grade 4 · 73% proficient
52%
31%
17%
Grade 5 · 83% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.6pp across grades; the floor rises 8.0pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

62.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Anza's most underrated number

62.9% 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.

Anza low-income: 62.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
51.8%
State 21.3%
30.5pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+6.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
76.8%
State 42.7%
34.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
7.3%
State 17.9%
10.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.4%
State 1.6%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
41.3%
State 18.0%
23.3pp 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 how teachers track each child's growth over the year, not just where the class lands on test day.
  • 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 Anza Elementary in Torrance, 62.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Anza Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (61.3% Math proficient); Asian students (81.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 62 students tested.

All students at this school: 77% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 77%, district —, state 43%77%
MaleMale: this school 79%, district 65%, state 42%79% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 75%, district 65%, state 44%75% · −2 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 84%, district 82%, state 72%84% · +7 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 78%, district 66%, state 56%78% · +1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 62%, district 51%, state 32%62% · −15 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 57%, district 49%, state 32%57% · −20 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 62%, district 32%, state 15%62% · −15 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 85%, district 74%, state 56%85% · +8 vs school

6 of 15 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 16.8pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 7.3%, district 11.1%, state 17.9%7.3% · −10.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.4%, district —, state 1.6%0.4% · −1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–66.8%
TK/K9.6%

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 25:1, district 26:125:1
Teaching staff30 teachers
Avg. experience19.7 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers10%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$62,009 – $122,300
Principal salary$154,486 – $196,119
Superintendent salary$335,280

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,268, CA average $14,815$17,268 · spent at this school
Federal share$9 per student

$9 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,002 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration7%
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$11,441 per pupil
2019$11,279 per pupil
2018$11,194 per pupil
2017$10,632 per pupil
2016$10,442 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian35.4%
District 27.0% · CA 10.2%
White27.9%
District 18.5% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic18.1%
District 34.7% · CA 56.1%
Other16.1%
District 15.7% · CA 9.0%
Black2.5%
District 4.1% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 14.8% (49pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$126K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.10M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+56% · CA 35%
ZIP population43,454
Median age41 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), 79% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Anza Elementary a good elementary school?

Anza Elementary has a Scope Score of 80 out of 100, placing it in the 97th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #146 statewide. 51.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 30.5 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 Anza Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 76.8% of students at Anza Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 51.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 51.8% 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. 588 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Anza Elementary rank in California?

Anza Elementary ranks #146 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 97th 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 Anza Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Anza Elementary increases by 6.7 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 Anza Elementary?

7.3% of students at Anza 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 0.4%, 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 Anza Elementary compare to other schools in Torrance?

Anza Elementary scores 80/100 (97th 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 613 students. Use the schools in Torrance page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Anza Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Anza Elementary in Torrance, 62.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Anza Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (61.3% Math proficient); Asian students (81.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 17.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 62 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%
51.8%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 79th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+6.7pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 72th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
76.8%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 76th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
7.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 67th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.4%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 60th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
41.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 83th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38348%27%19%6%75%+31
Grade 410153%20%12%15%73%+28
Grade 511052%31%10%7%83%+35
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38347%28%19%6%75%+29
Grade 410149%27%21%4%75%+34
Grade 511062%18%15%5%80%+45
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1111051%28%21%0%

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 Disadvantaged6262.9%+8+25
Asian10681.1%−1+7
White8177.8%+8+16
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Anza Elementary ←8051.8%76.8%+6.70.4%
Walteria Elementary2.6 mi8257.6%82.6%+14.40.7%
Tulita Elementary1.1 mi7952.4%79.1%+6.10.5%
Towers Elementary1.5 mi7546.4%76.0%+6.00.4%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20198097#17753.6%80.9%1.6%0.2%+10.1pp
20227296#25654.8%83.9%6.4%0.0%-5.8pp
20238198#12454.9%80.1%10.2%0.2%+7.2pp
20247394#34649.3%75.4%4.1%0.3%+7.4pp
20258097#14651.8%76.8%7.3%0.4%+6.7pp
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
Female2.3%7.1%+4.8pp
Male0.9%6.6%+5.7pp
Asian0.4%4.1%+3.7pp
Black/African American0.0%0.0%+0.0pp
Hispanic/Latino1.7%14.0%+12.3pp
Two or More Races1.2%1.4%+0.2pp
Students with Disabilities2.1%9.4%+7.3pp
English Learners0.0%6.9%+6.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged2.4%17.8%+15.4pp
All Students1.5%6.8%+5.3pp
White14.3%
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