School Profile · Sacramento
Arden Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Arden posts 42% meeting the standard against 40% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
1640 Watt Avenue, 95864·San Juan Unified·Sacramento·Grades 6-8·1,010 students·46% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(916) 971-7306·Website
Scope Score
38
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #852 statewide · #5 of 18 in San Juan Unified
Arden Middle scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 50th percentile of 1,714 California middle 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 “42% proficient” and call it done. Arden deserves a closer read. The school sits in Sacramento, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
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.
15%
31%
54%
Grade 6 · 46% proficient
16%
36%
48%
Grade 7 · 52% proficient
25%
31%
44%
Grade 8 · 56% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 10.4pp across grades; the floor rises 10.6pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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.
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
16.8%
State 17.3%
0.5pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
41.8%
State 39.5%
2.2pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+7.2pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
20.8%
State 19.1%
1.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
6.8%
State 4.2%
2.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.1%
State 17.7%
6.6pp below 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
▼
Middle
Arden Middle
38/100
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.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 32
Winston Churchill Middle
San Juan Unified · 2.9 mi
Solid
57/100
Arcade Fundamental Middle
San Juan Unified · 2.7 mi
Needs Support
27/100
Katherine Johnson Middle
San Juan Unified · 1.4 mi
Needs Support
13/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Sacramento Country Day School
Latham Dr · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-12 · 521 students
7:1Private2 mi
More Life Christian Academy
Fell St · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-12 · 195 students
49:1Private4.2 mi
Korean School of Sacramento
S Port Dr Ste 2 · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-12 · 110 students
85:1Private3.5 mi
Aldar Academy
Engle Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades 2-12 · 60 students
60:1Private2.8 mi
El Rancho School
El Camino Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-6 · 59 students
7:1Private2.9 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic27.2%
White46.5%
Asian11.7%
Black5.9%
Other8.6%
GenderFemale 48.3%Male 51.6%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,010
150 above CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
46%
18pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,328
District avg: $12,962 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
11.1% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$60,000 – $118,000
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Arden Middle in Sacramento, 36.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arden Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.5% Math proficient); White students (64.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 479 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+29.2pp
50.0% vs 20.8% overall · n=38
Suspension · Black+15.7pp
22.5% vs 6.8% overall · n=71
ELA · English Learner−45.3pp
5.8% vs 51.2% overall · n=137
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−18.0pp
0.6% vs 18.6% overall · n=137
Math · Black−30.3pp
2.2% vs 32.5% overall · n=52
Math Exceeded · Black−15.1pp
0.0% vs 15.1% overall · n=52
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income479 tested
ELA 36.8%·Math 19.5%· +7.8pp vs district
White441 tested
ELA 64.4%·Math 45.3%· +17.0pp vs district
Hispanic275 tested
ELA 45.5%·Math 26.4%· +10.9pp 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.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 10.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -3.2pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$124K
$39K above CA median
Median Home Value
$718K
$59K above CA median
Bachelor's+
57%
22pp 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
12.3 years avg experience
41 teachers · 17% first-year · 2% second-year
Teacher Credentials
85% fully credentialed
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%
16.8%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 49th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
41.8%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 52th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+7.2pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
20.8%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 48th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.8%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 40th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.1%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 37th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 264 | 15% | 31% | 25% | 30% | 45% | −1 |
| Grade 7 | 347 | 16% | 36% | 22% | 26% | 52% | +4 |
| Grade 8 | 346 | 25% | 31% | 22% | 22% | 56% | +10 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 264 | 12% | 19% | 25% | 44% | 31% | −4 |
| Grade 7 | 348 | 15% | 17% | 26% | 42% | 32% | −2 |
| Grade 8 | 342 | 18% | 16% | 23% | 43% | 35% | +2 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 346 | 9% | 21% | 56% | 14% |
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 | 479 | 36.8% | +8 | −1 |
| White | 441 | 64.4% | +17 | +3 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 275 | 45.5% | +11 | +7 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arden Middle ← | — | 38 | 16.8% | 41.8% | +7.2 | 6.8% |
| Winston Churchill Middle | 2.9 mi | 57 | 40.9% | 61.8% | −18.0 | 6.3% |
| Arcade Fundamental Middle | 2.7 mi | 27 | 6.5% | 20.0% | +2.6 | 3.0% |
| Katherine Johnson Middle | 1.4 mi | 13 | 0.8% | 6.8% | +0.1 | 9.8% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #642 → #696 → #601 → #640 → #852
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Arden Middle a good middle school?
Arden Middle has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 50th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #852 statewide. 16.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle 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 Arden Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 41.8% of students at Arden Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.8% 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. 1,911 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Arden Middle rank in California?
Arden Middle ranks #852 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 50th 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 Arden Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Arden Middle increases by 7.2 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 Arden Middle?
20.8% of students at Arden Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 6.8%. 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 Arden Middle compare to other schools in Sacramento?
Arden Middle scores 38/100 (50th 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 1,010 students. Use the schools in Sacramento page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Arden Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Arden Middle in Sacramento, 36.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arden Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (19.5% Math proficient); White students (64.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 479 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.