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Arlington Elementary · Torrance

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

Arlington posts 69% meeting the standard, and 43.4% 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.

17800 Van Ness Avenue, 90504 (opens in new tab)·Torrance Unified·Torrance·Grades TK-5·594 students·39% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 533-4510
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6945
% Exceeded43%21%
% Met+69%43%
Growth+1.7-2.9
Absence5.3%17.9%
Suspension0.3%1.6%
Scope Score
69
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #507 statewide · #5 of 17 in Torrance Unified

Arlington Elementary scores 69 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 91st 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 →

💪 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “69% proficient” and call it done. Arlington deserves a closer read. The school sits in Torrance, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Arlington's low-income kids hit 53.4% 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 91st-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 69% meet the standard today, versus 74% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 367%63%61%66%62%
Grade 474%77%82%74%69%
Grade 572%69%71%83%71%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 380%73%72%72%71%
Grade 481%88%88%79%79%
Grade 570%65%71%78%65%

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.

33%
29%
38%
Grade 3 · 62% proficient
43%
26%
31%
Grade 4 · 69% proficient
42%
29%
29%
Grade 5 · 71% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 9.2pp across grades; the floor rises 9.3pp. 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.

53.4%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Arlington's most underrated number

53.4% 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.

Arlington low-income: 53.4%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
43.4%
State 21.3%
22.1pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+1.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
69.4%
State 42.7%
26.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
5.3%
State 17.9%
12.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.3%
State 1.6%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
24.7%
State 18.0%
6.7pp 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 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 Arlington Elementary in Torrance, 53.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arlington Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (55.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 103 students tested.

All students at this school: 69% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 69%, district —, state 43%69%
FemaleFemale: this school 74%, district 65%, state 44%74% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 65%, district 65%, state 42%65% · −5 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 55%, district 51%, state 32%55% · −15 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 52%, district 49%, state 32%52% · −17 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 85%, district 82%, state 72%85% · +16 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 79%, district 74%, state 56%79% · +9 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 21%, district 32%, state 15%21% · −49 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 67%, district 31%, state 11%67% · −2 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 14.2pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 5.3%, district 11.1%, state 17.9%5.3% · −12.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.3%, district —, state 1.6%0.3% · −1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–61.8%
TK/K5.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Arlington Elementary
69/100
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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 27:1, district 26:127:1
Teaching staff31 teachers
Avg. experience21.3 years
Fully credentialed100%
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: $16,918, CA average $14,815$16,918 · spent at this school
Federal share$128 per student

$128 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

Hispanic38.9%
District 34.7% · CA 56.1%
Asian31.6%
District 27.0% · CA 10.2%
Other19.5%
District 15.7% · CA 9.0%
White7.7%
District 18.5% · CA 19.9%
Black2.2%
District 4.1% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 39.2% (25pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$108K · CA $85K
Median home value$924K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+45% · CA 35%
ZIP population33,084
Median age42 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), 59% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arlington Elementary a good elementary school?

Arlington Elementary has a Scope Score of 69 out of 100, placing it in the 91st percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #507 statewide. 43.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 22.1 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 Arlington Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 69.4% of students at Arlington Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 43.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 43.4% 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. 508 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Arlington Elementary rank in California?

Arlington Elementary ranks #507 among California elementary 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 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 Arlington Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Arlington Elementary increases by 1.7 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 Arlington Elementary?

5.3% of students at Arlington 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 0.3%, 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 Arlington Elementary compare to other schools in Torrance?

Arlington Elementary scores 69/100 (91st 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 594 students. Use the schools in Torrance page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Arlington Elementary in Torrance, 53.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arlington Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (55.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (51.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 103 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%
43.4%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 71th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+1.7pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 63th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
69.4%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 70th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
5.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 71th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.3%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
24.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 60th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38633%29%21%17%62%+18
Grade 48843%26%17%14%69%+25
Grade 57942%29%23%6%71%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38635%36%19%10%71%+25
Grade 48961%18%13%8%79%+37
Grade 58048%18%25%10%65%+30
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/118035%24%38%4%

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 Disadvantaged10353.4%−2+15
Hispanic/Latino10251.0%−3+12
Asian7883.3%+1+9
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Arlington Elementary ←6943.4%69.4%+1.70.3%
One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary1.4 mi6541.3%66.4%−2.00.1%
Lincoln Elementary0.8 mi6447.0%76.8%−11.10.1%
Van Deene Avenue Elementary2.7 mi6131.7%56.7%+10.00.2%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196889#62143.4%74.0%2.1%1.0%-2.3pp
20226792#43449.6%72.5%12.0%0.0%-0.9pp
20236991#48747.8%74.4%15.3%0.2%+4.8pp
20247897#18849.9%75.3%6.6%0.1%+11.8pp
20256991#50743.4%69.4%5.3%0.3%+1.7pp
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
Female2.9%4.4%+1.5pp
Male1.1%4.6%+3.5pp
Asian1.5%1.6%+0.1pp
Black/African American16.7%7.7%-9.0pp
White0.0%0.0%+0.0pp
Hispanic/Latino1.3%7.8%+6.5pp
Two or More Races1.6%2.6%+1.0pp
Students with Disabilities4.3%3.3%-1.0pp
English Learners2.1%7.3%+5.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged3.3%9.1%+5.8pp
All Students2.0%4.5%+2.5pp
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