ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Arroyo Grande High · Arroyo Grande

Arroyo Grande High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Arroyo Grande posts 53% meeting the standard, and 28.6% 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.

495 Valley Road, 93420 (opens in new tab)·Lucia Mar Unified·Arroyo Grande·Grades 9-12·2,012 students·47% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 474-3200·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5744
% Exceeded29%16%
% Met+53%36%
Grad rate96.3%87.6%
College readiness56.6%35.4%
Absence18.9%30.2%
Suspension3.2%3.6%
Scope Score
57
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #455 statewide · #1 of 5 in Lucia Mar Unified

Arroyo Grande High scores 57 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 79th percentile of 2,160 California high 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “53% proficient” and call it done. Arroyo Grande deserves a closer read. The school sits in Arroyo Grande, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Arroyo Grande'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 2,160 high schools statewide

Climbed from the 71st to the 79th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 100 high schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 53% of students meet the standard today, above the 44% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1155%57%64%64%70%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1134%24%30%32%37%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
53%
State 36%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
57%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 53 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 57 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

58.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Arroyo Grande'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.

Arroyo Grande low-income: 58.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
96.3%
State 87.6%
8.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
28.6%
State 15.8%
12.7pp above state avg
College readiness
56.6%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
53.2%
State 35.7%
17.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.9%
State 30.2%
11.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.2%
State 3.6%
0.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
7.7%
State 18.0%
10.3pp 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.

  • 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 Arroyo Grande High in Arroyo Grande, 58.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arroyo Grande High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.3% Math proficient); White students (80.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 56.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 219 students tested.

All students at this school: 53% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 53%, district —, state 36%53%
MaleMale: this school 51%, district 46%, state 42%51% · −3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 63%, district 62%, state 56%63% · +10 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 41%, district 35%, state 32%41% · −12 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 56%, district 48%, state 44%56% · +3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 38%, district 33%, state 32%38% · −15 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 12%, district 15%, state 15%12% · −41 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 31%, district 24%, state 22%31% · −22 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 60%, district 62%, state 56%60% · +7 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 7%, district 10%, state 11%7% · −46 vs school

6 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 18.9%, district 17.8%, state 30.2%18.9% · −11.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.2%, district —, state 3.6%3.2% · −0.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1218.5%

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 21:1, district 20:121:1
Teaching staff96 teachers
Avg. experience14.5 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers1%
Intern / emergency permit1.0%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,544 – $117,584
Principal salary$142,855 – $170,378
Superintendent salary$289,347

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered38
AP exam qualifiers194 students
CTE pathway completers177 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,457, CA average $14,815$17,457 · spent at this school
Federal share$92 per student

$92 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,828 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%
Administration6%
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$12,172 per pupil
2019$11,789 per pupil
2018$11,770 per pupil
2017$11,385 per pupil
2016$10,779 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White48.3%
District 40.2% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic42.1%
District 50.9% · CA 56.1%
Other7.5%
District 7.4% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.5%
District 1.1% · CA 10.2%
Black0.6%
District 0.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 47.2% (17pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$111K · CA $85K
Median home value$918K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+44% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,345
Median age48 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 47% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Arroyo Grande High a good high school?

Arroyo Grande High has a Scope Score of 57 out of 100, placing it in the 79th percentile of California high schools and ranked #455 statewide. 28.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Arroyo Grande High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.2% of students at Arroyo Grande High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 28.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 28.6% 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. 876 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Arroyo Grande High rank in California?

Arroyo Grande High ranks #455 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 79th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Arroyo Grande High?

18.9% of students at Arroyo Grande High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.2%. 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 Arroyo Grande High compare to other schools in Arroyo Grande?

Arroyo Grande High scores 57/100 (79th percentile) among California high 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 2,012 students. Use the schools in Arroyo Grande page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Arroyo Grande High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Arroyo Grande High in Arroyo Grande, 58.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Arroyo Grande High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.3% Math proficient); White students (80.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 56.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 219 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
Graduation rate · 25%
96.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
28.6%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 64th pctile
College readiness · 20%
56.6%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
53.2%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 63th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.9%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.2%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 52th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
7.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 36th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1144141%29%16%14%70%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1143516%20%22%41%37%+13
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1144912%35%47%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 Disadvantaged21958.5%+15+20
White22280.6%+11+19
Hispanic/Latino17455.2%+14+16
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Arroyo Grande High ←5728.6%53.2%3.2%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.3%
AP Exam Prepared
56.6%
A-G Completion
55.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
73.5%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195571#60216.4%44.3%14.5%3.9%
20225273#57317.0%40.6%24.9%5.6%
20235578#47124.1%46.9%26.5%5.4%
20245577#49720.7%47.9%19.2%3.9%
20255779#45528.6%53.2%18.9%3.2%
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
Female14.1%20.4%+6.3pp
Male14.1%16.4%+2.3pp
Asian14.8%3.3%-11.5pp
Black/African American17.6%8.3%-9.3pp
White6.7%16.1%+9.4pp
Hispanic/Latino14.9%21.0%+6.1pp
Two or More Races16.9%15.9%-1.0pp
Students with Disabilities24.0%33.8%+9.8pp
English Learners29.3%35.4%+6.1pp
Foster Youth22.2%
Homeless26.3%34.1%+7.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged17.0%24.7%+7.7pp
All Students14.1%18.5%+4.4pp
Filipino18.4%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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