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Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy · Sacramento

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 0.2pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

2360 El Camino Avenue, 95821 (opens in new tab)·San Juan Unified·Sacramento·Grades 6-12·464 students·82% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(916) 979-1788·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2243
% Exceeded2%17%
% Met+13%39%
Growth+0.2+1.5
Absence35.1%18.5%
Suspension9.2%3.7%
Scope Score
22
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #2,069 statewide · #21 of 24 in San Juan Unified

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy scores 22 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 8th percentile of 2,238 California middle 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 “13% proficient” and call it done. Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Sacramento, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

As a charter, Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 41st to the 8th percentile since 2019.

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 13% meet the standard today, versus 20% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 616%23%24%15%18%
Grade 722%37%24%20%15%
Grade 830%26%12%22%20%
Grade 1150%35%60%48%36%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 67%9%5%8%12%
Grade 721%13%4%8%4%
Grade 825%16%1%3%10%
Grade 1116%12%23%11%7%

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.

13%
83%
Grade 6 · 17% proficient
13%
85%
Grade 7 · 15% proficient
18%
81%
Grade 8 · 19% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
2.3%
State 16.8%
14.5pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+0.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
12.9%
State 39.3%
26.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
35.1%
State 18.5%
16.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
9.2%
State 3.7%
5.5pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • 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 Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy in Sacramento, 20.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 8.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 250 students tested.

All students at this school: 14% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 14%, district —, state 39%14%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 15%, district 24%, state 32%15% · +1 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 18%, district 28%, state 32%18% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 14%, district 33%, state 42%14% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 16%, district 35%, state 44%16% · +1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 1%, district 6%, state 11%1% · −13 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 9%, district 41%, state 56%9% · −6 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 0%, district 13%, state 15%0% · −14 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 6%, district 15%, state 26%6% · −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 3.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -3.2pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 35.1%, district 23.7%, state 18.5%35.1% · +16.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 9.2%, district —, state 3.7%9.2% · +5.5pp vs state

Where the path goes

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy serves grades 6-12 — students can complete middle and high school here, without a separate middle-to-high transition.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 23:121:1
Teaching staff22 teachers
Avg. experience2.6 years
Fully credentialed60%
First-year teachers64%
Intern / emergency permit2.1%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,000 – $118,000
Principal salary$153,210 – $185,821
Superintendent salary$392,080

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $12,962, CA average $14,815$12,962 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,542 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
Instruction59%
Instruction support16%
Student services8%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance8%
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$12,962 per pupil
2019$12,705 per pupil
2018$13,148 per pupil
2017$11,096 per pupil
2016$10,446 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic57.8%
District 26.4% · CA 56.1%
Black17.7%
District 5.9% · CA 4.8%
Other15.7%
District 10.5% · CA 9.0%
White6.0%
District 45.5% · CA 19.9%
Asian2.8%
District 11.7% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 81.7% (18pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$65K · CA $85K
Median home value$497K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+31% · CA 35%
ZIP population38,064
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 464 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 9% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy a good middle school?

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy has a Scope Score of 22 out of 100, placing it in the 8th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #2,069 statewide. 2.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.5 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 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 Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 12.9% of students at Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 2.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 10.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 2.3% 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. 484 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy rank in California?

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy ranks #2,069 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 8th 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 Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy increases by 0.2 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 Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy?

35.1% of students at Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 9.2%. 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 Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy compare to other schools in Sacramento?

Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy scores 22/100 (8th 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 464 students. Use the schools in Sacramento page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy in Sacramento, 20.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 8.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 21.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 250 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%
2.3%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 34th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+0.2pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 44th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
12.9%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 29th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
35.1%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 27th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
9.2%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 28th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6684%13%25%57%18%−29
Grade 7882%13%20%65%15%−33
Grade 8871%18%23%57%20%−27
Grade 11559%27%22%42%36%−11
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6681%10%19%69%12%−23
Grade 7851%2%18%79%4%−30
Grade 8883%7%22%68%10%−22
Grade 11562%5%18%75%7%−16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111320%9%66%25%

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 Disadvantaged25020.8%−8−17
Hispanic/Latino17025.3%−9−14
English Learners712.8%−3−8
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Aspire Alexander Twilight Secondary Academy ←222.3%12.9%+0.29.2%
Arden Middle1.8 mi4016.8%41.8%+7.26.8%
Arcade Fundamental Middle2.1 mi316.5%20.0%+2.63.0%
Katherine Johnson Middle0.8 mi170.8%6.8%+0.19.7%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193541#11815.4%20.2%17.2%7.9%+15.5pp
20222929#15464.2%20.8%41.6%9.6%+5.3pp
2023182#21330.8%11.6%38.8%8.1%-8.2pp
2024165#21121.8%12.7%32.0%10.3%+1.1pp
2025228#20692.3%12.9%35.1%9.2%+0.2pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 17 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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