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Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy · Modesto

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (2.4% vs 3.7%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

819 Sunset Avenue, 95351 (opens in new tab)·Modesto City High·Modesto·Grades 6-12·617 students·77% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 521-3010·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2543
% Exceeded4%17%
% Met+17%39%
Growth-4.7+1.5
Absence27.0%18.5%
Suspension2.4%3.7%
Scope Score
25
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,970 statewide

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy scores 25 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 12th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “17% proficient” and call it done. Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Modesto, where three in four 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 Vanguard College Preparatory 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 28th to the 12th percentile since 2019.

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 17% meet the standard today, versus 37% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 646%36%19%22%27%
Grade 759%33%31%21%22%
Grade 842%21%34%24%22%
Grade 1162%43%54%56%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 643%25%12%13%12%
Grade 718%11%18%9%14%
Grade 816%9%8%9%7%
Grade 1141%16%20%27%16%

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.

20%
73%
Grade 6 · 27% proficient
15%
78%
Grade 7 · 22% proficient
19%
78%
Grade 8 · 22% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
4.5%
State 16.8%
12.4pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-4.7pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
17.2%
State 39.3%
22.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
27.0%
State 18.5%
8.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.4%
State 3.7%
1.2pp below 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 changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Vanguard College Preparatory Academy in Modesto, 25.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 14.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (26.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 students tested.

All students at this school: 21% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 21%, district —, state 39%21%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 18%, district 28%, state 32%18% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 17%, district 28%, state 32%17% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 21%, district 34%, state 44%21% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 20%, district 33%, state 42%20% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 1%, district 5%, state 11%1% · −20 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 3%, district 7%, state 15%3% · −17 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 8%, district 7%, state 22%8% · −12 vs school

5 of 13 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 falls by 1.2pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 27.0%, district 29.6%, state 18.5%27.0% · +8.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.4%, district —, state 3.7%2.4% · −1.2pp vs state

Where the path goes

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory 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 23:1, district 23:123:1
Teaching staff27 teachers
Avg. experience7.1 years
Fully credentialed72%
First-year teachers15%
Intern / emergency permit2.6%

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic79.6%
District 63.7% · CA 56.1%
Other9.1%
District 11.7% · CA 9.0%
White5.7%
District 16.9% · CA 19.9%
Asian3.1%
District 5.1% · CA 10.2%
Black2.6%
District 2.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 77.5% (14pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$58K · CA $85K
Median home value$344K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+7% · CA 35%
ZIP population48,498
Median age30 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 18% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy a good middle school?

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy has a Scope Score of 25 out of 100, placing it in the 12th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,970 statewide. 4.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.4 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 Vanguard College Preparatory Academy's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 17.2% of students at Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 12.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.5% 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. 689 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy rank in California?

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy ranks #1,970 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 12th 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 Vanguard College Preparatory Academy getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy decreases by 4.7 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Vanguard College Preparatory Academy?

27.0% of students at Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.4%. 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 Vanguard College Preparatory Academy compare to other schools in Modesto?

Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy scores 25/100 (12th 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 617 students. Use the schools in Modesto page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy in Modesto, 25.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy trails its district average for low-income students by 14.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (26.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 323 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

All schools in Modesto →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

How to get into a charter school in LA →
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%
4.5%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 36th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-4.7pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 38th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
17.2%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 32th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
27.0%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 38th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.4%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 55th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61177%20%25%49%27%−20
Grade 71197%15%25%53%22%−26
Grade 81103%19%36%42%22%−24
Grade 116718%42%21%19%60%+13
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61172%10%22%66%12%−23
Grade 71166%8%23%63%14%−20
Grade 81103%5%20%73%7%−25
Grade 11676%10%19%64%16%−7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111533%15%59%22%

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 Disadvantaged32325.4%−15−13
Hispanic/Latino33026.1%−16−13
English Learners911.1%−6−9
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Aspire Vanguard College Preparatory Academy ←—254.5%17.2%−4.72.4%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193128#145315.6%37.4%19.8%7.7%-15.6pp
2022174#20694.9%22.6%43.6%7.5%-15.7pp
20233124#16513.5%20.4%37.7%4.2%+5.4pp
2024176#20704.1%16.5%22.6%4.2%-0.3pp
20252512#19704.5%17.2%27.0%2.4%-4.7pp
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 13 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

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