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Atascadero High · Atascadero

Atascadero High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Atascadero posts 46% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

1 High School Hill, 93422 (opens in new tab)·Atascadero Unified·Atascadero·Grades 9-12·1,157 students·45% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 462-4300·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4744
% Exceeded24%16%
% Met+46%36%
Grad rate94.3%87.6%
College readiness36.0%35.4%
Absence48.6%30.2%
Suspension5.6%3.6%
Scope Score
47
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #934 statewide · #1 of 3 in Atascadero Unified

Atascadero High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 57th 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 “46% proficient” and call it done. Atascadero deserves a closer read. The school sits in Atascadero, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 57th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 46% of students meet the standard today, above the 40% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1151%47%55%51%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1130%27%25%23%31%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
46%
State 36%
Graduate
94%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
36%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 46 are proficient by 11th grade → 94 graduate → 36 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
94.3%
State 87.6%
6.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
23.9%
State 15.8%
8.0pp above state avg
College readiness
36.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
45.9%
State 35.7%
10.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
48.6%
State 30.2%
18.4pp above state avg
Suspension rate
5.6%
State 3.6%
2.0pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
4.6%
State 18.0%
13.4pp 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 how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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 Atascadero High in Atascadero, 46.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Atascadero High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.0% Math proficient); White students (65.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 60.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 109 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 36%46%
WhiteWhite: this school 51%, district 53%, state 56%51% · +5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 47%, district 46%, state 42%47% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 44%, district 46%, state 44%44% · −2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 34%, district 35%, state 32%34% · −12 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 32%, district 29%, state 32%32% · −14 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 15%, district 13%, state 15%15% · −31 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 0%, district 7%, state 11%0% · −46 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 35%, district 41%, state 46%35% · −11 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

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 48.6%, district 24.4%, state 30.2%48.6% · +18.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.6%, district —, state 3.6%5.6% · +2.0pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1249.6%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 20:1, district 23:120:1
Teaching staff62 teachers
Avg. experience15.5 years
Fully credentialed79%
First-year teachers2%
Intern / emergency permit3.1%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,546 – $106,428
Principal salary$136,922 – $154,077
Superintendent salary$241,349

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered13
AP exam qualifiers50 students
CTE pathway completers60 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,145, CA average $14,815$17,145 · spent at this school
Federal share$145 per student

$145 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,137 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 support9%
Student services12%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance11%
Other2%

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$11,955 per pupil
2019$11,333 per pupil
2018$11,288 per pupil
2017$10,597 per pupil
2016$10,747 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White60.4%
District 58.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic31.7%
District 30.6% · CA 56.1%
Other5.9%
District 8.8% · CA 9.0%
Black1.5%
District 1.2% · CA 4.8%
Asian0.5%
District 1.0% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 44.9% (19pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$92K · CA $85K
Median home value$738K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+32% · CA 35%
ZIP population33,002
Median age41 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 38% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Atascadero High a good high school?

Atascadero High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 57th percentile of California high schools and ranked #934 statewide. 23.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.0 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 Atascadero High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 45.9% of students at Atascadero High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.9% 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. 486 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Atascadero High rank in California?

Atascadero High ranks #934 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 57th 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 Atascadero High?

48.6% of students at Atascadero High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 5.6%. 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 Atascadero High compare to other schools in Atascadero?

Atascadero High scores 47/100 (57th 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 1,157 students. Use the schools in Atascadero page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Atascadero High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Atascadero High in Atascadero, 46.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Atascadero High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.0% Math proficient); White students (65.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 60.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 109 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


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%
94.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 58th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
23.9%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 59th pctile
College readiness · 20%
36.0%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
45.9%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
48.6%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 35th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.6%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 41th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
4.6%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 31th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1124333%27%17%22%60%+13
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1124314%17%23%46%31%+8
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1124911%27%52%10%

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 Disadvantaged10946.8%+7+9
White14665.8%+7+4
Hispanic/Latino7447.3%+12+8
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Atascadero High ←4723.9%45.9%5.6%
Atascadero Choices in Education Academy (ACE)2.5 mi4315.5%30.0%0.8%
Paloma Creek High2.5 mi182.9%5.9%3.1%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
94.3%
AP Exam Prepared
36.0%
A-G Completion
44.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
65.5%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195057#87317.5%40.4%13.9%6.7%
20224246#114016.5%37.1%94.7%9.2%
20234656#94417.4%40.0%42.5%8.2%
20244552#103213.2%36.8%40.2%5.1%
20254757#93423.9%45.9%48.6%5.6%
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
Female14.5%53.5%+39.0pp
Male12.0%46.1%+34.1pp
Asian4.5%
Black/African American14.3%35.3%+21.0pp
White5.3%20.0%+14.7pp
Hispanic/Latino18.3%54.5%+36.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native16.7%
Two or More Races13.9%60.0%+46.1pp
Students with Disabilities31.7%58.2%+26.5pp
English Learners19.7%56.4%+36.7pp
Foster Youth38.5%
Homeless25.6%75.0%+49.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged20.1%58.0%+37.9pp
All Students13.2%49.6%+36.4pp
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