Bernice Ayer Middle: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Bernice Ayer Middle has a Scope Score of 74 out of 100, placing it in the 94th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #126 statewide. 42.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 25.7 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 71.4% of students at Bernice Ayer Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 42.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 42.5% 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. 1,750 student-subject combinations were assessed.

Bernice Ayer Middle ranks #126 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 94th 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.

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Bernice Ayer Middle increases by 4.0 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.

11.9% of students at Bernice Ayer Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 3.3%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

Bernice Ayer Middle scores 74/100 (94th 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 919 students. Use the schools in San Clemente page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

At Bernice Ayer Middle in San Clemente, 59.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Bernice Ayer Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (52.4% Math proficient); White students (81.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 63.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 352 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.