School Profile · Chico
Bidwell Junior High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Bidwell posts 45% meeting the standard against 40% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
2376 North Avenue, 95926 (opens in new tab)·Chico Unified·Chico·Grades 6-8·1,012 students·52% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 891-3080
Scope Score
44
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #641 statewide · #2 of 5 in Chico Unified
Bidwell Junior High scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 63rd percentile of 1,714 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “45% proficient” and call it done. Bidwell deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chico, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
20%
32%
48%
Grade 6 · 52% proficient
15%
35%
50%
Grade 7 · 50% proficient
20%
37%
43%
Grade 8 · 57% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 5.1pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
17.2%
State 17.3%
0.1pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
44.6%
State 39.5%
5.1pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+3.0pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
16.3%
State 19.1%
2.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.2%
State 4.2%
3.0pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
13.5%
State 18.0%
4.5pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 61
Sierra View Elementary
Chico Unified · 1.6 mi
Strong
71/100
Parkview Elementary
Chico Unified · 1.8 mi
Solid
63/100
Hooker Oak Elementary
Chico Unified · 1 mi
Solid
50/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic28.9%
White55.6%
Asian4.3%
Black1.2%
Other10.1%
GenderFemale 49.2%Male 50.7%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,012
152 above CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
52%
12pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,840
District avg: $13,999 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
13.5% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$56,997 – $121,381
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Bidwell Junior High in Chico, 40.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Bidwell Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (21.9% Math proficient); White students (60.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 47.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 502 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+22.6pp
38.9% vs 16.3% overall · n=54
ELA · English Learner−47.9pp
5.5% vs 53.4% overall · n=37
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−16.2pp
2.3% vs 18.6% overall · n=125
Math · English Learner−32.7pp
3.1% vs 35.8% overall · n=37
Math Exceeded · English Learner−15.7pp
0.0% vs 15.7% overall · n=37
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income507 tested
ELA 40.4%·Math 21.9%· -2.0pp vs district
White528 tested
ELA 60.6%·Math 42.4%· -3.7pp vs district
Hispanic280 tested
ELA 38.4%·Math 20.1%· -1.0pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 3.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +8.1pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$62K
$23K below CA median
Median Home Value
$474K
$185K below CA median
Bachelor's+
46%
11pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
15.6 years avg experience
43 teachers
Teacher Credentials
81% fully credentialed
8.6% on intern/emergency permit
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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 · 43%
17.2%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
44.6%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 54th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+3.0pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 52th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
16.3%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 54th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.2%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
13.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 47th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 317 | 20% | 32% | 27% | 21% | 53% | +6 |
| Grade 7 | 341 | 15% | 35% | 22% | 28% | 50% | +2 |
| Grade 8 | 294 | 20% | 37% | 20% | 22% | 58% | +12 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 316 | 14% | 22% | 33% | 31% | 36% | +1 |
| Grade 7 | 345 | 13% | 21% | 29% | 37% | 34% | +1 |
| Grade 8 | 295 | 20% | 17% | 28% | 35% | 37% | +5 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 299 | 20% | 30% | 41% | 8% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 502 | 40.4% | −2 | +2 |
| White | 525 | 60.6% | −4 | −1 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 279 | 38.4% | −1 | −0 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bidwell Junior High ← | — | 44 | 17.2% | 44.6% | +3.0 | 1.2% |
| Chico Junior High | 1.7 mi | 40 | 18.1% | 43.6% | +7.1 | 9.9% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #624 → #552 → #366 → #413 → #641
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Bidwell Junior High a good middle school?
Bidwell Junior High has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 63rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #641 statewide. 17.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 17.3%. 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.
What are Bidwell Junior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.6% of students at Bidwell Junior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.2% 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. 1,908 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Bidwell Junior High rank in California?
Bidwell Junior High ranks #641 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 63rd 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 Bidwell Junior High getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Bidwell Junior High increases by 3.0 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Bidwell Junior High?
16.3% of students at Bidwell Junior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 1.2%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Bidwell Junior High compare to other schools in Chico?
Bidwell Junior High scores 44/100 (63rd 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 1,012 students. Use the schools in Chico page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Bidwell Junior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Bidwell Junior High in Chico, 40.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Bidwell Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 2.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (21.9% Math proficient); White students (60.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 47.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 502 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.