School Profile · Montague
Big Springs Elementary: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Big Springs posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
7405 Highway A-12, 96064·Big Springs Union Elementary·Montague·Grades K-8·151 students·60% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 459-3189·Website
Scope Score
20
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #5,032 statewide
Big Springs Elementary scores 20 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 4th percentile of 5,230 California elementary 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 “16% proficient” and call it done. Big Springs deserves a closer read. The school sits in Montague, where three 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.
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
3.6%
State 21.6%
18.0pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
16.1%
State 42.9%
26.8pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-26.0pp
State -3.0pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
29.5%
State 18.1%
11.3pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.3%
State 1.7%
0.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
6.7%
State 17.7%
11.0pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Planning ahead? 4 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic12.6%
White44.4%
Asian28.5%
Other14.6%
GenderFemale 51.0%Male 49.0%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
151
469 below CA avg (~620)
Free/Reduced Lunch
60%
4pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
30:1
9 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,252
District avg: $11,994 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
6.7% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$46,053 – $67,105
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Big Springs Elementary in Montague, 4.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 4.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Big Springs Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 24 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Two or More Races+20.5pp
50.0% vs 29.5% overall · n=20
Suspension · Hispanic+3.2pp
4.5% vs 1.3% overall · n=22
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income24 tested
ELA 4.5%·Math 0.0%· +0.0pp 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.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$61K
$24K below CA median
Median Home Value
$262K
$397K below CA median
Bachelor's+
19%
16pp below 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
12.9 years avg experience
7 teachers · 14% first-year
Teacher Credentials
72% fully credentialed
11.1% 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%
3.6%
↓ vs CA 21.6% · 33th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
16.1%
↓ vs CA 42.9% · 30th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-26.0pp
↓ vs CA -3.0pp · 25th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
29.5%
↓ vs CA 18.1% · 31th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.3%
↑ vs CA 1.7% · 53th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
6.7%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 12 | 8% | 17% | 17% | 58% | 25% | −18 |
| Grade 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 5 | 16 | 6% | 0% | 13% | 81% | 6% | −42 |
| Grade 6 | 18 | 0% | 22% | 28% | 50% | 22% | −24 |
| Grade 7 | 17 | 0% | 41% | 24% | 35% | 41% | −6 |
| Grade 8 | 16 | 13% | 13% | 13% | 63% | 25% | −21 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 12 | 0% | 33% | 17% | 50% | 33% | −12 |
| Grade 4 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 5 | 16 | 0% | 0% | 25% | 75% | 0% | −35 |
| Grade 6 | 19 | 0% | 5% | 16% | 79% | 5% | −30 |
| Grade 7 | 17 | 0% | 0% | 29% | 71% | 0% | −34 |
| Grade 8 | 16 | 13% | 6% | 13% | 69% | 19% | −14 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 32 | 3% | 3% | 56% | 38% |
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 | 24 | 4.5% | +0 | −34 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Springs Elementary ← | — | 20 | 3.6% | 16.1% | −26.0 | 1.3% |
| California average | — | 44 | 21.6% | 42.9% | −3.0 | 1.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #3072 → #3651 → #3869 → #5069 → #5032
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 34 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,230 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Big Springs Elementary a good elementary school?
Big Springs Elementary has a Scope Score of 20 out of 100, placing it in the 4th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #5,032 statewide. 3.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 18.0 percentage points below the California average of 21.6%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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 Big Springs Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 16.1% of students at Big Springs Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 3.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 12.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 3.6% 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. 56 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Big Springs Elementary rank in California?
Big Springs Elementary ranks #5,032 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 4th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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 Big Springs Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Big Springs Elementary decreases by 26.0 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 elementary 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 Big Springs Elementary?
29.5% of students at Big Springs Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 1.3%, 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 Big Springs Elementary compare to other schools in Montague?
Big Springs Elementary scores 20/100 (4th percentile) among California elementary 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 151 students. Use the schools in Montague page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Big Springs Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Big Springs Elementary in Montague, 4.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 4.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Big Springs Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 24 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.