How does C. E. Utt Middle compare to other middle schools in Tustin?

C. E. Utt Middle has a SchoolScope composite score of 43.1/100, placing it at the 53rd percentile statewide. 12% of students exceed standard, with a total of 1,067 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at C. E. Utt Middle?

12.1% of students at C. E. Utt Middle exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 35.0% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at C. E. Utt Middle?

14.8% of students at C. E. Utt Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

C. E. Utt Middle

Q: Is C. E. Utt Middle improving or declining?

C. E. Utt Middle's proficiency rate increases by 6.6 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value over time.

Middle School

Tustin Unified TustinOrange County92780

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of middle schools

State Rank

of California middle schools

School overview

Enrollment

567 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

23:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

77%

Teachers

25 full-time

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Maintained

-2.3 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Maintained

-1.8 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

24.4%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 136 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic76.4%

White11.1%

Asian5.3%

Black2.3%

Other4.9%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for C. E. Utt Middle
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	12.1%
Met Standard	22.9%
Below Standard	65.0%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "35% proficient" for C. E. Utt Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

12.1% of students exceeded standard while 22.9% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 5.3 points below the state average of 17.3%. That's 19.3 points below the Tustin Unified district average of 31.3%. The 3 nearby schools within ~3 miles average 27.7% exceeded — 15.6 points higher. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Students here improve by 6.6 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance maintained and Math maintained year-over-year. 24.4% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 14.8%, better than the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

12.1%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

35.0%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G6→G8)

+6.6pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

14.8%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

3.7%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

1,067

Across all grades & subjects

Grade trajectory

ELA Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

Math Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	158	8.9%	32.9%	22.1%	36.1%	41.8%
7th	180	11.1%	30.6%	25.0%	33.3%	41.7%
8th	191	17.8%	27.2%	29.3%	25.6%	45.0%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	164	8.5%	15.8%	27.4%	48.2%	24.4%
7th	182	8.8%	13.7%	29.7%	47.8%	22.5%
8th	192	17.2%	17.2%	31.8%	33.9%	34.4%

K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Elementary

Barbara Benson Elementary

50.868th pctile

Zoned

W. R. Nelson Elementary

39.435th pctile

Also serves area

Red Hill Elementary

70.895th pctile

Also serves area

Tustin Memorial Elementary

76.699th pctile

Nearest

▼

Middle

C. E. Utt Middle

43.153rd pctile

This school

▼

High School

Tustin High

58.471st pctile

Zoned

Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.