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Calero High · San Jose

Calero High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Calero 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.

420 Calero Avenue, 95123 (opens in new tab)·East Side Union High·San Jose·Grades 10-12·173 students·67% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 347-7600·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2944
% Exceeded1%16%
% Met+8%36%
Grad rate98.1%87.6%
College readiness0.0%35.4%
Absence57.7%30.2%
Suspension12.0%3.6%
Scope Score
29
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,700 statewide · #18 of 22 in East Side Union High

Calero High scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 21st 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 “8% proficient” and call it done. Calero deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Jose, where two-thirds of 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 21st percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 8% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1113%14%18%11%14%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 110%2%1%0%1%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
8%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 8 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
98.1%
State 87.6%
10.5pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
1.4%
State 15.8%
14.4pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
7.9%
State 35.7%
27.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
57.7%
State 30.2%
27.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
12.0%
State 3.6%
8.4pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.0%
State 18.0%
1.0pp 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.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Calero High in San Jose, 14.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Calero High trails its district average for low-income students by 37.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (1.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (13.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 14.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 57 students tested.

All students at this school: 8% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 8%, district —, state 36%8%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 8%, district 24%, state 32%8% · −0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 8%, district 38%, state 32%8% · +0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 4%, district 45%, state 42%4% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 12%, district 51%, state 44%12% · +4 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 0%, district 8%, state 11%0% · −8 vs school

8 of 14 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 57.7%, district 29.1%, state 30.2%57.7% · +27.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 12.0%, district —, state 3.6%12.0% · +8.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1263.3%

Where the path goes

The path below is estimated from nearby schools in the same district — scores shown for each next step.

Estimated K-12 Path
High
Calero High
29
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. 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 19:1, district 22:119:1
Teaching staff24 teachers
Avg. experience11.0 years
Fully credentialed93%
First-year teachers4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$71,473 – $144,825
Principal salary$0 – $187,141
Superintendent salary$329,669

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
CTE pathway completers1 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $25,596, CA average $14,815$25,596 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,009 per student

$1,009 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,779 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
Instruction56%
Instruction support12%
Student services18%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance8%
Other1%

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$12,685 per pupil
2019$12,544 per pupil
2018$13,317 per pupil
2017$10,292 per pupil
2016$10,222 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic88.4%
District 52.6% · CA 56.1%
White5.2%
District 4.2% · CA 19.9%
Other4.0%
District 8.8% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.2%
District 32.8% · CA 10.2%
Black1.2%
District 1.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 67.0% (3pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$144K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.17M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+46% · CA 35%
ZIP population69,677
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 173 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 6% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Calero High a good high school?

Calero High has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 21st percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,700 statewide. 1.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 14.4 percentage points below 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 Calero High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 7.9% of students at Calero High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 1.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 6.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 1.4% 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. 140 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Calero High rank in California?

Calero High ranks #1,700 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 21st 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 Calero High?

57.7% of students at Calero High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 12.0%. 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 Calero High compare to other schools in San Jose?

Calero High scores 29/100 (21st 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 173 students. Use the schools in San Jose page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Calero High in San Jose, 14.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Calero High trails its district average for low-income students by 37.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (1.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (13.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 14.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 57 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

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.


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%
98.1%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 63th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
1.4%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 35th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
7.9%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 30th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
57.7%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 28th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
12.0%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 12th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 51th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11703%11%31%54%14%−33
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11700%1%4%94%1%−22
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11720%6%63%32%

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 Disadvantaged5714.0%−37−24
Hispanic/Latino6013.3%−24−26
English Learners240.0%−11−10
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Calero High ←291.4%7.9%12.0%
Leland High1.8 mi7856.5%81.3%2.2%
Summit Public School: Tahoma0.9 mi7245.5%60.6%2.7%
Santa Teresa High0.5 mi6433.8%61.9%1.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
98.1%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
17.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
52.9%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193327#14830.0%6.4%34.2%3.5%
20223126#15550.0%7.7%33.9%4.9%
20233023#16461.3%9.6%56.2%8.9%
20243024#16330.9%5.3%49.5%5.5%
20252921#17001.4%7.9%57.7%12.0%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 24 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female44.4%67.0%+22.6pp
Male30.0%59.8%+29.8pp
Asian20.8%
Black/African American25.0%
White26.3%
Hispanic/Latino41.1%64.2%+23.1pp
Two or More Races46.2%
Students with Disabilities26.3%
English Learners29.5%60.7%+31.2pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged38.2%65.2%+27.0pp
All Students36.3%63.3%+27.0pp
Homeless73.1%
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