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Carl Hankey Middle · Mission Viejo

Carl Hankey Middle: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Carl Hankey posts 64% meeting the standard, and 35.8% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

27252 Nubles, 92692 (opens in new tab)·Capistrano Unified·Mission Viejo·Grades 6-8·181 students·50% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 234-5315·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6143
% Exceeded36%17%
% Met+64%39%
Growth-9.4+1.5
Absence14.5%18.5%
Suspension3.2%3.7%
Scope Score
61
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #283 statewide · #12 of 18 in Capistrano Unified

Carl Hankey Middle scores 61 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 87th percentile of 2,238 California middle 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “64% proficient” and call it done. Carl Hankey deserves a closer read. The school sits in Mission Viejo, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Carl Hankey's low-income kids hit 58.4% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has held the 87th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 64% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 662%55%64%56%69%
Grade 775%85%84%78%74%
Grade 872%65%71%66%66%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 658%44%59%34%73%
Grade 757%47%54%57%45%
Grade 868%40%64%48%58%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

29%
40%
31%
Grade 6 · 69% proficient
33%
40%
27%
Grade 7 · 73% proficient
41%
24%
35%
Grade 8 · 65% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 12.3pp across grades; the floor slips 3.6pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

58.4%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Carl Hankey's most underrated number

58.4% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Carl Hankey low-income: 58.4%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
35.8%
State 16.8%
18.9pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-9.4pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
64.0%
State 39.3%
24.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
14.5%
State 18.5%
4.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.2%
State 3.7%
0.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
18.2%
State 18.0%
0.2pp above 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.

  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Carl Hankey Middle in Mission Viejo, 58.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Carl Hankey Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (42.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 89 students tested.

All students at this school: 64% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 64%, district —, state 39%64%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 51%, district 49%, state 32%51% · −13 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 68%, district 69%, state 44%68% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 59%, district 66%, state 42%59% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 50%, district 45%, state 32%50% · −14 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 77%, district 74%, state 56%77% · +14 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 32%, district 32%, state 15%32% · −31 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 45%, district 32%, state 22%45% · −18 vs school

7 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 2.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +5.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 14.5%, district 13.9%, state 18.5%14.5% · −4.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.2%, district —, state 3.7%3.2% · −0.4pp vs state

Grades 7–8 students miss school at roughly three times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (18.4% vs 5.1%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the upper grades.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–65.1%
Grades 7–818.4%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 16:1, district 23:116:1
Teaching staff13 teachers
Avg. experience17.2 years
Fully credentialed89%
First-year teachers8%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,219 – $130,638
Principal salary$185,421 – $206,216
Superintendent salary$348,333

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,493, CA average $14,815$24,493 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,334 per student

$1,334 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,166 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$12,431 per pupil
2019$11,341 per pupil
2018$10,665 per pupil
2017$9,388 per pupil
2016$8,875 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic41.4%
District 26.7% · CA 56.1%
White38.1%
District 51.0% · CA 19.9%
Other12.7%
District 14.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian6.1%
District 7.4% · CA 10.2%
Black1.7%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 49.7% (14pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$131K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.04M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+56% · CA 35%
ZIP population47,022
Median age46 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 181 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 52% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Carl Hankey Middle a good middle school?

Carl Hankey Middle has a Scope Score of 61 out of 100, placing it in the 87th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #283 statewide. 35.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 18.9 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), 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 Carl Hankey Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 64.0% of students at Carl Hankey Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 35.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 35.8% 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. 341 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Carl Hankey Middle rank in California?

Carl Hankey Middle ranks #283 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 87th 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 Carl Hankey Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Carl Hankey Middle decreases by 9.4 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 Carl Hankey Middle?

14.5% of students at Carl Hankey 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 3.2%. 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 Carl Hankey Middle compare to other schools in Mission Viejo?

Carl Hankey Middle scores 61/100 (87th 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 181 students. Use the schools in Mission Viejo page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Carl Hankey Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Carl Hankey Middle in Mission Viejo, 58.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Carl Hankey Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (42.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (60.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 11.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 89 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

All schools in Mission Viejo →

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
Exceeded standard · 38%
35.8%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 71th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-9.4pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 56th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
64.0%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 70th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
14.5%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.2%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 52th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
18.2%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 65529%40%18%13%69%+23
Grade 75733%40%16%11%74%+26
Grade 85841%24%24%10%66%+19
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 65641%32%13%14%73%+38
Grade 75829%16%26%29%45%+11
Grade 85740%18%18%25%58%+26
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115824%28%47%2%

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 Disadvantaged8958.4%+3+20
Hispanic/Latino7560.0%+8+21
White6080.0%+2+18
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Carl Hankey Middle ←—6135.8%64.0%−9.43.2%
Ladera Ranch Middle1.5 mi7950.6%79.4%+1.02.4%
Fred Newhart Middle2.1 mi7443.9%72.7%+2.52.7%
Las Flores Middle1.8 mi7245.0%73.2%+3.06.0%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196188#23731.1%65.4%6.9%1.4%+10.4pp
20225886#30024.6%55.8%16.6%1.9%+3.5pp
20236891#18929.6%66.1%19.8%2.2%+5.9pp
20245784#34324.0%56.5%13.4%1.3%+11.8pp
20256187#28335.8%64.0%14.5%3.2%-9.4pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female8.6%12.9%+4.3pp
Male4.8%15.4%+10.6pp
Asian0.0%8.3%+8.3pp
White0.0%——
Hispanic/Latino6.7%14.3%+7.6pp
Students with Disabilities19.4%20.0%+0.6pp
English Learners8.3%14.3%+6.0pp
Homeless11.8%20.8%+9.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.0%19.1%+10.1pp
All Students6.8%14.1%+7.3pp
Two or More Races—18.2%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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

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