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Casimir Middle · Torrance

Casimir Middle: English learners reach fluency faster than the state rate. But this year's 8th graders test below its 6th graders.

Casimir has real strengths and one number that complicates them. Most rating sites show you one or the other. Both belong on the same page.

17220 Casimir Avenue, 90504 (opens in new tab)·Torrance Unified·Torrance·Grades 6-8·617 students·44% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 533-4498
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5743
% Exceeded32%17%
% Met+62%39%
Growth-10.6+1.5
Absence4.7%18.5%
Suspension0.1%3.7%
Scope Score
57
🤝 Culture First · Solid
ranked #400 statewide · #6 of 8 in Torrance Unified

Casimir Middle scores 57 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 82nd 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “62% proficient” and call it done. Casimir deserves a closer read. The school sits in Torrance, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Casimir's low-income kids hit 56.2% 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 82nd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 62% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 662%57%66%60%69%
Grade 773%74%71%65%75%
Grade 865%63%61%62%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 657%51%51%53%62%
Grade 753%55%55%51%60%
Grade 850%51%45%53%49%

The story this school is actually telling

The on-ramp · English learner progress
43.1%

of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

↑ how fast newcomers reach fluency
The trajectory · grade 6→8
10.6pp

proficiency runs 65% in this year's grade 6 against 55% in its grade 8. The state average falls by −0.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

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

28%
41%
31%
Grade 6 · 69% proficient
40%
35%
25%
Grade 7 · 75% proficient
22%
38%
40%
Grade 8 · 60% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.9pp across grades; the floor slips 8.7pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. The school's 8th graders aren't posting a wider lead than its 6th graders. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

56.2%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Casimir's most underrated number

56.2% 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.

Casimir low-income: 56.2%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
32.5%
State 16.8%
15.7pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-10.6pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
62.5%
State 39.3%
23.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
4.7%
State 18.5%
13.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 3.7%
3.6pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
43.1%
State 18.0%
25.2pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 6 and grade 8. Ask who teaches the older grades, and what the school does when a child starts falling behind.

  • 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 Casimir Middle in Torrance, 56.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Casimir Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (43.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 281 students tested.

All students at this school: 62% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 62%, district —, state 39%62%
MaleMale: this school 63%, district 65%, state 42%63% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 62%, district 65%, state 44%62% · −0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 50%, district 51%, state 32%50% · −13 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 47%, district 49%, state 32%47% · −15 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 84%, district 82%, state 72%84% · +21 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 70%, district 74%, state 56%70% · +7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 27%, district 32%, state 15%27% · −36 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 22%, district 31%, state 11%22% · −40 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 62%, district 66%, state 56%62% · −1 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 69%, district 77%, state 65%69% · +7 vs school

5 of 16 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 17.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -1.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 4.7%, district 11.1%, state 18.5%4.7% · −13.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.1%, district —, state 3.7%0.1% · −3.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–64.2%
Grades 7–84.4%

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 26:1, district 26:126:1
Teaching staff25 teachers
Avg. experience15.8 years
Fully credentialed94%
First-year teachers4%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$62,009 – $122,300
Principal salary$154,486 – $196,119
Superintendent salary$335,280

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,615, CA average $14,815$16,615 · spent at this school
Federal share$185 per student

$185 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,002 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration7%
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$11,441 per pupil
2019$11,279 per pupil
2018$11,194 per pupil
2017$10,632 per pupil
2016$10,442 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic43.1%
District 34.7% · CA 56.1%
Asian26.6%
District 27.0% · CA 10.2%
Other18.3%
District 15.7% · CA 9.0%
White7.8%
District 18.5% · CA 19.9%
Black4.2%
District 4.1% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 44.1% (20pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$108K · CA $85K
Median home value$924K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+45% · CA 35%
ZIP population33,084
Median age42 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 38% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Casimir Middle a good middle school?

Casimir Middle has a Scope Score of 57 out of 100, placing it in the 82nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #400 statewide. 32.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.7 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 Casimir Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 62.5% of students at Casimir Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 32.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 32.5% 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. 1,210 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Casimir Middle rank in California?

Casimir Middle ranks #400 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 82nd 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 Casimir Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Casimir Middle decreases by 10.6 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 Casimir Middle?

4.7% of students at Casimir 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 0.1%, 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 Casimir Middle compare to other schools in Torrance?

Casimir Middle scores 57/100 (82nd 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 617 students. Use the schools in Torrance page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Casimir Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Casimir Middle in Torrance, 56.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Casimir Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 0.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (43.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.3 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 281 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
Exceeded standard · 38%
32.5%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 67th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-10.6pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 38th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
62.5%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 68th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
4.7%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 69th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 64th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
43.1%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 80th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 618828%41%18%14%69%+22
Grade 721040%35%15%10%75%+27
Grade 820722%38%22%18%60%+14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 618839%23%25%13%62%+27
Grade 721037%24%20%20%60%+27
Grade 820730%19%18%32%49%+17
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1120815%23%52%10%

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 Disadvantaged28156.2%+1+18
Hispanic/Latino25753.7%−1+15
Asian16484.8%+3+10
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Casimir Middle ←5732.5%62.5%−10.60.1%
Madrona Middle2.9 mi6129.4%60.3%−2.20.8%
Philip Magruder Middle1.5 mi5123.9%49.0%−1.22.2%
Jane Addams Middle2.4 mi4720.1%49.8%−2.62.2%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195276#47328.5%60.2%4.2%1.6%-2.1pp
20225785#32129.2%58.5%6.2%1.7%+2.9pp
20236085#32430.1%58.2%6.5%1.1%-5.1pp
20245886#31829.0%57.3%5.8%0.1%+0.7pp
20255782#40032.5%62.5%4.7%0.1%-10.6pp
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
Female4.2%6.0%+1.8pp
Male3.9%2.8%-1.1pp
Asian0.5%1.8%+1.3pp
Black/African American4.0%15.4%+11.4pp
White2.6%0.0%-2.6pp
Hispanic/Latino6.4%4.9%-1.5pp
Two or More Races4.2%4.3%+0.1pp
Students with Disabilities10.6%7.6%-3.0pp
English Learners6.4%5.6%-0.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6.5%5.8%-0.7pp
All Students4.1%4.4%+0.3pp
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