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School Profile · Bakersfield

Central Academy of Arts and Technology: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Central Academy of Arts and Technology posts 34% meeting the standard and 12.8% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1701 18th Street, 93301 (opens in new tab)·Kern County Office of Education·Bakersfield·Grades TK-12·179 students·66% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 885-0023·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
41
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,053 statewide · #2 of 6 in Kern County Office of Education

Central Academy of Arts and Technology scores 41 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 47th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “34% proficient” and call it done. Central Academy of Arts and Technology deserves a closer read. The school sits in Bakersfield, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

As a charter, Central Academy of Arts and Technology enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

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.

14%
10%
76%
Grade 3 · 24% proficient
25%
29%
46%
Grade 4 · 54% proficient
20%
24%
56%
Grade 5 · 44% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.7pp across grades; the floor rises 20.2pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.8%
State 21.3%
8.6pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+0.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
34.4%
State 42.7%
8.2pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
24.4%
State 17.9%
6.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.1%
State 1.6%
0.5pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

Where the path goes

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

Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Central Academy of Arts a…
41
This school
→
Middle
Kern County Community
16
→
High
Kern County Community
16

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Planning ahead? 10 licensed preschools near this school →

Your other options

All schools in Bakersfield →

Private alternatives nearby

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

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic57.0%
White24.0%
Asian1.7%
Black4.5%
Other12.8%
GenderFemale 48.6%Male 50.3%Non-binary 1.1%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 65.9% (2pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
179
301 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
23 TK students
4% of a 523-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
5 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$80,421
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$58,281 – $108,577
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Central Academy of Arts and Technology in Bakersfield, 40.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central Academy of Arts and Technology outperforms its district average for low-income students by 22.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.9 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 84 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Low-Income−10.9pp
38.2% vs 49.1% overall · n=34
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−8.3pp
11.8% vs 20.1% overall · n=34
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−4.3pp
5.8% vs 10.1% overall · n=49

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income84 tested
ELA 40.5%·Math 28.9%· +22.6pp vs district
Hispanic75 tested
ELA 48.0%·Math 38.0%· +26.0pp 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.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 5.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +1.3pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 27%Support 71%Other 2%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$44K
$41K below CA median
Median Home Value
$296K
$363K below CA median
Bachelor's+
17%
18pp 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
5.4 years avg experience
11 teachers · 36% first-year

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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Central Academy of Arts and Technology a good elementary school?
Central Academy of Arts and Technology has a Scope Score of 41 out of 100, placing it in the 47th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,053 statewide. 12.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.6 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. 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 Central Academy of Arts and Technology's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.4% of students at Central Academy of Arts and Technology met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.8% 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. 137 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Central Academy of Arts and Technology rank in California?
Central Academy of Arts and Technology ranks #3,053 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 47th 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 Central Academy of Arts and Technology getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Central Academy of Arts and Technology increases by 0.3 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. 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 Central Academy of Arts and Technology?
24.4% of students at Central Academy of Arts and Technology are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.1%. 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 Central Academy of Arts and Technology compare to other schools in Bakersfield?
Central Academy of Arts and Technology scores 41/100 (47th 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 179 students. Use the schools in Bakersfield page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Central Academy of Arts and Technology serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Central Academy of Arts and Technology in Bakersfield, 40.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 17.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central Academy of Arts and Technology outperforms its district average for low-income students by 22.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (48.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.9 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 84 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.

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

How to get into a charter school in LA →
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%
12.8%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 42th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+0.3pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 60th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
34.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
24.4%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 39th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.1%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32114%10%48%29%24%−20
Grade 42425%29%25%21%54%+9
Grade 52520%24%40%16%44%−4
Grade 62516%36%36%12%52%+5
Grade 71926%26%21%26%53%+5
Grade 81619%50%0%31%69%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3215%29%33%33%33%−12
Grade 42413%25%38%25%38%−4
Grade 5220%14%50%36%14%−22
Grade 62516%24%44%16%40%+5
Grade 71921%21%32%26%42%+8
Grade 8166%13%19%63%19%−14
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114112%17%59%12%

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 Disadvantaged8440.5%+23+2
Hispanic/Latino7548.0%+26+9
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Central Academy of Arts and Technology ←—4112.8%34.4%+0.32.1%
Bessie E. Owens Elementary1.8 mi4818.9%33.5%+7.21.8%
Downtown Elementary0.4 mi4522.3%52.7%−15.20.5%
Valley Oaks Charter1.1 mi399.8%29.3%−3.10.1%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
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