School Profile · Fresno
Central High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Central posts 38% meeting the standard against 35% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
2045 North Dickenson Avenue, 93722·Central Unified·Fresno·Grades 9-12·625 students·75% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 276-5276·Website
Scope Score
44
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,071 statewide · #4 of 6 in Central Unified
Central High scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 38th percentile of 1,739 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “38% proficient” and call it done. Central deserves a closer read. The school sits in Fresno, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 52.9% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
38%
State 35%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
5%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 38 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 5 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
52.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Central's most underrated number
52.9% 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.
Central low-income: 52.9%State low-income: 38.2%
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
95.5%
State 87.6%
7.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.8%
State 15.5%
2.7pp below state avg
College readiness
4.5%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
38.4%
State 34.6%
3.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
32.3%
State 32.1%
0.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.7%
State 4.0%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
10.6%
State 17.7%
7.1pp below 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
Central High
44/100
This school
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic62.7%
White17.8%
Asian13.9%
Black4.5%
Other1.1%
GenderFemale 52.5%Male 47.4%Non-binary 0.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
625
825 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
75%
11pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
5 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$25,423
District avg: $12,844 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
10.6% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$59,013 – $119,880
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Central High in Fresno, 52.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (49.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.2 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 102 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+10.6pp
42.9% vs 32.3% overall · n=56
ELA · Disabilities−35.2pp
22.2% vs 57.5% overall · n=18
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−15.0pp
5.6% vs 20.6% overall · n=18
Math · Disabilities−19.4pp
0.0% vs 19.4% overall · n=17
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−5.0pp
0.0% vs 5.0% overall · n=17
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income102 tested
ELA 52.9%·Math 17.8%· +12.2pp vs district
Hispanic87 tested
ELA 49.4%·Math 17.6%· +8.5pp vs district
White26 tested
ELA 76.9%·Math 19.2%· +22.5pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$80K
$5K below CA median
Median Home Value
$379K
$281K below CA median
Bachelor's+
24%
11pp 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
16.0 years avg experience
41 teachers · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
77% fully credentialed
AP Courses Offered
2 AP courses
3 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 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 →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
95.5%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.8%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 47th pctile
College readiness · 20%
4.5%
↓ vs CA 35.5% · 32th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
38.4%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
32.3%
↓ vs CA 32.1% · 50th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.7%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 56th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
10.6%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 31th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 141 | 21% | 37% | 21% | 21% | 57% | +10 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 139 | 5% | 14% | 37% | 44% | 19% | −4 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 143 | 4% | 24% | 63% | 9% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 102 | 52.9% | +12 | +15 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 87 | 49.4% | +9 | +11 |
| White | 26 | 76.9% | +22 | +15 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central High ← | — | 44 | 12.8% | 38.4% | — | 2.7% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.5%
AP Exam Prepared
4.5%
A-G Completion
36.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
80.0%
Scope Score history
2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #723 → #923 → #745 → #1071
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Central High a good high school?
Central High has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 38th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,071 statewide. 12.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.7 percentage points below the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high 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 High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 38.4% of students at Central High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.6% 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. 280 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Central High rank in California?
Central High ranks #1,071 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 38th 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 Central High?
32.3% of students at Central High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 2.7%. 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 High compare to other schools in Fresno?
Central High scores 44/100 (38th 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 625 students. Use the schools in Fresno page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Central High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Central High in Fresno, 52.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Central High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (49.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.2 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 102 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.