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Cesar Chavez Middle · Oceanside

Cesar Chavez Middle: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Cesar Chavez posts 36% meeting the standard and 12.9% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

202 Oleander Drive, 92057 (opens in new tab)·Oceanside Unified·Oceanside·Grades 6-8·557 students·80% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 966-4900·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4043
% Exceeded13%17%
% Met+36%39%
Growth+8.2+1.5
Absence28.4%18.5%
Suspension7.1%3.7%
Scope Score
40
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #1,150 statewide · #6 of 10 in Oceanside Unified

Cesar Chavez Middle scores 40 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 49th 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 →

📈 On the Rise — Ask how many years the improvement has held, not just the latest one — one strong cohort and a real turnaround can look identical in a single year of data.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “36% proficient” and call it done. Cesar Chavez deserves a closer read. The school sits in Oceanside, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 49th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 36% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 636%35%36%35%42%
Grade 750%41%40%39%43%
Grade 843%41%38%41%51%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 620%18%22%19%23%
Grade 728%18%18%18%27%
Grade 826%20%18%14%30%

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.

15%
27%
58%
Grade 6 · 42% proficient
13%
30%
57%
Grade 7 · 43% proficient
20%
32%
48%
Grade 8 · 52% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 4.8pp across grades; the floor rises 9.5pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
12.9%
State 16.8%
3.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+8.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
36.1%
State 39.3%
3.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.4%
State 18.5%
9.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
7.1%
State 3.7%
3.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
27.3%
State 18.0%
9.3pp 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.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside 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.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Cesar Chavez Middle in Oceanside, 41.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cesar Chavez Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 36.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 434 students tested.

All students at this school: 36% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 36%, district —, state 39%36%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 32%, district 30%, state 32%32% · −4 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 32%, district 29%, state 32%32% · −5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 34%, district 35%, state 42%34% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 39%, district 39%, state 44%39% · +3 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 7%, district 11%, state 15%7% · −29 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 45%, district 53%, state 56%45% · +9 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 52%, district 46%, state 56%52% · +16 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 5%, district 5%, state 11%5% · −31 vs school

7 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 rises by 13.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +3.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 28.4%, district 24.8%, state 18.5%28.4% · +9.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 7.1%, district —, state 3.7%7.1% · +3.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–625.1%
Grades 7–830.3%

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 20:1, district 23:120:1
Teaching staff30 teachers
Avg. experience13.5 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers13%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$53,318 – $118,979
Principal salary$153,348 – $183,517
Superintendent salary$300,606

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,941, CA average $14,815$19,941 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,083 per student

$1,083 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,901 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
Instruction60%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance11%

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$14,594 per pupil
2019$13,384 per pupil
2018$13,154 per pupil
2017$11,020 per pupil
2016$10,838 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic73.4%
District 57.1% · CA 56.1%
Other12.9%
District 12.7% · CA 9.0%
White8.8%
District 24.8% · CA 19.9%
Black3.2%
District 3.7% · CA 4.8%
Asian1.6%
District 1.7% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 80.4% (17pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$109K · CA $85K
Median home value$743K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+33% · CA 35%
ZIP population56,835
Median age39 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 24% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cesar Chavez Middle a good middle school?

Cesar Chavez Middle has a Scope Score of 40 out of 100, placing it in the 49th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,150 statewide. 12.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.9 percentage points below 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 Cesar Chavez Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 36.1% of students at Cesar Chavez Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.9% 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. 1,064 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Cesar Chavez Middle rank in California?

Cesar Chavez Middle ranks #1,150 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 49th 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 Cesar Chavez Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Cesar Chavez Middle increases by 8.2 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 Cesar Chavez Middle?

28.4% of students at Cesar Chavez Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 7.1%. 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 Cesar Chavez Middle compare to other schools in Oceanside?

Cesar Chavez Middle scores 40/100 (49th 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 557 students. Use the schools in Oceanside page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Cesar Chavez Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Cesar Chavez Middle in Oceanside, 41.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cesar Chavez Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 36.0 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 434 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 Oceanside →

Private alternatives nearby

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

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

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%
12.9%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 46th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+8.2pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
36.1%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 36th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.1%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 36th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
27.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 58th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 616715%27%25%33%42%−5
Grade 718713%30%27%30%43%−4
Grade 817720%32%20%29%51%+5
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 616511%12%32%45%23%−12
Grade 71886%21%29%44%27%−7
Grade 818013%17%24%46%30%−2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111826%18%58%18%

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 Disadvantaged43441.7%+7+3
Hispanic/Latino39240.0%+5+1
Students with Disabilities959.5%−2−7
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Cesar Chavez Middle ←—4012.9%36.1%+8.27.1%
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle1.9 mi3815.3%40.0%+0.86.9%
Roosevelt Middle1.2 mi288.1%24.1%−7.86.7%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193746#10827.6%33.8%13.0%4.6%+6.8pp
20223444#12059.0%28.9%32.7%2.2%+4.2pp
20233227#15917.7%28.7%33.5%6.9%-0.8pp
20243031#15367.2%27.5%27.0%9.0%+0.4pp
20254049#115012.9%36.1%28.4%7.1%+8.2pp
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
Female12.4%26.3%+13.9pp
Male13.4%30.9%+17.5pp
Black/African American22.7%5.6%-17.1pp
White11.4%11.8%+0.4pp
Hispanic/Latino11.8%31.5%+19.7pp
Pacific Islander4.0%41.2%+37.2pp
Two or More Races20.0%19.4%-0.6pp
Students with Disabilities21.1%40.0%+18.9pp
English Learners16.4%38.3%+21.9pp
Military-Connected0.0%——
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.1%30.5%+17.4pp
All Students13.0%28.7%+15.7pp
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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