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Cesar Chavez Middle · Union City

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

Cesar Chavez posts 29% meeting the standard and 10.4% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

2801 Hop Ranch Road, 94587 (opens in new tab)·New Haven Unified·Union City·Grades 6-8·990 students·74% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(510) 487-1700·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3543
% Exceeded10%17%
% Met+29%39%
Growth+1.1+1.5
Absence21.1%18.5%
Suspension4.3%3.7%
Scope Score
35
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,443 statewide · #3 of 3 in New Haven Unified

Cesar Chavez Middle scores 35 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 36th 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 “29% proficient” and call it done. Cesar Chavez deserves a closer read. The school sits in Union City, where two-thirds of 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

Climbed from the 24th to the 36th percentile of California middle schools since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 29% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 632%27%28%32%30%
Grade 734%38%31%32%38%
Grade 836%47%40%41%37%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 628%21%20%24%25%
Grade 726%24%21%22%24%
Grade 824%25%22%22%20%

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.

11%
19%
70%
Grade 6 · 30% proficient
10%
28%
62%
Grade 7 · 38% proficient
9%
28%
63%
Grade 8 · 37% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 7.3pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
10.4%
State 16.8%
6.4pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+1.1pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
29.2%
State 39.3%
10.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.1%
State 18.5%
2.5pp above state avg
Suspension rate
4.3%
State 3.7%
0.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.6%
State 18.0%
2.3pp below 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 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 Union City, 27.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 39.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cesar Chavez Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 12.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 714 students tested.

All students at this school: 29% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 29%, district —, state 39%29%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 22%, district 34%, state 32%22% · −7 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 20%, district 27%, state 32%20% · −9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 28%, district 43%, state 42%28% · −1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 46%, state 44%30% · +1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 4%, district 11%, state 11%4% · −25 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 48%, district 63%, state 72%48% · +19 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 4%, district 10%, state 15%4% · −25 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 49%, district 56%, state 65%49% · +20 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 37%, district 46%, state 56%37% · +8 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 42%, district 48%, state 56%42% · +12 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 18%, district 28%, state 26%18% · −11 vs school

5 of 17 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 5.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +5.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.1%, district 22.6%, state 18.5%21.1% · +2.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 4.3%, district —, state 3.7%4.3% · +0.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–617.3%
Grades 7–822.7%

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 23:1, district 25:123:1
Teaching staff49 teachers
Avg. experience14.8 years
Fully credentialed81%
First-year teachers8%
Intern / emergency permit0.5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$66,153 – $150,878
Principal salary$179,659 – $196,458
Superintendent salary$339,200

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,015, CA average $14,815$16,015 · spent at this school
Federal share$320 per student

$320 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,391 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 services7%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$12,332 per pupil
2019$12,110 per pupil
2018$12,269 per pupil
2017$12,313 per pupil
2016$11,847 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic58.3%
District 36.5% · CA 56.1%
Asian16.8%
District 28.6% · CA 10.2%
Other15.9%
District 25.3% · CA 9.0%
White5.3%
District 5.6% · CA 19.9%
Black3.7%
District 3.9% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 74.1% (10pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$134K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.10M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+45% · CA 35%
ZIP population67,464
Median age43 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 23% 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 35 out of 100, placing it in the 36th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,443 statewide. 10.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.4 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, 29.2% of students at Cesar Chavez Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 10.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 10.4% 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. 1,937 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Cesar Chavez Middle rank in California?

Cesar Chavez Middle ranks #1,443 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 36th 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 1.1 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?

21.1% 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 4.3%. 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 Union City?

Cesar Chavez Middle scores 35/100 (36th 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 990 students. Use the schools in Union City 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 Union City, 27.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 39.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Cesar Chavez Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 12.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (16.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (25.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 31.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 714 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 Union City →

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%
10.4%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 43th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+1.1pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 47th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
29.2%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 42th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.1%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 46th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.3%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 47th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.6%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 42th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 628611%19%23%47%30%−16
Grade 732010%28%26%36%38%−10
Grade 83539%28%27%36%37%−9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 629111%14%23%51%25%−10
Grade 733212%12%28%48%24%−10
Grade 83559%11%24%56%20%−12
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113546%17%59%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 Disadvantaged71427.5%−12−11
Hispanic/Latino55625.9%−7−13
English Learners1934.1%−7−6
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Cesar Chavez Middle ←—3510.4%29.2%+1.14.3%
Thornton Middle2.9 mi7453.4%76.9%+1.77.7%
Itliong-Vera Cruz1.8 mi4822.8%50.8%−1.93.0%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20192924#15179.7%30.0%47.3%4.6%-0.2pp
20224057#92410.4%30.3%29.9%5.0%+12.1pp
20233948#11329.0%27.0%23.0%4.4%+7.1pp
20243647#11769.5%28.7%23.9%2.3%+2.9pp
20253536#144310.4%29.2%21.1%4.3%+1.1pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 11 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female42.7%20.6%-22.1pp
Male51.8%21.6%-30.2pp
Asian33.6%11.7%-21.9pp
Black/African American60.9%36.8%-24.1pp
White36.6%15.5%-21.1pp
Hispanic/Latino49.0%23.0%-26.0pp
Pacific Islander61.1%——
Two or More Races57.7%24.4%-33.3pp
Students with Disabilities56.3%29.5%-26.8pp
English Learners43.7%25.1%-18.6pp
Homeless62.1%39.1%-23.0pp
Military-Connected39.3%13.6%-25.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged50.7%23.9%-26.8pp
All Students47.5%21.1%-26.4pp
American Indian/Alaska Native—25.0%—
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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