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Chaparral Elementary · Ladera Ranch

Chaparral Elementary: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Chaparral posts 63.5% exceeding the standard — versus 21.3% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

29001 Sienna Parkway, 92694 (opens in new tab)·Capistrano Unified·Ladera Ranch·Grades TK-5·604 students·18% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 234-5349·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope7745
% Exceeded63%21%
% Met+85%43%
Growth-5.5-2.9
Absence6.6%17.9%
Suspension1.8%1.6%
Scope Score
77
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #209 statewide · #5 of 39 in Capistrano Unified

Chaparral Elementary scores 77 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 96th 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “85% proficient” and call it done. Chaparral deserves a closer read. It sits at the 96th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Chaparral's low-income kids hit 76.6% 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 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 84th to the 96th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 700 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Maintained)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 85% of students meet the standard today, above the 74% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 380%79%78%84%84%
Grade 482%84%75%81%92%
Grade 571%83%83%89%84%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 378%82%84%88%88%
Grade 477%84%79%83%86%
Grade 557%75%71%80%77%

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.

66%
18%
16%
Grade 3 · 84% proficient
72%
19%
9%
Grade 4 · 91% proficient
58%
25%
17%
Grade 5 · 83% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 7.5pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

76.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Chaparral's most underrated number

76.6% 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.

Chaparral low-income: 76.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
63.5%
State 21.3%
42.2pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-5.5pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
85.2%
State 42.7%
42.5pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
6.6%
State 17.9%
11.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.8%
State 1.6%
0.2pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
19.1%
State 18.0%
1.1pp 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 what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 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 Chaparral Elementary in Ladera Ranch, 76.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chaparral Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (70.3% Math proficient); White students (88.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 students tested.

All students at this school: 85% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 85%, district —, state 43%85%
WhiteWhite: this school 88%, district 74%, state 56%88% · +3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 81%, district 66%, state 42%81% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 89%, district 69%, state 44%89% · +4 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 73%, district 49%, state 32%73% · −12 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 82%, district 76%, state 56%82% · −3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 73%, district 45%, state 32%73% · −12 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 45%, district 32%, state 15%45% · −40 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 71%, district 60%, state 46%71% · −14 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 100%, district 86%, state 72%100% · +15 vs school

5 of 15 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 2.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 6.6%, district 13.9%, state 17.9%6.6% · −11.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.8%, district —, state 1.6%1.8% · +0.2pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly one and a half times the rate of Grades 4–6 students (10.2% vs 6.1%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–66.1%
TK/K10.2%

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 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff33 teachers
Avg. experience18.5 years
Fully credentialed94%
First-year teachers6%
Intern / emergency permit1.6%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,219 – $130,638
Principal salary$185,421 – $206,216
Superintendent salary$348,333

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,663, CA average $14,815$18,663 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,166 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
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$12,431 per pupil
2019$11,341 per pupil
2018$10,665 per pupil
2017$9,388 per pupil
2016$8,875 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White58.0%
District 51.0% · CA 19.9%
Other21.4%
District 14.2% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic13.6%
District 26.7% · CA 56.1%
Asian6.6%
District 7.4% · CA 10.2%
Black0.5%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 18.1% (46pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$190K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.13M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+66% · CA 35%
ZIP population35,764
Median age36 years

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

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 72% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Chaparral Elementary a good elementary school?

Chaparral Elementary has a Scope Score of 77 out of 100, placing it in the 96th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #209 statewide. 63.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 42.2 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 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 Chaparral Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 85.2% of students at Chaparral Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 63.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 63.5% 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. 595 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Chaparral Elementary rank in California?

Chaparral Elementary ranks #209 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 96th 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 Chaparral Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Chaparral Elementary decreases by 5.5 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 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 Chaparral Elementary?

6.6% of students at Chaparral Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.8%, 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 Chaparral Elementary compare to other schools in Ladera Ranch?

Chaparral Elementary scores 77/100 (96th 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 604 students. Use the schools in Ladera Ranch page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Chaparral Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Chaparral Elementary in Ladera Ranch, 76.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chaparral Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (70.3% Math proficient); White students (88.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 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%
63.5%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 91th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-5.5pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
85.2%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 82th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
6.6%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 68th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.8%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 49th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
19.1%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 52th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39466%18%10%6%84%+41
Grade 49872%19%2%6%92%+47
Grade 510658%25%8%8%84%+36
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39362%26%5%6%88%+42
Grade 49862%23%11%3%86%+44
Grade 510659%18%16%7%77%+42
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1110640%32%20%8%

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 Disadvantaged6476.6%+21+38
White17588.6%+10+27
Two or More Races4783.0%+4+22
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Chaparral Elementary ←7763.5%85.2%−5.51.8%
Las Flores Elementary1.9 mi8251.8%78.0%+8.60.7%
Carl Hankey Elementary1.3 mi7335.9%63.9%+17.91.3%
Oso Grande Elementary1.2 mi7156.7%81.0%−12.31.1%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196384#87849.8%74.1%3.6%1.5%-15.2pp
20227597#19955.6%81.4%18.0%0.9%-1.1pp
20237294#34157.3%78.5%13.9%0.8%-4.6pp
20248799#4465.4%84.0%8.4%0.9%-2.0pp
20257796#20963.5%85.2%6.6%1.8%-5.5pp
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
Female4.0%6.3%+2.3pp
Male3.0%5.7%+2.7pp
Asian1.5%7.3%+5.8pp
Filipino0.0%7.3%+7.3pp
White16.7%8.3%-8.4pp
Hispanic/Latino6.6%15.1%+8.5pp
Two or More Races3.0%1.6%-1.4pp
Students with Disabilities4.3%15.3%+11.0pp
English Learners6.3%19.4%+13.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8.6%13.1%+4.5pp
All Students3.5%6.0%+2.5pp
Homeless33.3%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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