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School Profile · Chico

Chico High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Chico posts 57% meeting the standard; 30.8% push past it. Steady is worth something — and the gap between those two numbers is the thing to ask about.

901 Esplanade, 95926 (opens in new tab)·Chico Unified·Chico·Grades 9-12·1,804 students·57% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 891-3026
Scope Score
64
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #310 statewide · #2 of 5 in Chico Unified

Chico High scores 64 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 82nd 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 →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “57% proficient” and call it done. Chico deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chico, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 69.5% 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
57%
State 35%
Graduate
93%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
69%
State 36%

Of 100 students here: 57 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 69 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

69.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Chico's most underrated number

69.5% 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.

Chico low-income: 69.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
92.5%
State 87.6%
4.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
30.8%
State 15.5%
15.3pp above state avg
College readiness
69.4%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
57.4%
State 34.6%
22.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.7%
State 32.1%
11.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.0%
State 4.0%
0.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.0%
State 18.0%
4.0pp 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
▼
High School
Chico High
64/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

Your other options

All schools in Chico →

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

Hispanic33.0%
White49.0%
Asian4.7%
Black2.5%
Other10.9%
GenderFemale 47.9%Male 51.7%Non-binary 0.4%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,804
354 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
57%
7pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,130
District avg: $13,999 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
14.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$56,997 – $121,381
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Chico High in Chico, 69.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 27.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.6% Math proficient); White students (84.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 74.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 236 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Foster Youth+46.0pp
66.7% vs 20.7% overall · n=15
Suspension · Foster Youth+13.8pp
18.8% vs 5.0% overall · n=16
ELA · English Learner−74.9pp
0.0% vs 74.9% overall · n=20
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−43.5pp
0.0% vs 43.5% overall · n=20
Math · English Learner−39.9pp
0.0% vs 39.9% overall · n=20
Math Exceeded · English Learner−18.1pp
0.0% vs 18.1% overall · n=20

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income236 tested
ELA 69.5%·Math 29.6%· +27.0pp vs district
White207 tested
ELA 84.1%·Math 53.2%· +19.8pp vs district
Hispanic132 tested
ELA 65.9%·Math 25.2%· +26.5pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 35%Other 3%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$62K
$23K below CA median
Median Home Value
$474K
$185K below CA median
Bachelor's+
46%
11pp above 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
15.5 years avg experience
83 teachers · 2% first-year · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
93% fully credentialed
AP Courses Offered
36 AP courses
184 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 nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
92.5%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 56th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
30.8%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 66th pctile
College readiness · 20%
69.4%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 70th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
57.4%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 66th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.7%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.0%
↓ vs CA 4.0% · 46th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 34th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1141443%31%13%12%75%+28
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1140918%22%23%37%40%+16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1141516%33%44%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 Disadvantaged23669.5%+27+31
White20784.1%+20+22
Hispanic/Latino13265.9%+27+27
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Chico High ←—6430.8%57.4%—5.0%
Pleasant Valley High2.3 mi6531.9%59.7%—2.5%
Fair View High (Continuation)1.7 mi150.0%1.6%—17.0%
California average—4715.5%34.6%—4.0%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
92.5%
AP Exam Prepared
69.4%
A-G Completion
45.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
82.1%
Scope Score history
71%64%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #399 → #383 → #432 → #416 → #310
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Chico High a good high school?
Chico High has a Scope Score of 64 out of 100, placing it in the 82nd percentile of California high schools and ranked #310 statewide. 30.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 15.3 percentage points above 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 Chico High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 57.4% of students at Chico High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 30.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 30.8% 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. 823 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Chico High rank in California?
Chico High ranks #310 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 82nd 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 Chico High?
20.7% of students at Chico High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 5.0%. 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 Chico High compare to other schools in Chico?
Chico High scores 64/100 (82nd 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 1,804 students. Use the schools in Chico page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Chico High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Chico High in Chico, 69.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 27.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.6% Math proficient); White students (84.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 74.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 236 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.
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