School Profile · Chico
Chico Junior High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Chico posts 44% meeting the standard against 40% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
280 Memorial Way, 95926 (opens in new tab)·Chico Unified·Chico·Grades 6-8·861 students·64% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 891-3066
Scope Score
40
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #760 statewide · #3 of 5 in Chico Unified
Chico Junior High scores 40 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 56th percentile of 1,714 California middle 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 “44% proficient” and call it done. Chico deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chico, where three in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
13%
31%
56%
Grade 6 · 44% proficient
20%
33%
47%
Grade 7 · 53% proficient
25%
34%
41%
Grade 8 · 59% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 11.9pp across grades; the floor rises 14.9pp. 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
18.1%
State 17.3%
0.8pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
43.6%
State 39.5%
4.1pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+7.1pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
21.7%
State 19.1%
2.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
9.9%
State 4.2%
5.7pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
23.6%
State 18.0%
5.6pp above 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
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
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 61
Sierra View Elementary
Chico Unified · 1.9 mi
Strong
71/100
Parkview Elementary
Chico Unified · 1.6 mi
Solid
63/100
Hooker Oak Elementary
Chico Unified · 0.7 mi
Solid
50/100
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 ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic39.5%
White39.0%
Asian4.7%
Black2.7%
Other14.2%
GenderFemale 49.0%Male 50.5%Non-binary 0.5%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
861
Near CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
64%
0pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$13,510
District avg: $13,999 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
23.6% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$56,997 – $121,381
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Chico Junior High in Chico, 40.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 2.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 516 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+30.2pp
51.9% vs 21.7% overall · n=27
Suspension · Black+25.8pp
35.7% vs 9.9% overall · n=28
ELA · English Learner−48.8pp
3.3% vs 52.1% overall · n=73
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−19.1pp
0.0% vs 19.1% overall · n=73
Math · English Learner−30.0pp
5.0% vs 35.1% overall · n=71
Math Exceeded · English Learner−17.2pp
0.0% vs 17.2% overall · n=71
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income516 tested
ELA 40.0%·Math 23.3%· -2.5pp vs district
Hispanic320 tested
ELA 37.5%·Math 22.0%· -1.9pp vs district
White306 tested
ELA 68.3%·Math 46.9%· +4.0pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 15.7pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +8.1pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding 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
14.4 years avg experience
39 teachers · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
65% fully credentialed
2.6% on intern/emergency permit
Source: CDE SARC, 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
Exceeded standard · 43%
18.1%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 51th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
43.6%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 53th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+7.1pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
21.7%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 46th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
9.9%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 28th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
23.6%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 36th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 267 | 13% | 31% | 30% | 26% | 44% | −2 |
| Grade 7 | 238 | 20% | 33% | 20% | 27% | 53% | +5 |
| Grade 8 | 296 | 25% | 34% | 16% | 25% | 59% | +13 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 266 | 14% | 21% | 26% | 39% | 35% | −0 |
| Grade 7 | 236 | 17% | 19% | 27% | 37% | 36% | +2 |
| Grade 8 | 289 | 21% | 13% | 27% | 39% | 34% | +2 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 296 | 16% | 25% | 48% | 11% |
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 | 516 | 40.0% | −2 | +2 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 320 | 37.5% | −2 | −1 |
| White | 306 | 68.3% | +4 | +6 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico Junior High ← | — | 40 | 18.1% | 43.6% | +7.1 | 9.9% |
| Bidwell Junior High | 1.7 mi | 44 | 17.2% | 44.6% | +3.0 | 1.2% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #612 → #555 → #398 → #626 → #760
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Chico Junior High a good middle school?
Chico Junior High has a Scope Score of 40 out of 100, placing it in the 56th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #760 statewide. 18.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle 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 Junior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 43.6% of students at Chico Junior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 18.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 18.1% 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. 1,592 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Chico Junior High rank in California?
Chico Junior High ranks #760 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 56th 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 Chico Junior High getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Chico Junior High increases by 7.1 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 Chico Junior High?
21.7% of students at Chico Junior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 9.9%. 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 Junior High compare to other schools in Chico?
Chico Junior High scores 40/100 (56th 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 861 students. Use the schools in Chico page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Chico Junior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Chico Junior High in Chico, 40.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Chico Junior High trails its district average for low-income students by 2.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 516 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.