How does Columbus Tustin Middle compare to other middle schools in Tustin?

Columbus Tustin Middle has a SchoolScope composite score of 39.5/100, placing it at the 42nd percentile statewide. 16% of students exceed standard, with a total of 1,086 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Columbus Tustin Middle?

16.4% of students at Columbus Tustin Middle exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 35.2% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Columbus Tustin Middle improving or declining?

Columbus Tustin Middle's proficiency rate increases by 9.5 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value over time.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Columbus Tustin Middle?

23.0% of students at Columbus Tustin Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Columbus Tustin Middle

Middle School

Tustin Unified TustinOrange County92780

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of middle schools

State Rank

of California middle schools

School overview

Enrollment

604 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

25:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

83%

Teachers

24 full-time

Dashboard indicators

ELA Year-over-Year

Declined

-13.1 pts DFS change

Math Year-over-Year

Declined

-9.0 pts DFS change

EL Proficiency (ELPAC)

17.7%

English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 193 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic78.6%

White6.5%

Asian6.3%

Black1.8%

Other6.8%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Columbus Tustin Middle
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	16.4%
Met Standard	18.7%
Below Standard	64.8%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "35% proficient" for Columbus Tustin Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

16.4% of students exceeded standard while 18.7% merely met it. That exceeded rate is near the state average of 17.3%. That's 14.9 points below the Tustin Unified district average of 31.3%. Nearby schools (within ~3 miles) average 14.6% exceeded — about the same. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Students here improve by 9.5 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance declined and Math declined year-over-year. 17.7% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 23.0%, above the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

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

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

16.4%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

35.2%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G6→G8)

+9.5pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

23.0%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

11.4%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

1,086

Across all grades & subjects

Grade trajectory

ELA Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

Math Trajectory

G6 → G7 → G8

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	178	10.7%	20.8%	28.1%	40.5%	31.5%
7th	178	18.5%	29.8%	23.0%	28.6%	48.3%
8th	184	16.9%	26.1%	27.2%	29.9%	42.9%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
6th	180	10.6%	13.9%	20.0%	55.6%	24.4%
7th	181	19.3%	12.7%	26.0%	42.0%	32.0%
8th	185	22.7%	9.2%	20.0%	48.1%	31.9%

K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Elementary

Helen Estock Elementary

32.614th pctile

Zoned

Guin Foss Elementary

50.667th pctile

Zoned

▼

Middle

Columbus Tustin Middle

39.542nd pctile

This school

▼

High School

Zoned

Also serves area

Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.