ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Diamond Technology Institute · Watsonville

Diamond Technology Institute: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Diamond Technology Institute posts 37% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

112 Diamond Drive, 95076 (opens in new tab)·Pajaro Valley Unified·Watsonville·Grades 9-12·87 students·77% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(831) 728-6225·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4144
% Exceeded13%16%
% Met+37%36%
Grad rate95.0%87.6%
College readiness0.0%35.4%
Absence24.0%30.2%
Suspension3.0%3.6%
Scope Score
41
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,332 statewide · #5 of 7 in Pajaro Valley Unified

Diamond Technology Institute scores 41 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 38th percentile of 2,160 California high 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 “37% proficient” and call it done. Diamond Technology Institute deserves a closer read. The school sits in Watsonville, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

As a charter, Diamond Technology Institute enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 38th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 37% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1161%43%80%67%67%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1117%7%40%24%7%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
37%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 37 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.0%
State 87.6%
7.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
13.3%
State 15.8%
2.5pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
36.9%
State 35.7%
1.2pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
24.0%
State 30.2%
6.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.0%
State 3.6%
0.6pp 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.

  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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 Diamond Technology Institute in Watsonville, 66.7% of hispanic students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 21.4% district-wide and 38.8% statewide. Diamond Technology Institute outperforms its district average for hispanic students by 45.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Hispanic students (7.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 15 students tested.

All students at this school: 38% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 38%, district —, state 36%38%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 37%, district 17%, state 32%37% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 40%, district 16%, state 32%40% · +2 vs school

5 of 8 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 24.0%, district 25.6%, state 30.2%24.0% · −6.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.0%, district —, state 3.6%3.0% · −0.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1216.1%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Diamond Technology Institute
41/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 17:1, district 22:117:1
Teaching staff5 teachers
Avg. experience7.6 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers20%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,520 – $109,309
Principal salary$122,944 – $142,021
Superintendent salary$268,536

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
CTE pathway completers4 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $31,365, CA average $14,815$31,365 · spent at this school
Federal share$124 per student

$124 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$24,632 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
Instruction56%
Instruction support17%
Student services13%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance8%
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$15,608 per pupil
2019$15,165 per pupil
2018$15,343 per pupil
2017$13,924 per pupil
2016$12,975 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic93.1%
District 84.6% · CA 56.1%
White4.6%
District 12.4% · CA 19.9%
Other2.3%
District 2.2% · CA 9.0%
GenderFemale 32.2%Male 67.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 77.0% (13pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$91K · CA $85K
Median home value$809K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population82,806
Median age36 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 87 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 67% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Diamond Technology Institute a good high school?

Diamond Technology Institute has a Scope Score of 41 out of 100, placing it in the 38th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,332 statewide. 13.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.5 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Diamond Technology Institute's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 36.9% of students at Diamond Technology Institute met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 13.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 13.3% 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. 29 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Diamond Technology Institute rank in California?

Diamond Technology Institute ranks #1,332 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 38th 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 Diamond Technology Institute?

24.0% of students at Diamond Technology Institute are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.0%. 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 Diamond Technology Institute compare to other schools in Watsonville?

Diamond Technology Institute scores 41/100 (38th 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 87 students. Use the schools in Watsonville page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Diamond Technology Institute serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Diamond Technology Institute in Watsonville, 66.7% of hispanic students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 21.4% district-wide and 38.8% statewide. Diamond Technology Institute outperforms its district average for hispanic students by 45.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Hispanic students (7.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 15 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 Watsonville →

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

How to get into a charter school in LA →
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%
95.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
13.3%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 47th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 29th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
36.9%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
24.0%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 55th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111527%40%20%13%67%+19
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11140%7%21%71%7%−16
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111513%53%20%13%

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
Hispanic/Latino1566.7%+45+28
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Diamond Technology Institute ←—4113.3%36.9%—3.0%
Pajaro Valley High1.4 mi465.8%24.4%—3.3%
Watsonville High1.3 mi458.6%29.4%—4.0%
New School Community Day0.7 mi270.0%3.3%—14.0%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.0%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
52.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
54.5%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194139#124211.1%38.9%12.7%6.5%—
20223633#139910.7%25.0%34.0%6.2%—
20234554#99816.7%60.0%30.4%5.2%—
20244348#110816.7%45.2%24.2%3.2%—
20254138#133213.3%36.9%24.0%3.0%—
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
Female0.0%25.9%+25.9pp
Male2.2%11.7%+9.5pp
Hispanic/Latino0.0%14.8%+14.8pp
Students with Disabilities6.7%0.0%-6.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged1.4%16.4%+15.0pp
All Students1.3%16.1%+14.8pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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

← Browse all schools