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Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary · Newhall

Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Dr. J. Michael McGrath posts 42% meeting the standard and 16.7% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

21501 Deputy Jake Way, 91321 (opens in new tab)·Newhall·Newhall·Grades TK-6·414 students·86% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 291-4090·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5145
% Exceeded17%21%
% Met+42%43%
Growth+12.4-2.9
Absence14.3%17.9%
Suspension0.3%1.6%
Scope Score
51
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #1,841 statewide · #8 of 10 in Newhall

Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 68th 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 →

🚀 Growth Engine — Ask how the school tracks each kid's growth year to year, and what happens when a kid stalls instead of gaining.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “42% proficient” and call it done. Dr. J. Michael McGrath deserves a closer read. The school sits in Newhall, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 80th to the 68th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 42% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 326%44%30%35%27%
Grade 438%37%49%47%44%
Grade 567%55%48%47%54%
Grade 659%55%59%60%60%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 332%34%42%58%40%
Grade 441%29%39%49%50%
Grade 554%41%35%30%39%
Grade 649%38%41%59%52%

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.

16%
11%
73%
Grade 3 · 27% proficient
22%
22%
56%
Grade 4 · 44% proficient
23%
30%
47%
Grade 5 · 53% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.9pp across grades; the floor rises 26.3pp. The state average rises 4.5pp 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
16.7%
State 21.3%
4.6pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+12.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
42.2%
State 42.7%
0.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
14.3%
State 17.9%
3.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.3%
State 1.6%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
15.9%
State 18.0%
2.0pp below 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 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 Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary in Newhall, 44.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 53.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 9.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (43.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (45.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 193 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 43%46%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 44%, district 50%, state 32%44% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 45%, district 50%, state 32%45% · −1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 52%, district 66%, state 42%52% · +5 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 40%, district 67%, state 44%40% · −6 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 26%, district 27%, state 11%26% · −20 vs school

8 of 14 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 rises by 30.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 14.3%, district 10.5%, state 17.9%14.3% · −3.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.3%, district —, state 1.6%0.3% · −1.3pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (25.4% vs 11.1%). 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 4–611.1%
TK/K25.4%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 25:124:1
Teaching staff21 teachers
Avg. experience10.3 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers19%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$61,406 – $117,288
Principal salary$153,262 – $0
Superintendent salary$269,424

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,469, CA average $14,815$18,469 · spent at this school
Federal share$232 per student

$232 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,843 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
Instruction66%
Instruction support10%
Student services6%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$11,214 per pupil
2019$10,806 per pupil
2018$11,279 per pupil
2017$10,068 per pupil
2016$9,787 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic79.5%
District 44.8% · CA 56.1%
Other9.7%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
White5.1%
District 28.0% · CA 19.9%
Black3.1%
District 2.0% · CA 4.8%
Asian2.7%
District 11.4% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 86.0% (22pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$91K · CA $85K
Median home value$692K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+32% · CA 35%
ZIP population31,989
Median age37 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), 32% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary a good elementary school?

Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 68th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,841 statewide. 16.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.6 percentage points below 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 Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 42.2% of students at Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.7% 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. 325 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary rank in California?

Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary ranks #1,841 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 68th 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 Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary increases by 12.4 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 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 Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary?

14.3% of students at Dr. J. Michael McGrath 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 0.3%, 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 Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary compare to other schools in Newhall?

Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary scores 51/100 (68th 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 414 students. Use the schools in Newhall page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary in Newhall, 44.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 53.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 9.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (43.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (45.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 193 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 Newhall →

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%
16.7%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 46th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+12.4pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 69th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
42.2%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 50th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
14.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.3%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
15.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35516%11%31%42%27%−16
Grade 45022%22%32%24%44%−1
Grade 55623%30%23%23%54%+6
Grade 66327%33%29%11%60%+14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35511%29%29%31%40%−6
Grade 45217%33%33%17%50%+8
Grade 55711%28%37%25%39%+3
Grade 66427%25%23%25%52%+17
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115711%21%56%12%

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 Disadvantaged19344.0%−10+6
Hispanic/Latino18645.2%−9+6
English Learners6619.7%−6+9
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary ←—5116.7%42.2%+12.40.3%
Old Orchard Elementary2 mi6935.2%59.1%+5.80.9%
Valencia Valley Elementary2.8 mi6942.6%70.0%+1.80.5%
Peachland Avenue Elementary1.9 mi5224.3%49.2%+6.30.9%
California average—4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196080#107816.8%42.9%11.7%1.1%+32.1pp
20224569#179617.5%40.1%25.1%2.5%+9.6pp
20234667#190818.7%40.5%24.2%3.0%+5.7pp
20244865#203519.6%44.5%17.2%0.1%-7.7pp
20255168#184116.7%42.2%14.3%0.3%+12.4pp
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
Female12.4%15.5%+3.1pp
Male10.8%12.6%+1.8pp
Asian5.9%0.0%-5.9pp
Black/African American12.1%7.7%-4.4pp
White4.0%0.0%-4.0pp
Hispanic/Latino11.3%15.3%+4.0pp
Two or More Races12.5%9.1%-3.4pp
Students with Disabilities13.6%4.9%-8.7pp
English Learners9.6%13.0%+3.4pp
Homeless23.1%13.8%-9.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged12.3%14.1%+1.8pp
All Students11.7%14.0%+2.3pp
Filipino—21.1%—
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

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