El Carmelo Elementary: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

El Carmelo Elementary has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 92nd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #459 statewide. 51.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 30.3 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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.

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 73.3% of students at El Carmelo Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 51.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 51.6% 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. 305 student-subject combinations were assessed.

El Carmelo Elementary ranks #459 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 92nd 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.

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at El Carmelo Elementary decreases by 1.2 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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.

9.3% of students at El Carmelo 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 3.2%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

El Carmelo Elementary scores 71/100 (92nd 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 282 students. Use the schools in Palo Alto page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

At El Carmelo Elementary in Palo Alto, 86.8% of asian students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 91.4% district-wide and 74.4% statewide. El Carmelo Elementary trails its district average for asian students by 4.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Asian students (94.6% Math proficient); White students (72.7% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 53 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.