School Profile · Modesto
Elizabeth Ustach Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Elizabeth Ustach posts 45% meeting the standard against 40% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
2701 Kodiak Drive, 95355·Sylvan Union Elementary·Modesto·Grades 6-8·1,016 students·56% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 552-3000
Scope Score
49
🚀 Growth Engine · Developing
ranked #475 statewide · #1 of 3 in Sylvan Union Elementary
Elizabeth Ustach Middle scores 49 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 72nd 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 “45% proficient” and call it done. Elizabeth Ustach deserves a closer read. The school sits in Modesto, where more than half of 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.
21%
24%
55%
Grade 6 · 45% proficient
18%
30%
52%
Grade 7 · 48% proficient
17%
29%
54%
Grade 8 · 46% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.4pp across grades; the floor rises 1.6pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
22.3%
State 17.3%
5.0pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
44.8%
State 39.5%
5.2pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+9.9pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
11.8%
State 19.1%
7.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.8%
State 4.2%
1.6pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
22.1%
State 17.7%
4.4pp 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
Also serves area
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 36
Daniel J. Savage Middle
Sylvan Union Elementary · 1.2 mi
Developing
38/100
Somerset Middle
Sylvan Union Elementary · 1.8 mi
Developing
33/100
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
Hispanic50.2%
White25.1%
Asian10.2%
Black1.7%
Other12.8%
GenderFemale 47.9%Male 52.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,016
156 above CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
56%
8pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,321
District avg: $12,937 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
22.1% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$59,615 – $126,542
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Elizabeth Ustach Middle in Modesto, 40.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Elizabeth Ustach Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (36.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 600 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+10.8pp
22.6% vs 11.8% overall · n=137
Suspension · Two or More Races+5.1pp
10.9% vs 5.8% overall · n=46
ELA · English Learner−44.0pp
2.3% vs 46.3% overall · n=83
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−18.5pp
0.0% vs 18.5% overall · n=83
Math · English Learner−39.9pp
3.5% vs 43.4% overall · n=83
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−24.0pp
2.2% vs 26.1% overall · n=100
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income600 tested
ELA 40.6%·Math 36.7%· +3.7pp vs district
Hispanic487 tested
ELA 35.6%·Math 34.0%· +0.7pp vs district
White248 tested
ELA 54.4%·Math 49.2%· +2.6pp 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 0.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.5pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$80K
$5K below CA median
Median Home Value
$415K
$245K below CA median
Bachelor's+
22%
13pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2022) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
13.7 years avg experience
51 teachers · 8% first-year · 2% second-year
Teacher Credentials
89% fully credentialed
1.8% 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%
22.3%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
44.8%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 54th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+9.9pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 64th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
11.8%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
5.8%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 44th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
22.1%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 49th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 296 | 21% | 24% | 27% | 28% | 45% | −2 |
| Grade 7 | 335 | 18% | 30% | 27% | 25% | 48% | +0 |
| Grade 8 | 355 | 17% | 29% | 24% | 30% | 46% | +0 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 297 | 20% | 14% | 30% | 36% | 34% | −1 |
| Grade 7 | 335 | 24% | 20% | 27% | 29% | 44% | +10 |
| Grade 8 | 355 | 34% | 18% | 20% | 28% | 52% | +20 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 355 | 17% | 20% | 48% | 15% |
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 | 600 | 40.6% | +4 | +2 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 487 | 35.6% | +1 | −3 |
| White | 248 | 54.4% | +3 | −7 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Ustach Middle ← | — | 49 | 22.3% | 44.8% | +9.9 | 5.8% |
| Daniel J. Savage Middle | 1.2 mi | 38 | 17.6% | 42.8% | −3.7 | 6.5% |
| Somerset Middle | 1.8 mi | 33 | 12.4% | 33.4% | +4.5 | 10.9% |
| 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 #341 → #569 → #385 → #466 → #475
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 Elizabeth Ustach Middle a good middle school?
Elizabeth Ustach Middle has a Scope Score of 49 out of 100, placing it in the 72nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #475 statewide. 22.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.0 percentage points above 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 Elizabeth Ustach Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.8% of students at Elizabeth Ustach Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 22.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 22.3% 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. 1,973 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Elizabeth Ustach Middle rank in California?
Elizabeth Ustach Middle ranks #475 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 72nd 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 Elizabeth Ustach Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Elizabeth Ustach Middle increases by 9.9 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 Elizabeth Ustach Middle?
11.8% of students at Elizabeth Ustach Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 5.8%. 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 Elizabeth Ustach Middle compare to other schools in Modesto?
Elizabeth Ustach Middle scores 49/100 (72nd 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 1,016 students. Use the schools in Modesto page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Elizabeth Ustach Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Elizabeth Ustach Middle in Modesto, 40.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 36.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Elizabeth Ustach Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (36.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (35.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 44.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 600 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.