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School Profile · Palo Alto

Ellen Fletcher Middle: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Ellen Fletcher posts 57.6% exceeding the standard — versus 16.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

655 Arastradero Road, 94306 (opens in new tab)·Palo Alto Unified·Palo Alto·Grades 6-8·572 students·14% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(650) 856-9810
Scope Score
83
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #55 statewide · #2 of 3 in Palo Alto Unified

Ellen Fletcher Middle scores 83 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 98th percentile of 2,238 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 “83% proficient” and call it done. Ellen Fletcher deserves a closer read. It sits at the 98th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Ellen Fletcher's low-income kids hit 64.6% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

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.

52%
32%
16%
Grade 6 · 84% proficient
54%
36%
10%
Grade 7 · 90% proficient
50%
38%
12%
Grade 8 · 88% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 2.4pp across grades; the floor rises 3.8pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

64.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Ellen Fletcher's most underrated number

64.6% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Ellen Fletcher low-income: 64.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
57.6%
State 16.8%
40.8pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
83.0%
State 39.3%
43.7pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-1.6pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
9.1%
State 18.5%
9.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
4.5%
State 3.7%
0.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
47.8%
State 18.0%
29.9pp above 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.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

Your other options

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 Score

Student demographics

Hispanic18.0%
White25.4%
Asian40.6%
Black2.1%
Other14.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 13.6% (50pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
572
288 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
7 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$36,598
District avg: $24,917 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
47.8% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$91,546 – $168,598
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Ellen Fletcher Middle in Palo Alto, 64.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ellen Fletcher Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (33.3% Math proficient); Asian students (96.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 51.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+16.5pp
25.6% vs 9.1% overall · n=39
Suspension · English Learner+16.9pp
21.4% vs 4.5% overall · n=42
ELA · Disabilities−51.1pp
36.6% vs 87.7% overall · n=49
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−36.8pp
15.2% vs 52.0% overall · n=79
Math · Low-Income−44.8pp
33.4% vs 78.2% overall · n=78
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−44.6pp
18.5% vs 63.1% overall · n=78

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income79 tested
ELA 64.6%·Math 33.3%· +13.2pp vs district
Asian231 tested
ELA 96.1%·Math 92.2%· +4.7pp vs district
White140 tested
ELA 89.3%·Math 81.3%· +4.3pp 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 19.1pp 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
Instruction 68%Support 31%Other 1%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$210K
$125K above CA median
Median Home Value
$2.00M
$1.34M above CA median
Bachelor's+
81%
46pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
15.1 years avg experience
47 teachers · 2% first-year
Teacher Credentials
85% fully credentialed

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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Ellen Fletcher Middle a good middle school?
Ellen Fletcher Middle has a Scope Score of 83 out of 100, placing it in the 98th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #55 statewide. 57.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 40.8 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. 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 Ellen Fletcher Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 83.0% of students at Ellen Fletcher Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 57.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 57.6% 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. 1,096 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ellen Fletcher Middle rank in California?
Ellen Fletcher Middle ranks #55 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 98th 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 Ellen Fletcher Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Ellen Fletcher Middle decreases by 1.6 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 Ellen Fletcher Middle?
9.1% of students at Ellen Fletcher Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 4.5%. 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 Ellen Fletcher Middle compare to other schools in Palo Alto?
Ellen Fletcher Middle scores 83/100 (98th 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 572 students. Use the schools in Palo Alto page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Ellen Fletcher Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Ellen Fletcher Middle in Palo Alto, 64.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 51.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ellen Fletcher Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (33.3% Math proficient); Asian students (96.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 51.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 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.

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%
57.6%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 95th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
83.0%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 85th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-1.6pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 48th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
9.1%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.5%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 47th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
47.8%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 86th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 616752%32%10%5%84%+38
Grade 718654%36%6%4%90%+43
Grade 819550%38%7%5%88%+42
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 616768%13%12%8%80%+45
Grade 718663%18%11%8%81%+47
Grade 819559%14%14%13%73%+41
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1119446%25%27%2%

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 Disadvantaged7964.6%+13+26
Asian23196.1%+5+22
White14089.3%+4+27
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Ellen Fletcher Middle ←8357.6%83.0%−1.64.5%
Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle1.3 mi8863.5%84.9%−0.41.9%
Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle2.4 mi7950.5%76.5%+6.32.5%
California average4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
86%83%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #19 → #21 → #17 → #31 → #55
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue