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Ethel M. Evans Elementary · Garden Grove

Ethel M. Evans Elementary: 54% of kids clear the bar — ahead of the state's 43%. But math slips between grade 3 and grade 5.

Ethel M. Evans posts 54% meeting the standard, against 43% across the state. The number below is the one to ask about on a visit.

12281 Nelson Street, 92840 (opens in new tab)·Garden Grove Unified·Garden Grove·Grades TK-6·410 students·80% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 663-6558·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5045
% Exceeded27%21%
% Met+54%43%
Growth-9.4-2.9
Absence12.4%17.9%
Suspension0.8%1.6%
Scope Score
50
🤝 Culture First · Solid
ranked #1,847 statewide · #22 of 44 in Garden Grove Unified

Ethel M. Evans Elementary scores 50 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “54% proficient” and call it done. Ethel M. Evans deserves a closer read. The school sits in Garden Grove, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Ethel M. Evans's low-income kids hit 52.9% 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 87th to the 68th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 54% meet the standard today, versus 62% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 353%59%47%50%46%
Grade 466%73%53%49%60%
Grade 567%58%77%61%58%
Grade 664%53%55%78%58%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 361%63%58%69%67%
Grade 465%67%60%49%56%
Grade 562%32%57%54%35%
Grade 650%47%42%62%54%

The story this school is actually telling

The floor · met or exceeded
53.6%

of students met or exceeded the standard, versus 42.7% statewide.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The trajectory · grade 3→5
9.4pp

math proficiency runs 67% in grade 3 against 35% in grade 5, while reading holds (46% to 58%). The state average rises by +4.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

29%
17%
54%
Grade 3 · 46% proficient
31%
29%
40%
Grade 4 · 60% proficient
26%
32%
42%
Grade 5 · 58% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.0pp across grades; the floor rises 12.3pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. The school's 5th graders aren't posting a wider lead than its 3rd graders. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

52.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Ethel M. Evans's most underrated number

52.9% 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.

Ethel M. Evans low-income: 52.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
27.4%
State 21.3%
6.1pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-9.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
53.6%
State 42.7%
10.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.4%
State 17.9%
5.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
19.9%
State 18.0%
1.9pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 3 and grade 5. Ask who teaches the older grades, and what the school does when a child starts falling behind.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Ethel M. Evans Elementary in Garden Grove, 52.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ethel M. Evans Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (49.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 34.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 191 students tested.

All students at this school: 54% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 54%, district —, state 43%54%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 51%, district 50%, state 32%51% · −3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 40%, district 38%, state 32%40% · −14 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 56%, district 56%, state 44%56% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 52%, district 55%, state 42%52% · −2 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 75%, district 78%, state 72%75% · +21 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 26%, district 21%, state 11%26% · −28 vs school

8 of 15 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 11.8pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +7.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.4%, district 14.5%, state 17.9%12.4% · −5.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.8%, district —, state 1.6%0.8% · −0.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–68.7%
TK/K12.9%

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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff21 teachers
Avg. experience18.7 years
Fully credentialed100%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$72,504 – $141,634
Principal salary$181,381 – $218,095
Superintendent salary$370,605

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,937, CA average $14,815$19,937 · spent at this school
Federal share$408 per student

$408 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,744 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
Instruction61%
Instruction support11%
Student services11%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other3%

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$14,737 per pupil
2019$13,697 per pupil
2018$13,564 per pupil
2017$12,765 per pupil
2016$11,487 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic53.9%
District 53.2% · CA 56.1%
Asian39.3%
District 35.5% · CA 10.2%
Other3.7%
District 4.8% · CA 9.0%
White2.9%
District 6.0% · CA 19.9%
Black0.2%
District 0.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 79.8% (16pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$99K · CA $85K
Median home value$790K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+28% · CA 35%
ZIP population54,534
Median age39 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), 23% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ethel M. Evans Elementary a good elementary school?

Ethel M. Evans Elementary has a Scope Score of 50 out of 100, placing it in the 68th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,847 statewide. 27.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.1 percentage points above 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 Ethel M. Evans Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.6% of students at Ethel M. Evans Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 27.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 27.4% 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. 347 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Ethel M. Evans Elementary rank in California?

Ethel M. Evans Elementary ranks #1,847 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 Ethel M. Evans Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Ethel M. Evans Elementary decreases by 9.4 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.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Ethel M. Evans Elementary?

12.4% of students at Ethel M. Evans 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 0.8%, 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 Ethel M. Evans Elementary compare to other schools in Garden Grove?

Ethel M. Evans Elementary scores 50/100 (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 410 students. Use the schools in Garden Grove page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Ethel M. Evans Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Ethel M. Evans Elementary in Garden Grove, 52.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ethel M. Evans Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (49.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 34.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 191 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

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%
27.4%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 56th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-9.4pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 47th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
53.6%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 58th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.4%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 57th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
19.9%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35929%17%32%22%46%+2
Grade 45231%29%15%25%60%+15
Grade 56226%32%18%24%58%+10
Grade 65531%27%24%18%58%+12
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36032%35%20%13%67%+21
Grade 45225%31%29%15%56%+14
Grade 56223%13%32%32%35%+0
Grade 65634%20%25%21%54%+19
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/116210%13%63%15%

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 Disadvantaged19152.9%−2+15
Hispanic/Latino12944.2%−1+5
Asian8772.4%−7−2
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Ethel M. Evans Elementary ←5027.4%53.6%−9.40.8%
A. G. Cook Elementary1.7 mi7557.0%80.4%−12.10.4%
John Murdy Elementary2.8 mi6940.6%69.5%+13.70.7%
Merton E. Hill Elementary2.4 mi6437.5%64.5%−0.60.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196687#73733.0%62.3%6.1%0.6%+8.0pp
20224366#192632.6%58.8%17.9%0.9%-15.6pp
20236488#68432.1%58.8%18.8%0.2%+14.3pp
20245678#124732.5%55.5%10.5%0.5%-1.7pp
20255068#184727.4%53.6%12.4%0.8%-9.4pp
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
Female7.6%12.6%+5.0pp
Male4.2%11.2%+7.0pp
Asian1.5%4.2%+2.7pp
Hispanic/Latino8.5%16.3%+7.8pp
Students with Disabilities14.5%10.2%-4.3pp
English Learners3.4%10.1%+6.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6.1%13.5%+7.4pp
All Students6.0%11.9%+5.9pp
Homeless28.6%
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