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Evergreen Middle · Cottonwood

Evergreen Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Evergreen posts 44% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

19500 Learning Way, 96022 (opens in new tab)·Evergreen Union·Cottonwood·Grades 5-8·399 students·56% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 347-3411·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3743
% Exceeded20%17%
% Met+44%39%
Growth-5.5+1.5
Absence14.7%18.5%
Suspension6.2%3.7%
Scope Score
37
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,360 statewide · #3 of 3 in Evergreen Union

Evergreen Middle scores 37 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 39th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “44% proficient” and call it done. Evergreen deserves a closer read. The school sits in Cottonwood, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 61st to the 39th percentile since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 44% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 559%44%55%45%56%
Grade 644%58%49%57%49%
Grade 758%62%59%56%47%
Grade 853%52%47%59%46%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 542%29%38%44%48%
Grade 631%40%48%47%47%
Grade 738%31%45%48%37%
Grade 848%31%37%41%40%

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%
33%
51%
Grade 6 · 49% proficient
23%
25%
52%
Grade 7 · 48% proficient
11%
35%
54%
Grade 8 · 46% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.0pp across grades; the floor slips 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.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
20.2%
State 16.8%
3.4pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-5.5pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
44.3%
State 39.3%
5.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
14.7%
State 18.5%
3.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
6.2%
State 3.7%
2.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0%
State 18.0%
2.0pp 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.

  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Evergreen Middle in Cottonwood, 41.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Evergreen Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 4.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.9% Math proficient); White students (53.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 49.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 211 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 39%46%
WhiteWhite: this school 48%, district 50%, state 56%48% · +2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 37%, district 40%, state 32%37% · −9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 44%, district 49%, state 42%44% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 49%, district 48%, state 44%49% · +3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 39%, district 43%, state 32%39% · −7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 9%, district 21%, state 15%9% · −38 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 falls by 13.4pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -6.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 14.7%, district 11.4%, state 18.5%14.7% · −3.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 6.2%, district —, state 3.7%6.2% · +2.5pp vs state

Grades 7–8 students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (19.7% vs 9.4%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the upper grades.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–69.4%
Grades 7–819.7%

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 21:1, district 21:121:1
Teaching staff22 teachers
Avg. experience9.1 years
Fully credentialed79%
First-year teachers18%
Intern / emergency permit4.2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$58,547 – $108,307
Principal salary$127,374 – $0
Superintendent salary$162,812

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,943, CA average $14,815$16,943 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,664 per student

$1,664 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,564 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
Instruction62%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%

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$13,350 per pupil
2019$11,204 per pupil
2018$11,684 per pupil
2017$10,341 per pupil
2016$10,224 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White73.2%
District 73.4% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic18.3%
District 18.1% · CA 56.1%
Other7.3%
District 7.5% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.3%
District 0.9% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 55.9% (8pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$89K · CA $85K
Median home value$367K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+22% · CA 35%
ZIP population17,092
Median age42 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 399 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 40% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Evergreen Middle a good middle school?

Evergreen Middle has a Scope Score of 37 out of 100, placing it in the 39th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,360 statewide. 20.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.4 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 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 Evergreen Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.3% of students at Evergreen Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 20.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 20.2% 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. 541 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Evergreen Middle rank in California?

Evergreen Middle ranks #1,360 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 39th 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 Evergreen Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Evergreen Middle decreases by 5.5 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 Evergreen Middle?

14.7% of students at Evergreen 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 6.2%. 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 Evergreen Middle compare to other schools in Cottonwood?

Evergreen Middle scores 37/100 (39th 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 399 students. Use the schools in Cottonwood page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Evergreen Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Evergreen Middle in Cottonwood, 41.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Evergreen Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 4.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.9% Math proficient); White students (53.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 49.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 211 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%
20.2%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 54th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-5.5pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 26th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
44.3%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 54th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
14.7%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 55th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.2%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 40th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 48th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 510632%24%23%22%56%+8
Grade 69316%33%33%17%49%+3
Grade 79723%25%26%27%47%−0
Grade 88111%35%26%28%46%−0
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 510623%25%27%25%48%+13
Grade 69230%16%34%20%47%+12
Grade 79718%20%23%40%37%+3
Grade 88123%16%28%32%40%+7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1118712%28%49%11%

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 Disadvantaged21141.7%−5+3
White27953.4%−3−8
Hispanic/Latino6536.9%−8−2
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Evergreen Middle ←3720.2%44.3%−5.56.2%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194361#78415.1%45.3%9.1%15.0%+13.0pp
20223955#98016.3%45.7%36.0%9.4%-7.4pp
20234254#100318.1%47.5%25.3%8.9%-6.4pp
20244769#68820.8%51.1%16.4%6.1%-2.1pp
20253739#136020.2%44.3%14.7%6.2%-5.5pp
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
Female8.2%14.1%+5.9pp
Male9.8%14.8%+5.0pp
Hispanic/Latino6.6%8.1%+1.5pp
American Indian/Alaska Native10.0%
Two or More Races13.3%23.1%+9.8pp
Students with Disabilities15.5%18.0%+2.5pp
English Learners6.3%0.0%-6.3pp
Homeless23.3%16.7%-6.6pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.9%19.5%+7.6pp
All Students9.1%14.5%+5.4pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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