School Profile · Irvine
Excel Academy Charter: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Excel Academy Charter posts 45% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
1 Technology Drive Building I, Suite 811, 92618 (opens in new tab)·Helendale Elementary·Irvine·Grades K-12·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 387-7822·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
47
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #2,029 statewide · #1 of 5 in Helendale Elementary
Excel Academy Charter scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 65th 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “45% proficient” and call it done. Excel Academy Charter deserves a closer read. It sits at the 65th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The headline number: 2.4% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
As a charter, Excel Academy Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
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.
27%
20%
53%
Grade 3 · 47% proficient
32%
20%
48%
Grade 4 · 52% proficient
27%
24%
49%
Grade 5 · 51% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 4.5pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
23.8%
State 21.3%
2.4pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
44.7%
State 42.7%
2.0pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+0.8pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
2.4%
State 17.9%
15.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.5pp below 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.
Estimated K-12 Path
Elementary
Excel Academy Charter
47
This school
→
Middle
Empire Springs Charter
39
→
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Planning ahead? 6 licensed preschools near this school →
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 ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic45.1%
White27.6%
Asian11.8%
Black2.9%
Other12.6%
GenderFemale 47.9%Male 52.0%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Per-Pupil Spending
$11,199
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$52,126 – $135,696
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Excel Academy Charter in Irvine, 45.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Excel Academy Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (40.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.0 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 188 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Low-Income−12.0pp
44.8% vs 56.9% overall · n=175
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Hispanic−7.3pp
18.7% vs 26.0% overall · n=160
Math · Hispanic−9.6pp
38.2% vs 47.8% overall · n=160
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−8.2pp
19.0% vs 27.2% overall · n=160
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income188 tested
ELA 45.7%·Math 40.1%· +15.9pp vs district
Hispanic171 tested
ELA 53.2%·Math 38.1%· +19.4pp vs district
White63 tested
ELA 66.7%·Math 52.4%· +22.5pp 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 falls by 2.1pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -3.6pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$146K
$61K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.28M
$625K above CA median
Bachelor's+
74%
39pp 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
9.9 years avg experience
69 teachers · 19% first-year · 1% second-year
Teacher Credentials
50% 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 →
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%
23.8%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
44.7%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 52th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+0.8pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 37th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
2.4%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 75th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 51 | 27% | 20% | 27% | 25% | 47% | +4 |
| Grade 4 | 60 | 32% | 20% | 23% | 25% | 52% | +7 |
| Grade 5 | 66 | 27% | 24% | 20% | 29% | 52% | +4 |
| Grade 6 | 50 | 16% | 38% | 24% | 22% | 54% | +7 |
| Grade 7 | 52 | 23% | 44% | 21% | 12% | 67% | +20 |
| Grade 8 | 60 | 33% | 38% | 10% | 18% | 72% | +26 |
| Grade 11 | 22 | 23% | 32% | 18% | 27% | 55% | +7 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 51 | 18% | 22% | 25% | 35% | 39% | −6 |
| Grade 4 | 59 | 20% | 22% | 32% | 25% | 42% | +1 |
| Grade 5 | 66 | 18% | 18% | 23% | 41% | 36% | +1 |
| Grade 6 | 50 | 26% | 14% | 26% | 34% | 40% | +5 |
| Grade 7 | 52 | 38% | 21% | 19% | 21% | 60% | +26 |
| Grade 8 | 60 | 38% | 25% | 13% | 23% | 63% | +31 |
| Grade 11 | 22 | 32% | 23% | 18% | 27% | 55% | +31 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 148 | 20% | 32% | 39% | 9% |
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 | 188 | 45.7% | +16 | +8 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 171 | 53.2% | +19 | +14 |
| White | 63 | 66.7% | +23 | +5 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Academy Charter ← | — | 47 | 23.8% | 44.7% | +0.8 | 0.1% |
| Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley | 2.3 mi | 78 | 53.1% | 78.7% | +6.7 | 0.1% |
| Solis Park | 1.2 mi | 65 | 43.9% | 70.4% | +16.4 | 1.1% |
| Excel Academy Charter | 0 mi | 56 | 32.6% | 57.6% | −2.3 | 0.1% |
| California average | — | 43 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #985 → #988 → #1866 → #2029
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Excel Academy Charter a good elementary school?
Excel Academy Charter has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 65th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,029 statewide. 23.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.4 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.
What are Excel Academy Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.7% of students at Excel Academy Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.8% 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. 353 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Excel Academy Charter rank in California?
Excel Academy Charter ranks #2,029 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 65th 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 Excel Academy Charter getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Excel Academy Charter increases by 0.8 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 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 Excel Academy Charter?
2.4% of students at Excel Academy Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.1%, 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 Excel Academy Charter compare to other schools in Irvine?
Excel Academy Charter scores 47/100 (65th 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. Use the schools in Irvine page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Excel Academy Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Excel Academy Charter in Irvine, 45.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 29.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Excel Academy Charter outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (40.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (53.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.0 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 188 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.