Math
18%Grades 3 & 5 · Proficient or Advanced
Charter elementary school
Explore Academy
The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
47% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 18% in math. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
SchoolScope archetype
Building Momentum
What this means for your family
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.
How archetypes are assigned →Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
English
47%Grades 3 & 5 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
126Total enrollment
Chronic absence
30%Students absent 10% or more of school days
What are you trying to decide?
The overall score is a starting point.
Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.
View school performance →Start with your child’s daily experience.
Explore teaching, coursework and student-group results. A schoolwide average cannot predict an individual experience.
Explore student experience →Confirm the enrollment route.
Check the address, grade and enrollment requirements directly with the district or school.
Check attendance and enrollment →Compare the options you can access.
Use comparable evidence alongside entry requirements, cost and location.
Compare nearby schools →Academic performance
What do the results tell us?
2025 results · Grades 3 & 5 · weighted by students tested within each subject.
Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →
Share at Proficient or Advanced
● Math┄ English
Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.
Exact annual results
| Year | Math | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 18% | 47% |
Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.
How achievement is distributed
AdvancedStandard Exceeded
6%ProficientStandard Met
12%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
35%MinimalStandard Not Met
47%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
29%ProficientStandard Met
18%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
24%MinimalStandard Not Met
29%Achievement-level percentages are not percentiles. “Developing” here is a test achievement level, separate from the SchoolScope performance band with the same name.
Annual results and the full academic record
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
One in five of students here meet the standard. 9% clear it by a lot.
ELA28% met or exceeded
Exceeded 15%Met 13%Nearly Met 34%Not Met 38%
Math15% met or exceeded
Exceeded 6%Met 8%Nearly Met 29%Not Met 56%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California elementary schools · average21% exceeded · 43% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2025–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Growth | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 22 | 9% | 21% | — | 30.0% | 0.5% |
| CA average · Elementary School | 39 | 21% | 43% | — | 17.9% | 1.6% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope2239
% Exceeded9%21%
% Met+21%43%
Growth——
Absence30.0%17.9%
Suspension0.5%1.6%
California’s growth results and student groups
State growth model · CDE growth model 2024–25
California's own growth model splits here — the 53rd percentile in reading against the 10th in math, among elementary schools.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
California runs its own growth model — it follows individual children in grades 4 through 8 and compares each one against a prediction from their own prior scores. On that measure this school sits a little below the middle of California elementary schools in reading, and the 10th in math. We show it; we don't score it.
— pts vs expected is scale-score points above or below what California's model predicted for these same children from their own prior-year scores. It is not a percentage and not a percent of anything. A typical California elementary school lands at +2 in reading, and the middle half of them fall between −5 and +9 — the spread is wide, so read the rank, not the sign. It covers grades 4-8 only, and it is not part of the Scope Score — we assessed it and left it out: it tracks school demographics roughly three times as strongly as our own growth measure does, and one published year is not enough to test how stable it is.
California's growth model, ranked against the schools it scores
State model · readingmatched students, grades 4-8California growth model, reading: +2 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, 53rd percentile of 7,519 reported schools.53rd pctile · +2 pts
State model · mathmatched students, grades 4-8California growth model, math: −16 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, 10th percentile of 7,518 reported schools.10th pctile · −16 pts
this school| the tick is the middle of the California field
Students & opportunity
Who shares in the school’s results?
Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25
How every group of students does here
At Explore Academy in Orange, 23.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Explore Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (3.7% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 26 students tested.
Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 22% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 22%, district —, state 43%22%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 13%, district 9%, state 32%13% · −8 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 36%, district 27%, state 56%36% · +15 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 9%, district 15%, state 44%9% · −13 vs school
6 of 10 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide Student-group results by grade
Student-group results by grade
Results compare different grade groups in the same year, relative to the lowest tested grade. They do not track the same children over time. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
ShowHide California's growth model by student group
The daily experience
What is it like to be a student here?
Students per teacher
Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.
Teacher experience
Average teacher experience in the published staffing record. It does not measure individual teacher effectiveness.
Chronically absent
The share of students absent for at least 10% of their enrolled school days. Attendance reflects both school and out-of-school circumstances.
The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25
About 18 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Students per teacher18 · district 23
Teaching staff8 teachers
Avg. experience7.1 years
PrincipalCecilia Iglesias
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$52,803 – $136,867
Principal salary$176,650 – $176,650
Superintendent salary$336,600
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here miss more school, and get suspended less, than the state average.
30.0% of students miss a month or more of school, versus 17.9% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — worth asking about on a tour.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 30.0%, district 14.6%, state 17.9%30.0% · +12.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 1.6%0.5% · −1.2pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2019–20
Its district spends $70,768 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $70,768, CA average $14,491$70,768 · district average
District averageCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 26%Instruction support 46%Student services 8%Administration 14%Buildings & maintenance 5%
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$70,768 per pupil
2019$67,286 per pupil
2018$61,708 per pupil
2017$32,576 per pupil
2016$30,374 per pupil
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
More than half of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Worth knowing
At 126 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).
Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.
On the state's science test (CAST), 37% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.
Hispanic or Latino33.3% · district 48.6% · CA 56.1%
White14.3% · district 22.7% · CA 19.9%
Black0.8% · district 2.7% · CA 4.8%
Other51.6% · district 10.0% · CA 9.0%
Free or reduced lunch57.9% · CA 64%
Median income$127K · CA $85K
Median home value$873K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+38% · CA 35%
ZIP population20,589
Median age38 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Culture & philosophy
What is the school’s approach?
School-stated approach · questions for your visit
Look beyond the brochure
A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.
Read the school’s own website ↗Family voices
What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?
Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”
Educator voices
What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?
Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”
Compare nearby schools
What are the alternatives?
Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.
2025 · elementary schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.
No nearby schools in this category are listed. The school being viewed stays visible for reference.
| School | Type | Performance band | Advanced | Proficient or Advanced | Distance | Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore Academy | Charter | Needs Support | 9% | 21% | School being viewed | |
| Crescent Elementary | Public | Strong | 57% | 83% | 2.7 mi | |
| Nohl Canyon Elementary | Public | Strong | 53% | 78% | 1.3 mi | |
| Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy | Public | Strong | 42% | 64% | 1.0 mi |
More nearby public and private options
Your other options
Your other options
Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.
Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.
20 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
- District public
- Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
- Charter
- Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
- Private
- Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.
Moving & enrollment
Which schools could serve my child?
Check enrollment with this charter school
Ask the school about applications, priorities and deadlines for your child’s grade.
School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.
Charter enrollment details
Plan your next step
What should I do next?
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
- Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
- 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.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Explore Academy a good elementary school?
Explore Academy has a Scope Score of 22 out of 100, placing it in the 15th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #4,864 statewide. 8.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.5 percentage points below the California average of 21.4%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (42%), met or exceeded (proficient) (23%), grade 3-to-5 growth (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 Explore Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 21.1% of students at Explore Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 8.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 12.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 8.8% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 75 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Explore Academy rank in California?
Explore Academy ranks #4,864 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 15th 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Explore Academy?
30.0% of students at Explore Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Explore Academy compare to other schools in Orange?
Explore Academy scores 22/100 (15th 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 126 students. Use the schools in Orange page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Explore Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Explore Academy in Orange, 23.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Explore Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (3.7% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 26 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.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.
Behind the evidence
Inspect the full record
Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.
How the Scope Score is calculated
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.
What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25
The 4 things our score weighs
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 8.8% | 21.4% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 21.1% | 42.7% | 23% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 30.0% | 17.9% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 0.5% | 1.6% | 5% |
Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built
A closer look at the evidence
Explore Academy: reading the evidence
Explore Academy posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (0.5% vs 1.6%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
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.
Explore the underlying data →Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
Explore Academy is ranked #4,864 statewide · #13 of 13 in Orange County Department of Education.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 8.8% | 21.4% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 21.1% | 42.7% | 23% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 30.0% | 17.9% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 0.5% | 1.6% | 5% |
- Exceeded standard
- ↓ vs CA 21.4% · index 39 · 50 = CA elementary-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↓ vs CA 42.7% · index 34 · 50 = CA elementary-school midpoint
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↓ vs CA 17.9% · index 30 · 50 = CA elementary-school midpoint
- Suspension rate
- ↑ vs CA 1.6% · index 60 · 50 = CA elementary-school midpoint
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 4 | 20 | 0% | 10% | 40% | 50% | 10% | −35 |
| Grade 5 | 17 | 29% | 18% | 24% | 29% | 47% | −1 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | 18% | 18% | 55% | 9% | 36% | −10 |
| Grade 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 4 | 21 | 0% | 10% | 29% | 62% | 10% | −32 |
| Grade 5 | 17 | 6% | 12% | 35% | 47% | 18% | −17 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | 18% | 0% | 27% | 55% | 18% | −16 |
| Grade 7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 19 | 16% | 21% | 42% | 21% |
CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 26 | 23.1% | +9 | −15 |
03Nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = one school's returning cohort tracked across grades (mostly, not exactly, the same kids), in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Grade gap | Cohort growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Explore Academy ← | — | 22 | 8.8% | 21.1% | — | — | 0.5% |
| Crescent Elementary | 2.7 mi | 75 | 57.5% | 82.7% | +5.2pp | — | 0.6% |
| Nohl Canyon Elementary | 1.3 mi | 71 | 53.0% | 78.3% | +11.1pp | — | 0.9% |
| Fletcher Mandarin Language & GATE Academy | 1 mi | 59 | 41.7% | 64.0% | −5.9pp | — | 0.5% |
| California average | — | 39 | 21.4% | 42.7% | −2.9pp | — | 1.6% |
What we can't show
- — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 15 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
04California growth model, by student group2025 · scale-score points vs the state's prediction · shown, never scored
ShowHide table 04 — California growth model, by student group
| Group | Reading | n | CDE band | Math | n | CDE band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Students | +2 | 42 | Average | −16 | 42 | Moderate |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 0 | 28 | Average | −19 | 28 | Moderate |
| English Only | +8 | 25 | not categorised | −22 | 25 | not categorised |
| English Learner | −9 | 13 | Moderate | −4 | 13 | Average |
| Hispanic or Latino | +4 | 11 | Average | −4 | 11 | Average |
Whole scale-score points above or below what CDE's model predicted for these same children from their own prior-year scores — not a percentage, not a percentile. Statewide a typical school lands near +1 with a spread of about 13 points either side, so read a figure against its group's own typical value, not against zero. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a growth score — published by CDE, held back from the narrative sections above because at that size the figure swings about 17 points on its own. “Not categorised” is CDE assigning no band — English Only, Recently Reclassified, and English Learners Only receive a value and no band, for every school in the state. It is not a missing number. A group absent from this table had fewer than 11 students with a growth score and was never published. Grades 4-8 only. None of this enters the Scope Score — it is more strongly correlated with school demographics than our own growth measure, and one published year is not enough to test its reliability.
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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,721 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-09-18
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