School Profile · Garden Valley
Golden Sierra Junior Senior High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
Golden Sierra Junior posts 45% meeting the standard against 35% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
5101 Garden Valley Road, 95633 (opens in new tab)·Black Oak Mine Unified·Garden Valley·Grades 7-12·436 students·43% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 333-8330·Website
Scope Score
51
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #805 statewide
Golden Sierra Junior Senior High scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 54th percentile of 1,739 California high 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. Golden Sierra Junior deserves a closer read. The school sits in Garden Valley, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
45%
State 35%
Graduate
92%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
42%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 45 are proficient by 11th grade → 92 graduate → 42 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 6 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
91.8%
State 87.6%
4.2pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
14.4%
State 15.5%
1.1pp below state avg
College readiness
42.4%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
44.9%
State 34.6%
10.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
28.3%
State 32.1%
3.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
8.2%
State 4.0%
4.2pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
Golden Sierra Junior Senior Hi…
51/100
This school
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 ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic14.9%
White75.0%
Asian1.1%
Black0.2%
Other8.7%
GenderFemale 49.3%Male 50.7%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
436
1,014 below CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
43%
21pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
5 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,096
District avg: $12,062 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$52,561 – $96,285
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Golden Sierra Junior Senior High in Garden Valley, 45.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Sierra Junior Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.6% Math proficient); White students (45.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.1 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 88 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+15.2pp
43.5% vs 28.3% overall · n=46
Suspension · Disabilities+9.1pp
17.3% vs 8.2% overall · n=75
Math · Low-Income−8.1pp
14.5% vs 22.6% overall · n=88
1 more gap by subject
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−3.1pp
5.9% vs 9.0% overall · n=88
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income88 tested
ELA 45.5%·Math 13.6%· +8.1pp vs district
White135 tested
ELA 45.9%·Math 25.9%· +2.6pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$74K
$11K below CA median
Median Home Value
$434K
$225K below CA median
Bachelor's+
26%
9pp below 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
12.1 years avg experience
31 teachers · 10% first-year · 6% second-year
Teacher Credentials
65% fully credentialed
AP Courses Offered
4 AP courses
14 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 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
Graduation rate · 25%
91.8%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 55th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
14.4%
↓ vs CA 15.5% · 49th pctile
College readiness · 20%
42.4%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 54th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
44.9%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
28.3%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 53th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.2%
↓ vs CA 4.0% · 31th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 58 | 9% | 34% | 29% | 28% | 43% | −5 |
| Grade 8 | 69 | 6% | 20% | 39% | 35% | 26% | −20 |
| Grade 11 | 59 | 24% | 46% | 14% | 17% | 69% | +22 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 58 | 9% | 5% | 29% | 57% | 14% | −20 |
| Grade 8 | 69 | 13% | 20% | 29% | 38% | 33% | +1 |
| Grade 11 | 59 | 5% | 15% | 25% | 54% | 20% | −3 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 129 | 5% | 19% | 61% | 15% |
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 | 88 | 45.5% | +8 | +7 |
| White | 135 | 45.9% | +3 | −16 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Sierra Junior Senior High ← | — | 51 | 14.4% | 44.9% | — | 8.2% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
91.8%
AP Exam Prepared
42.4%
A-G Completion
41.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
43.1%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #861 → #996 → #1107 → #752 → #805
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Golden Sierra Junior Senior High a good high school?
Golden Sierra Junior Senior High has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 54th percentile of California high schools and ranked #805 statewide. 14.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high 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 Golden Sierra Junior Senior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 44.9% of students at Golden Sierra Junior Senior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 30.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.4% 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. 118 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Golden Sierra Junior Senior High rank in California?
Golden Sierra Junior Senior High ranks #805 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 54th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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 Golden Sierra Junior Senior High?
28.3% of students at Golden Sierra Junior Senior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 8.2%. 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 Golden Sierra Junior Senior High compare to other schools in Garden Valley?
Golden Sierra Junior Senior High scores 51/100 (54th percentile) among California high 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 436 students. Use the schools in Garden Valley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Golden Sierra Junior Senior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Golden Sierra Junior Senior High in Garden Valley, 45.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Sierra Junior Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 8.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.6% Math proficient); White students (45.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.1 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 88 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.