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Golden Springs Elementary · Diamond Bar

Golden Springs Elementary: 51% of kids clear the bar — ahead of the state's 43%. But this year's 5th graders test below its 3rd graders.

Golden Springs posts 51% meeting the standard, against 43% across the state. The number below is the one to ask about on a visit.

245 South Ballena Drive, 91765 (opens in new tab)·Pomona Unified·Diamond Bar·Grades TK-6·388 students·72% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(909) 397-4596·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4045
% Exceeded19%21%
% Met+51%43%
Growth-10.4-2.9
Absence17.6%17.9%
Suspension1.0%1.6%
Scope Score
40
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,277 statewide · #6 of 25 in Pomona Unified

Golden Springs Elementary scores 40 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 43rd 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 →

🌱 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 “51% proficient” and call it done. Golden Springs deserves a closer read. The school sits in Diamond Bar, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Golden Springs's low-income kids hit 55.7% 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 71st to the 43rd percentile since 2019.

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

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 51% meet the standard today, versus 56% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 348%46%58%53%60%
Grade 466%38%48%60%71%
Grade 560%36%55%48%51%
Grade 662%61%47%52%56%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 352%34%43%48%43%
Grade 461%28%28%44%46%
Grade 547%26%34%23%32%
Grade 658%37%23%38%33%

The story this school is actually telling

The floor · met or exceeded
50.5%

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

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The trajectory · grade 3→5
10.4pp

proficiency runs 52% in this year's grade 3 against 41% in its grade 5. 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.

22%
38%
40%
Grade 3 · 60% proficient
31%
40%
29%
Grade 4 · 71% proficient
18%
32%
50%
Grade 5 · 50% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.5pp across grades; the floor slips 9.2pp. 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.

55.7%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Golden Springs's most underrated number

55.7% 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.

Golden Springs low-income: 55.7%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
18.7%
State 21.3%
2.6pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-10.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
50.5%
State 42.7%
7.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.6%
State 17.9%
0.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.0%
State 1.6%
0.6pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
27.7%
State 18.0%
9.7pp 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 Golden Springs Elementary in Diamond Bar, 55.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Springs Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (34.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.5 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 192 students tested.

All students at this school: 49% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 49%, district —, state 43%49%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 28%, state 32%45% · −4 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 47%, district 28%, state 32%47% · −2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 51%, district 30%, state 42%51% · +2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 47%, district 32%, state 44%47% · −2 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 33%, district 7%, state 11%33% · −16 vs school

7 of 13 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 12.6pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +3.9pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 17.6%, district 24.8%, state 17.9%17.6% · −0.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.0%, district —, state 1.6%1.0% · −0.6pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–616.6%
TK/K20.8%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Golden Springs Elementary
40/100
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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 26:1, district 22:126:1
Teaching staff16 teachers
Avg. experience21.1 years
Fully credentialed100%
First-year teachers13%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$59,841 – $127,299
Principal salary$150,245 – $167,904
Superintendent salary$297,432

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,569, CA average $14,815$16,569 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$481 per student

$481 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$24,467 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
Instruction60%
Instruction support15%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$15,804 per pupil
2019$14,909 per pupil
2018$15,089 per pupil
2017$14,936 per pupil
2016$13,497 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic68.8%
District 84.4% · CA 56.1%
Asian11.9%
District 4.7% · CA 10.2%
Other9.5%
District 3.8% · CA 9.0%
White6.2%
District 3.2% · CA 19.9%
Black3.6%
District 3.9% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 72.2% (8pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$106K · CA $85K
Median home value$915K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+54% · CA 35%
ZIP population44,502
Median age46 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), 33% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Golden Springs Elementary a good elementary school?

Golden Springs Elementary has a Scope Score of 40 out of 100, placing it in the 43rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,277 statewide. 18.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.6 percentage points below 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 Golden Springs Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 50.5% of students at Golden Springs Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 18.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 31.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 18.7% 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. 374 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Golden Springs Elementary rank in California?

Golden Springs Elementary ranks #3,277 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 43rd 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 Golden Springs Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Golden Springs Elementary decreases by 10.4 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 Golden Springs Elementary?

17.6% of students at Golden Springs 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 1.0%, 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 Golden Springs Elementary compare to other schools in Diamond Bar?

Golden Springs Elementary scores 40/100 (43rd 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 388 students. Use the schools in Diamond Bar page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Golden Springs Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Golden Springs Elementary in Diamond Bar, 55.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Springs Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 21.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (34.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (58.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.5 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 192 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%
18.7%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 47th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-10.4pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 32th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
50.5%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.6%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 50th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.0%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
27.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 64th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35022%38%12%28%60%+17
Grade 47031%40%9%20%71%+27
Grade 56518%32%17%32%51%+3
Grade 66414%42%16%28%56%+10
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3534%40%28%28%43%−2
Grade 47023%23%27%27%46%+4
Grade 56614%18%35%33%32%−3
Grade 66310%24%37%30%33%−2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11669%24%50%17%

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 Disadvantaged19255.7%+21+18
Hispanic/Latino17958.1%+23+19
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Golden Springs Elementary ←4018.7%50.5%−10.41.0%
Maple Hill Elementary2.4 mi7860.6%82.6%+8.70.1%
Pantera Elementary1.2 mi7852.6%76.6%−6.60.1%
Quail Summit Elementary2.1 mi7052.3%79.3%+8.30.5%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195371#158225.6%55.5%8.1%1.3%+3.3pp
20223445#316313.9%34.8%33.2%0.3%-9.3pp
20234052#272219.1%44.4%30.7%2.9%-5.9pp
20244661#225121.5%46.2%19.4%1.0%-14.9pp
20254043#327718.7%50.5%17.6%1.0%-10.4pp
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
Female7.9%12.4%+4.5pp
Male8.2%22.7%+14.5pp
Asian5.9%5.4%-0.5pp
Black/African American41.2%26.3%-14.9pp
Hispanic/Latino6.3%19.7%+13.4pp
Students with Disabilities7.1%26.3%+19.2pp
English Learners4.3%13.0%+8.7pp
Homeless20.8%23.8%+3.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.9%20.9%+11.0pp
All Students8.0%17.6%+9.6pp
White20.0%
Two or More Races18.2%
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