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Golden Valley High · Merced

Golden Valley High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Golden Valley posts 29% meeting the standard and 9.3% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

2121 East Childs Avenue, 95344 (opens in new tab)·Merced Union High·Merced·Grades 9-12·1,917 students·85% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 325-1800·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4444
% Exceeded9%16%
% Met+29%36%
Grad rate95.3%87.6%
College readiness38.1%35.4%
Absence30.2%30.2%
Suspension1.2%3.6%
Scope Score
44
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,170 statewide · #5 of 8 in Merced Union High

Golden Valley High scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 46th percentile of 2,160 California high 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “29% proficient” and call it done. Golden Valley deserves a closer read. The school sits in Merced, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 46th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 29% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1148%35%41%47%41%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1114%14%11%12%17%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
29%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
38%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 29 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 38 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.3%
State 87.6%
7.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
9.3%
State 15.8%
6.5pp below state avg
College readiness
38.1%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
28.9%
State 35.7%
6.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
30.2%
State 30.2%
0.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.2%
State 3.6%
2.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
10.7%
State 18.0%
7.2pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into 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.

How every group of students does here

At Golden Valley High in Merced, 37.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Valley High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 38.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 375 students tested.

All students at this school: 29% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 29%, district —, state 36%29%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 26%, district 24%, state 32%26% · −3 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 26%, district 25%, state 32%26% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 30%, state 44%30% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 28%, district 26%, state 42%28% · −1 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 13%, district 7%, state 11%13% · −16 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 53%, district 44%, state 72%53% · +25 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 2%, district 6%, state 15%2% · −27 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 31%, district 38%, state 56%31% · +2 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 21%, district 19%, state 26%21% · −8 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 14%, district 19%, state 22%14% · −15 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 30%, district 36%, state 56%30% · +1 vs school
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 30.2%, district 32.9%, state 30.2%30.2% · +0.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.2%, district —, state 3.6%1.2% · −2.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1230.2%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 22:1, district 21:122:1
Teaching staff90 teachers
Avg. experience12.4 years
Fully credentialed85%
First-year teachers3%
Intern / emergency permit1.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$69,345 – $131,810
Principal salary$0 – $183,586
Superintendent salary$301,880

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered21
AP exam qualifiers93 students
CTE pathway completers166 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,380, CA average $14,815$19,380 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,190 per student

$1,190 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,638 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
Instruction54%
Instruction support13%
Student services13%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other3%

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$13,809 per pupil
2019$13,274 per pupil
2018$14,146 per pupil
2017$12,554 per pupil
2016$12,581 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic72.7%
District 73.4% · CA 56.1%
White9.3%
District 11.8% · CA 19.9%
Asian9.0%
District 7.5% · CA 10.2%
Black5.0%
District 3.6% · CA 4.8%
Other4.0%
District 3.8% · CA 9.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 85.1% (21pp above CA avg)
Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 20% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Golden Valley High a good high school?

Golden Valley High has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 46th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,170 statewide. 9.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.5 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Valley High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.9% of students at Golden Valley High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.3% 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. 888 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Golden Valley High rank in California?

Golden Valley High ranks #1,170 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 46th 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 Valley High?

30.2% of students at Golden Valley High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 1.2%, 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 Valley High compare to other schools in Merced?

Golden Valley High scores 44/100 (46th 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 1,917 students. Use the schools in Merced page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Golden Valley High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Golden Valley High in Merced, 37.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Golden Valley High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 38.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 375 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

Nearby Middle Schools

1 within ~3 mi · avg 33

Weaver Middle
Weaver Union · 0.9 mi
33Developing
See more on map →
All schools in Merced →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

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%
95.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
9.3%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 43th pctile
College readiness · 20%
38.1%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
28.9%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 45th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
30.2%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 50th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.2%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
10.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 41th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1144415%26%27%33%41%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114444%13%20%63%17%−6
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114595%15%66%14%

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 Disadvantaged37537.1%−1−1
Hispanic/Latino31536.8%−2−2
English Learners5910.2%+3−0
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Golden Valley High ←—449.3%28.9%—1.2%
Merced High2.5 mi469.8%28.1%—0.7%
Independence High (Alternative)1.7 mi371.3%10.3%—1.0%
Yosemite High (Continuation)1.7 mi170.8%6.5%—3.2%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.3%
AP Exam Prepared
38.1%
A-G Completion
35.8%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
36.6%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194751#10068.4%31.2%12.4%1.3%—
20224347#11158.3%24.6%41.4%2.6%—
20234349#10988.7%26.1%25.2%3.6%—
20244451#10448.5%29.5%26.8%1.1%—
20254446#11709.3%28.9%30.2%1.2%—
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
Female12.7%32.6%+19.9pp
Male11.1%27.8%+16.7pp
Asian2.6%18.2%+15.6pp
Black/African American17.8%44.7%+26.9pp
Filipino40.0%——
Hispanic/Latino13.1%29.8%+16.7pp
Two or More Races6.3%31.7%+25.4pp
Students with Disabilities20.6%35.5%+14.9pp
English Learners13.1%32.0%+18.9pp
Foster Youth30.4%47.6%+17.2pp
Homeless13.1%48.2%+35.1pp
Military-Connected30.8%24.5%-6.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged12.6%32.1%+19.5pp
All Students11.9%30.2%+18.3pp
American Indian/Alaska Native—50.0%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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

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