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School Profile · Orangevale

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

Golden Valley River posts 28% meeting the standard and 9.6% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

9601 Lake Natoma Drive, 95662 (opens in new tab)·San Juan Unified·Orangevale·Grades TK-8·297 students·25% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(916) 987-6141·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
42
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #2,943 statewide · #16 of 47 in San Juan Unified

Golden Valley River scores 42 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 49th 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 “28% proficient” and call it done. Golden Valley River deserves a closer read. It sits at the 49th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

As a charter, Golden Valley River 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 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

9%
85%
Grade 3 · 15% proficient
19%
47%
34%
Grade 4 · 66% proficient
17%
37%
46%
Grade 5 · 54% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 7.3pp across grades; the floor rises 37.7pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
9.6%
State 21.3%
11.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+17.5pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
28.2%
State 42.7%
14.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.5%
State 17.9%
4.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.1%
State 1.6%
0.5pp 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.

Where the path goes

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

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 Score

Student demographics

Hispanic19.2%
White67.3%
Asian0.7%
Other12.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 24.9% (39pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
297
323 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
35 TK students
11% of a 317-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
27:1
6 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,962
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$60,000 – $118,000
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Golden Valley River in Orangevale, 53.0% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Golden Valley River outperforms its district average for white students by 5.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (17.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 117 students tested.
Subgroup Proficiency
White117 tested
ELA 53.0%·Math 17.1%· +5.6pp 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.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 60%Support 38%Other 2%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$97K
$12K above CA median
Median Home Value
$558K
$101K below CA median
Bachelor's+
31%
4pp 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
12.3 years avg experience
15 teachers · 7% first-year · 7% second-year
Teacher Credentials
85% 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Golden Valley River a good elementary school?
Golden Valley River has a Scope Score of 42 out of 100, placing it in the 49th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,943 statewide. 9.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.7 percentage points below 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 Golden Valley River's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 28.2% of students at Golden Valley River met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.6% 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. 188 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Golden Valley River rank in California?
Golden Valley River ranks #2,943 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 49th 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 Valley River getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Golden Valley River increases by 17.5 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 Golden Valley River?
13.5% of students at Golden Valley River are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.1%, 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 Golden Valley River compare to other schools in Orangevale?
Golden Valley River scores 42/100 (49th 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 297 students. Use the schools in Orangevale page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Golden Valley River serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Golden Valley River in Orangevale, 53.0% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.4% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Golden Valley River outperforms its district average for white students by 5.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (17.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 117 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.

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%
9.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 39th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+17.5pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 65th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
28.2%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3329%6%28%56%16%−28
Grade 43219%47%16%19%66%+21
Grade 53017%37%20%27%53%+5
Grade 62715%52%19%15%67%+20
Grade 71828%39%17%17%67%+19
Grade 8239%57%22%13%65%+19
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 3323%6%34%56%9%−36
Grade 4326%13%50%31%19%−23
Grade 5303%3%43%50%7%−29
Grade 6277%22%33%37%30%−5
Grade 7170%18%71%12%18%−16
Grade 8248%25%33%33%33%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11544%20%63%13%

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
White11753.0%+6−9
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Golden Valley River ←429.6%28.2%+17.51.1%
Theodore Judah Elementary1.7 mi7155.4%70.5%−0.11.7%
Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary2.4 mi6448.6%75.1%−11.32.0%
Oakview Community Elementary2.5 mi6326.1%53.0%+16.95.2%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
53%42%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1547 → #3872 → #2933 → #2317 → #2943
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