School Profile · Chula Vista
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter posts 38% meeting the standard and 17.1% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
489 E Street, 91910 (opens in new tab)·Sweetwater Union High·Chula Vista·Grades K-12·1,321 students·46% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 349-3700·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
43
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #2,518 statewide
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter scores 43 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 56th 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 “38% proficient” and call it done. Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chula Vista, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 9.7% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
As a charter, Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter 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 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
25%
18%
57%
Grade 3 · 43% proficient
18%
16%
66%
Grade 4 · 34% proficient
18%
24%
58%
Grade 5 · 42% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 6.7pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
17.1%
State 21.3%
4.2pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
38.4%
State 42.7%
4.3pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-6.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
9.7%
State 17.9%
8.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.5%
State 1.6%
0.8pp above 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.
K-12 Path
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.
Planning ahead? 10 licensed preschools near this school →
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
Hispanic94.8%
White2.5%
Asian0.1%
Black0.7%
Other1.8%
GenderFemale 49.7%Male 50.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 46.2% (18pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,321
Near CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,976
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$55,375 – $124,275
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter in Chula Vista, 37.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 5.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 459 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−32.5pp
12.8% vs 45.3% overall · n=247
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−15.2pp
1.7% vs 17.0% overall · n=247
Math · English Learner−22.1pp
9.6% vs 31.6% overall · n=247
Math Exceeded · English Learner−10.8pp
0.7% vs 11.5% overall · n=247
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income459 tested
ELA 37.0%·Math 23.8%· -5.2pp vs district
Hispanic717 tested
ELA 42.8%·Math 30.6%· -1.4pp vs district
English Learner260 tested
ELA 12.3%·Math 12.7%· +3.9pp 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.
Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 9.2pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$90K
$5K above CA median
Median Home Value
$741K
$82K above CA median
Bachelor's+
29%
6pp 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
8.2 years avg experience
62 teachers · 6% first-year · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% fully credentialed
1.6% on intern/emergency permit
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 →
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
Exceeded standard · 43%
17.1%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 46th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
38.4%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 47th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-6.7pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
9.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.5%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 43th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 146 | 25% | 18% | 26% | 31% | 43% | −0 |
| Grade 4 | 142 | 18% | 16% | 27% | 39% | 35% | −10 |
| Grade 5 | 139 | 18% | 24% | 27% | 30% | 42% | −5 |
| Grade 6 | 134 | 10% | 34% | 31% | 25% | 44% | −3 |
| Grade 7 | 106 | 16% | 39% | 26% | 19% | 55% | +7 |
| Grade 8 | 93 | 14% | 40% | 20% | 26% | 54% | +8 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 146 | 16% | 29% | 27% | 28% | 45% | −0 |
| Grade 4 | 142 | 7% | 25% | 33% | 35% | 32% | −9 |
| Grade 5 | 138 | 19% | 14% | 28% | 40% | 33% | −3 |
| Grade 6 | 134 | 9% | 13% | 29% | 49% | 22% | −13 |
| Grade 7 | 106 | 7% | 21% | 29% | 43% | 27% | −7 |
| Grade 8 | 93 | 12% | 18% | 24% | 46% | 30% | −2 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 232 | 10% | 24% | 61% | 5% |
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 | 459 | 37.0% | −5 | −1 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 717 | 42.8% | −1 | +4 |
| English Learners | 260 | 12.3% | +4 | +2 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter ← | — | 43 | 17.1% | 38.4% | −6.7 | 2.5% |
| Chula Vista Learning Community Charter | 1.6 mi | 56 | 23.5% | 51.1% | −5.1 | 0.1% |
| Valley Vista Elementary | 2.6 mi | 51 | 19.5% | 42.8% | −10.5 | 0.8% |
| Hilltop Drive Elementary | 1.6 mi | 44 | 19.8% | 45.4% | +9.2 | 1.3% |
| California average | — | 43 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2358 → #2151 → #3410 → #3293 → #2518
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
Frequently asked questions
Is Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter a good elementary school?
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter has a Scope Score of 43 out of 100, placing it in the 56th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,518 statewide. 17.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.2 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 Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 38.4% of students at Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.1% 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. 853 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter rank in California?
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter ranks #2,518 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 56th 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 Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter decreases by 6.7 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 Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter?
9.7% of students at Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 2.5%. 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 Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter compare to other schools in Chula Vista?
Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter scores 43/100 (56th 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 1,321 students. Use the schools in Chula Vista page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter in Chula Vista, 37.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Hawking S.T.E.A.M. Charter trails its district average for low-income students by 5.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (23.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (42.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 459 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.