School Profile · Hermosa Beach
Hermosa Valley Elementary: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.
Hermosa Valley pairs 74% proficiency with gains of 10.8pp per cohort — the rare school that posts both.
1645 Valley Drive, 90254·Hermosa Beach City Elementary·Hermosa Beach·Grades 5-8·589 students·9% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 937-5888·Website
Scope Score
71
🚀 Growth Engine · Strong
ranked #128 statewide
Hermosa Valley Elementary scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd percentile of 1,714 California middle 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 “74% proficient” and call it done. Hermosa Valley deserves a closer read. It sits at the 93rd percentile of 1,714 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.
The headline number: 40.3% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 17.3%.
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.
27%
45%
28%
Grade 6 · 72% proficient
45%
39%
16%
Grade 7 · 84% proficient
41%
39%
20%
Grade 8 · 80% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 14.3pp across grades; the floor rises 7.9pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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.
65.4%
Low-income · ELA · met standard
Hermosa Valley's most underrated number
65.4% 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.
Hermosa Valley low-income: 65.4%State low-income: 38.2%
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
40.3%
State 17.3%
23.0pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
74.2%
State 39.5%
34.7pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+10.8pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
9.8%
State 19.1%
9.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 4.2%
2.3pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 71
Manhattan Beach Middle
Manhattan Beach Unified · 1.7 mi
Strong
76/100
Bert M. Lynn Middle
Torrance Unified · 2.1 mi
Solid
70/100
Jefferson Middle
Torrance Unified · 3.2 mi
Solid
69/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Nishiyamato Academy of California
Lomita Blvd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-9 · 85 students
4:1Private5.8 mi
Fusion Academy Manhattan Beach
Rosecrans Ave Ste 1225 · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 62 students
5:1Private2.6 mi
Switzer Learning Center
Amapola Ct · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 62 students
8:1Private4.5 mi
Fusion Academy Sb: South Bay
Pacific Coast Hwy Ste 260 · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 43 students
2:1Private0.1 mi
Beach Cities Learning Center
15th St · Nonsectarian · Grades 6-12 · 31 students
10:1Private1.6 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic15.8%
White60.6%
Asian4.8%
Black1.2%
Other17.7%
GenderFemale 46.9%Male 53.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
589
271 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
9%
55pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$12,671
District avg: $11,901 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$59,004 – $110,964
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Hermosa Valley Elementary in Hermosa Beach, 65.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 67.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Hermosa Valley Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (48.1% Math proficient); White students (77.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 52 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · English Learner+10.2pp
20.0% vs 9.8% overall · n=15
Suspension · English Learner+4.8pp
6.7% vs 1.9% overall · n=15
ELA · Disabilities−39.6pp
37.5% vs 77.1% overall · n=16
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−19.1pp
18.8% vs 37.9% overall · n=16
Math · Hispanic−13.0pp
55.9% vs 68.8% overall · n=90
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−23.2pp
18.8% vs 42.0% overall · n=16
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income52 tested
ELA 65.4%·Math 48.1%· -2.6pp vs district
White350 tested
ELA 77.1%·Math 72.3%· -3.2pp vs district
Two or More Races106 tested
ELA 81.1%·Math 69.8%· -1.1pp 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 rises by 4.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +4.8pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$166K
$81K above CA median
Median Home Value
$2.00M
$1.34M above CA median
Bachelor's+
76%
41pp above 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
13.3 years avg experience
31 teachers · 3% first-year · 10% second-year
Teacher Credentials
95% 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 →
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%
40.3%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 74th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
74.2%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 77th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+10.8pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
9.8%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 140 | 39% | 34% | 16% | 11% | 73% | +25 |
| Grade 6 | 139 | 27% | 45% | 26% | 2% | 72% | +25 |
| Grade 7 | 148 | 45% | 39% | 11% | 5% | 84% | +36 |
| Grade 8 | 154 | 41% | 39% | 16% | 5% | 80% | +34 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5 | 140 | 39% | 27% | 21% | 14% | 66% | +30 |
| Grade 6 | 139 | 32% | 27% | 30% | 11% | 60% | +25 |
| Grade 7 | 148 | 47% | 29% | 18% | 6% | 76% | +42 |
| Grade 8 | 154 | 49% | 24% | 16% | 11% | 73% | +41 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 294 | 28% | 34% | 34% | 4% |
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 | 52 | 65.4% | −3 | +27 |
| White | 350 | 77.1% | −3 | +15 |
| Two or More Races | 106 | 81.1% | −1 | +20 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermosa Valley Elementary ← | — | 71 | 40.3% | 74.2% | +10.8 | 1.9% |
| Manhattan Beach Middle | 1.7 mi | 76 | 48.3% | 77.3% | −1.4 | 2.1% |
| Bert M. Lynn Middle | 2.1 mi | 70 | 41.6% | 71.2% | −8.4 | 1.5% |
| Jefferson Middle | 3.2 mi | 69 | 39.6% | 68.2% | −1.1 | 2.4% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #120 → #39 → #35 → #29 → #128
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Hermosa Valley Elementary a good middle school?
Hermosa Valley Elementary has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #128 statewide. 40.3% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 23.0 percentage points above the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle 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 Hermosa Valley Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 74.2% of students at Hermosa Valley Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.3% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 33.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.3% 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. 882 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Hermosa Valley Elementary rank in California?
Hermosa Valley Elementary ranks #128 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 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 Hermosa Valley Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Hermosa Valley Elementary increases by 10.8 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 middle 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 Hermosa Valley Elementary?
9.8% of students at Hermosa Valley Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 1.9%, 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 Hermosa Valley Elementary compare to other schools in Hermosa Beach?
Hermosa Valley Elementary scores 71/100 (93rd percentile) among California middle 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 589 students. Use the schools in Hermosa Beach page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Hermosa Valley Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Hermosa Valley Elementary in Hermosa Beach, 65.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 67.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Hermosa Valley Elementary trails its district average for low-income students by 2.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (48.1% Math proficient); White students (77.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 52 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.