School Profile · San Diego
High Tech Middle Mesa: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
High Tech Middle Mesa posts 46% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
5331 Mount Alifan Drive Building 400, 92111 (opens in new tab)·SBC - High Tech High·San Diego·Grades 6-8·352 students·41% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 510-4600·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
41
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #953 statewide · #2 of 3 in SBC - High Tech High
High Tech Middle Mesa scores 41 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 57th percentile of 2,238 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 “46% proficient” and call it done. High Tech Middle Mesa deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
As a charter, High Tech Middle Mesa 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.
18%
34%
48%
Grade 6 · 52% proficient
16%
41%
43%
Grade 7 · 57% proficient
14%
32%
54%
Grade 8 · 46% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.5pp across grades; the floor slips 5.3pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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
17.0%
State 16.8%
0.2pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
46.4%
State 39.3%
7.1pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-7.7pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
11.3%
State 18.5%
7.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 3.7%
2.9pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
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 52
Standley Middle
San Diego Unified · 2.9 mi
Solid
65/100
Marston Middle
San Diego Unified · 1.3 mi
Solid
53/100
Innovation Middle
San Diego Unified · 1.6 mi
Developing
37/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 75
Mt. Everest Academy
San Diego Unified · 0.4 mi
Strong
77/100
Curie Elementary
San Diego Unified · 3 mi
Strong
76/100
Holmes Elementary
San Diego Unified · 0.6 mi
Strong
74/100
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
Hispanic35.2%
White34.7%
Asian14.8%
Black3.7%
Other11.7%
GenderFemale 46.3%Male 53.1%Non-binary 0.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 41.2% (23pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
352
508 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
6 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
At High Tech Middle Mesa in San Diego, 41.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025 and 38.2% statewide. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.1% Math proficient); White students (58.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.2 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 148 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Disabilities−32.2pp
19.9% vs 52.0% overall · n=57
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−14.7pp
1.4% vs 16.2% overall · n=57
Math · Disabilities−26.1pp
14.7% vs 40.8% overall · n=57
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−9.5pp
8.4% vs 17.9% overall · n=117
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income148 tested
ELA 41.2%·Math 29.1%
White119 tested
ELA 58.8%·Math 47.9%
Hispanic117 tested
ELA 41.0%·Math 30.8%
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 6.7pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$100K
$15K above CA median
Median Home Value
$818K
$159K above CA median
Bachelor's+
46%
11pp 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
4.4 years avg experience
21 teachers · 14% first-year · 33% second-year
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%
17.0%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
46.4%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 56th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-7.7pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 34th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
11.3%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 117 | 18% | 34% | 31% | 17% | 52% | +6 |
| Grade 7 | 112 | 16% | 41% | 28% | 15% | 57% | +9 |
| Grade 8 | 111 | 14% | 32% | 33% | 20% | 47% | +1 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 117 | 19% | 27% | 27% | 27% | 45% | +10 |
| Grade 7 | 112 | 21% | 21% | 31% | 27% | 42% | +8 |
| Grade 8 | 111 | 14% | 21% | 32% | 33% | 35% | +3 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 110 | 9% | 17% | 61% | 13% |
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 | 148 | 41.2% | — | +3 |
| White | 119 | 58.8% | — | −3 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 117 | 41.0% | — | +2 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Tech Middle Mesa ← | — | 41 | 17.0% | 46.4% | −7.7 | 0.7% |
| Standley Middle | 2.9 mi | 65 | 40.6% | 66.5% | −8.1 | 2.0% |
| Marston Middle | 1.3 mi | 53 | 27.5% | 54.7% | −1.0 | 5.0% |
| Innovation Middle | 1.6 mi | 37 | 14.4% | 37.1% | +12.3 | 5.9% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #855 → #1000 → #702 → #953
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is High Tech Middle Mesa a good middle school?
High Tech Middle Mesa has a Scope Score of 41 out of 100, placing it in the 57th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #953 statewide. 17.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 16.8%. 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 High Tech Middle Mesa's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 46.4% of students at High Tech Middle Mesa met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.0% 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. 680 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does High Tech Middle Mesa rank in California?
High Tech Middle Mesa ranks #953 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 57th 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 High Tech Middle Mesa getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at High Tech Middle Mesa decreases by 7.7 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 High Tech Middle Mesa?
11.3% of students at High Tech Middle Mesa are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 0.7%, 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 High Tech Middle Mesa compare to other schools in San Diego?
High Tech Middle Mesa scores 41/100 (57th 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 352 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does High Tech Middle Mesa serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At High Tech Middle Mesa in San Diego, 41.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025 and 38.2% statewide. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.1% Math proficient); White students (58.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.2 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 148 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.