Higher Learning Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Higher Learning Academy posts low test scores — and grade 5 tests above grade 3 here this year, by 4.0pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
Higher Learning Academy scores 13 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 0th 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 “12% proficient” and call it done. Higher Learning Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Sacramento, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
As a charter, Higher Learning Academy 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.
The 5 things our score weighs
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Path
Higher Learning Academy serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.
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
Student demographics
1 more gap by subject
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 7.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +0.6pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Whole Child
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Frequently asked questions
Is Higher Learning Academy a good elementary school?
What are Higher Learning Academy's CAASPP test scores?
How does Higher Learning Academy rank in California?
Is Higher Learning Academy getting better or worse?
What is the attendance and school culture like at Higher Learning Academy?
How does Higher Learning Academy compare to other schools in Sacramento?
How does Higher Learning Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 57 | 0% | 4% | 23% | 74% | 4% | −40 |
| Grade 4 | 56 | 9% | 18% | 29% | 45% | 27% | −18 |
| Grade 5 | 53 | 2% | 11% | 17% | 70% | 13% | −35 |
| Grade 6 | 58 | 3% | 12% | 26% | 59% | 16% | −31 |
| Grade 7 | 56 | 2% | 25% | 23% | 50% | 27% | −21 |
| Grade 8 | 54 | 7% | 30% | 26% | 37% | 37% | −9 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 57 | 0% | 4% | 21% | 75% | 4% | −42 |
| Grade 4 | 56 | 4% | 21% | 41% | 34% | 25% | −17 |
| Grade 5 | 53 | 2% | 0% | 23% | 75% | 2% | −33 |
| Grade 6 | 58 | 0% | 9% | 16% | 76% | 9% | −26 |
| Grade 7 | 56 | 0% | 4% | 21% | 75% | 4% | −30 |
| Grade 8 | 54 | 2% | 2% | 20% | 76% | 4% | −29 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 107 | 0% | 8% | 61% | 31% |
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 | 299 | 19.1% | −16 | −19 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 133 | 16.5% | −19 | −22 |
| English Learners | 100 | 7.0% | −7 | −3 |
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Learning Academy ← | — | 13 | 2.7% | 12.3% | +4.0 | 8.8% |
| Heritage Peak Charter | 2.7 mi | 52 | 17.5% | 38.8% | +7.1 | 0.1% |
| Westside Elementary | 2.8 mi | 42 | 19.0% | 40.9% | −12.5 | 4.1% |
| Dry Creek Elementary | 2 mi | 39 | 20.3% | 44.6% | −13.9 | 4.2% |
| California average | — | 45 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 19 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.