Public school with a magnet program · Sweetwater Union High

Hilltop Middle — Rating & test scores

44 East J Street, Chula Vista · 866 students · Grades 7–8

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Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing. Buildings with no mapped height are drawn one storey high.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

Scope Score 71

DevelopingScope Score · 27th percentile. Higher than 27 in 100 of the 2,529 California public middle schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Well below California in English and math: 40% and 23% scored Proficient or Advanced in grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, against 50% and 37%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 7 and 8: 824 in English, 811 in math
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 7 and 8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 838,600 in English and 838,896 in math tested).

Overview

Is Hilltop a good middle school?

Developing. Hilltop is higher than most California middle schools on attendance. Hilltop is lower than most on test results and progress in both subjects.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced3840%
Math, Proficient or Advanced3423%
English, Advanced288%
Math, Advanced247%

Progress in a year, 2025

English2−26 pts
Math1−31 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance5215 in 100
Hilltop’s place among California middle schools, out of 100Sweetwater Union High’s other middle schoolsBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

On spring 2025 tests, students in grades 7 and 8 scored lower than California students who had the same scores the year before, in English (−26 pts) and math (−31 pts). The state calls both results Minimal.

Each bar is Hilltop’s place among 2,529 California public middle schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 6–8. Progress is the state’s measure of how the same students’ scores changed against the score it expected, 2025. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Source for the sentence
CDE growth model, 2025. Students with scores in both years in grades 7 and 8: 769 in English, 770 in math. Points are scale-score points against the state’s expected score for each student; the category is CDE’s, quoted as published. It describes results, not causes.

In its own words

What does Hilltop say about itself?

These lines come from the school’s own website. They are the school’s description. They are not parent reviews or test results.

“Staff supports student mastery of both academic standards and life skills, which promote good decision-making, social skills, healthy choices, and responsibility.”
htm.sweetwaterschools.org (opens in a new tab), read November 12, 2026

Every line here is from htm.sweetwaterschools.org, read November 12, 2026.

Progress

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

Lower, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 7 and 8 scored 26 points lower in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Minimal. In math, they scored 31 points lower, which the state calls Minimal.

English

−26

points lower than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Minimal, the lowest of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino655−26 points
Low-income478−25 points
English learners255−28 points
Students with disabilities111−39 points
Long-term English learners108−28 points

Math

−31

points lower than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Minimal, the lowest of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

Hispanic or Latino656−30 points
Low-income479−26 points
English learners255−26 points
Students with disabilities110−29 points
Long-term English learners108−20 points

Grades 7 and 8, 2025, 769 students in English, 770 in math with scores in both years. It describes results, not causes. Source: California Department of Education, growth model.

How the state’s growth measure works

The state calls this comparison an expected score. It sets one for each student from that student’s own score the year before.

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 26 points below that expected score, and in math 31 points below it.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

4 of the 7 middle schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than Hilltop. Each school is compared with every California middle school.

Scope Score

8 middle schools within 3.8 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. Rancho del ReyNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 8485th
  2. Bonita VistaNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7972nd
  3. GrangerNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7339th
  4. National CityNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7128th
  5. HilltopScope Score 7127th
  6. Chula VistaNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7127th
  7. MontgomeryNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 7022nd
  8. Castle ParkNeighborhood school · by addressScope Score 6915th
Sweetwater Union High

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Scores and family income

Further right, more students are from low-income families. Higher up, more students scored Proficient or Advanced in English.

25%50%75%0%25%50%75%100%

7 of 8 schools are named on the chart. Point at a dot or tap it to read any school.

English results: California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Low-income is the share of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes.

Schools like it

How does Hilltop compare with schools like it?

Hilltop’s Scope Score is 71. 332 California middle schools, counting Hilltop, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 77. Hilltop’s result is higher than 38 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 332

  1. Students from low-income families: 48%

    Scope Score 92Strong · 97th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 47%

    Scope Score 92Strong · 96th percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 46%

    Elevate

    San Diego

    Scope Score 91Strong · 96th percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 54%

    Scope Score 91Strong · 96th percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 53%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 95th percentile

332 California public middle schools where 46% to 58% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, spring 2026.

How the group is chosen

The group is every California public middle school we score where 46% to 58% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of Hilltop’s share. The count includes Hilltop. Typical means the median: half are higher and half are lower. Schools differ in more than family income, and no score is changed for it. Our calculation from California Department of Education records: state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, and school meal eligibility, 2024–25.

Over time

Have results changed?

Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English went from 38% to 40% and math from 20% to 23%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2017 to 2026

Grades 7 and 8. Point at a year, tap it or use the arrow keys to read its figures.

English

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202650%40%50%CaliforniaCalifornia48%Sweetwater Union HighDistrict40%HilltopHilltop

Math

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202634%21%37%CaliforniaCalifornia35%Sweetwater Union HighDistrict23%HilltopHilltop

The lines break where a year has no comparable state test results. Each spring tests a different group of students. Sweetwater Union High’s line combines its 12 middle schools we score (our calculation). Faint lines are its other schools. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Each year’s results

The top two levels were called Met or Exceeded before 2026 and are called Proficient or Advanced now. Sweetwater Union High’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 7 and 8: share at the top two levels
SpringHilltopSweetwater Union HighCaliforniaTested here
201740%50%49%909
201841%49%50%958
201946%52%50%952
202243%46%48%781
202340%47%47%797
202438%45%47%834
202538%47%49%818
202640%48%50%824
Math, grades 7 and 8: share at the top two levels
SpringHilltopSweetwater Union HighCaliforniaTested here
201721%34%37%917
201820%35%37%956
201923%35%37%952
202219%28%31%784
202319%29%32%799
202419%31%33%844
202520%33%35%828
202623%35%37%811

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Well below California in both subjects.

English

40%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

3327328
Sweetwater Union High48%California50%

Math

23%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

4829167
Sweetwater Union High35%California37%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, 40% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 23% in math, against 50% and 37% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 7 and 8 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

How does math compare with English?

In grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, math trails English by 17 percentage points in the share who scored Proficient or Advanced, against 13 points across California. The grades 7 and 8 cards above give each subject’s share.

Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grades 7 and 8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced41%38%
Advanced8%8%
Proficient33%30%
Developing level25%30%
Minimal34%32%
Tested429395
California51%49%
Difference−10−11

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grades 7 and 8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced25%22%
Advanced9%5%
Proficient16%17%
Developing level28%28%
Minimal47%50%
Tested405406
California38%36%
Difference−13−14

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 7 and 8 · This school8%32%27%33%824
English, grades 7 and 8 · California19%31%23%27%838,600
English, grades 7 and 8 · Sweetwater Union High16%32%23%29%8,793
Math, grades 7 and 8 · This school7%16%29%48%811
Math, grades 7 and 8 · California21%16%23%40%838,896
Math, grades 7 and 8 · Sweetwater Union High18%17%25%40%8,802

Spring 2026, grades 7 and 8 combined: 824 tested in English, 811 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

Hispanic or Latino students are the largest group here, at 86% of students. 138 of 906 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

15in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (138 of 906 students).

At the average middle school in the Sweetwater Union High district: 16 in 100. At the average California middle school: 18 in 100.

Suspensions: 5.9% of students were suspended at least once (54 of 918). Average California middle school 3.7%.

Students, 2024–25

866

students in grades 7–8.

Hispanic or Latino 86%White 6%Two or more races 3%Filipino 2%Black or African American 1%Asian 1%

Family income

52%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 452 of 866. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

40

teachers, with 14 years of experience on average.

8% were in their first year.

83% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

English learners

44%

of English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026 (61 of 139 students).

Sweetwater Union High: 43%. California: 47%.

It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Sources: California Department of Education and the California School Dashboard. Each tile names its year.

Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
Hispanic or Latino86%
White6%
Two or more races3%
Filipino2%
Black or African American1%
Asian1%
American Indian or Alaska Native—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count. English learner progress: California School Dashboard, 2026 . Student count: California Department of Education enrollment, 2024–25. Teachers: California Department of Education staffing files, 2024–25.

Teaching credentials: California’s School Accountability Report Card, 2024–25, measured in 2021–22: 30.9 of 37.2 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

Low-income students scored below the same group across California in math.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • White43 tested37%California 50%
  • Hispanic or Latino701 tested22%California 25%
  • Low-income508 tested21%California 26%
  • English learners155 tested6%California 7%
  • Students with disabilities129 tested4%California 9%

21% of low-income students scored Proficient or Advanced in math (grades 7 and 8, spring 2026), against 26% for the same group across California. Every group’s English results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 7 and 8 math, spring 2026. Each group is compared with the same group in the same grades. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Every group’s results, with the district

Low-income is the state’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged” group.

Proficient or Advancedgrades 7 and 8 · spring 2026
Group and subjectHerevs Sweetwater Union Highvs California
Low-income · 519 tested in English, 508 in math
English35%035%−439%
Math21%−425%−526%
Hispanic or Latino · 710 tested in English, 701 in math
English37%−441%−340%
Math22%−628%−325%
White · 45 tested in English, 43 in math
English56%−864%−662%
Math37%−1552%−1350%
English learners · 150 tested in English, 155 in math
English7%+16%07%
Math6%06%−17%
Students with disabilities · 129 tested
English9%−615%−514%
Math4%−48%−59%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Sweetwater Union High, and across California. No group that is behind across California does 10 or more points better here.

Students of two or more races: fewer than 30 tested here. No published rate here for Asian, Black or African American, Filipino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families and staff can answer a short set of questions about Hilltop. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Staff answers show once 5 people have answered.Until then this page shows no staff answers.
  2. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  3. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  4. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.
  5. Staff confirm a work email.Staff answers come only from people who confirmed an email address at Sweetwater Union High.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

No staff answers yet

5 answers needed before they show

  • Would you send your own child to this school?Yes · Maybe · No
  • Do you plan to work at this school next year?Yes · Not sure · No
  • Do you have the materials and supplies you need to teach?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • And 5 more questions.

Answer the staff questionsHow staff answers work

Money

Where does the money go?

$3,698 for each student in 2024–25. California’s middle schools spent $19,269 for each student. Sweetwater Union High’s plan for 2026–27 covers $431 million.

$3,698

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$3,206
The school’s share of district office costs
$492
Of the total, from federal funds
$1,192
  • Hilltop$3,698
  • Sweetwater Union High middle schools$3,708
  • California middle schools$19,269

The district and California figures combine their middle schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 1,241 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Sweetwater Union High’s yearly plan

$431million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$106million

planned for services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth

This is the district’s plan. It is not this school’s own budget. The plan has 6 goals. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $431 million of $712 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Sweetwater Union High Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27. Read the district’s plan →

The neighborhood

What is the area around Hilltop like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 91910. They are not figures for the families at Hilltop.

Typical household income in a year

$90,222

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 91910.

Typical home value
$741,200
People who live in this ZIP code
77,123
Typical age
38.0 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
29%

What you can do

Who can act on Hilltop’s results?

Sweetwater Union High’s board decides Hilltop’s plan.

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

State support

The state hasn’t placed Hilltop in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source 

Extra state help for the district

The state is giving Sweetwater Union High extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.

Extra help for Sweetwater Union High: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 9 questions to Hilltop. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. What does the school try before a suspension, and who talks with the family?5.9% suspended at least once, 2025–26 (54 of 918 students); average California middle school: 3.7%
  2. What changes for a student who falls behind in math?31 points lower in math than California students who had the same score the year before, grades 7 and 8, 2025 (770 students)
  3. What extra help do English learners get, and how do you know it’s working?6% of English learners scored Proficient or Advanced in math, grades 7 and 8, spring 2026 (155 students tested); the same group across California: 7%
  4. Which math courses can students take, and how are placements decided?
  5. Which electives and high-school transition supports are available?
  6. How does this approach show up in an ordinary lesson?From its own words, on how it teaches.
  7. Which grades take part in these programs, and how often?From its own words, on programs.

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

What comes after Hilltop, and how do I get in?

Ask Sweetwater Union High which school serves your address. Next comes Hilltop Senior High.

In the district’s boundaries, Hilltop Middle draws from 8 elementary schools. Boundaries split some neighborhoods. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level.

Elementary · fed by
Middle · this school
Hilltop Middle
High · next
Hilltop Senior High Scope Score 75Developing · 48th percentile · 2025

Assigned

From the district’s 2025 attendance boundaries. Shares are our estimate of where the zone’s children live. We use 2020 Census child counts, or land area where few children were counted. A share counts children living in the zone, not a school’s enrolled students. A boundary doesn’t guarantee a place. Transfers, permits, magnets and other programs can change the path. Check your child’s address and current assignment with the district. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Elementary links

  • Cook (Hazel Goes) Elementary

    Assigned

    Scope Score 79 · Solid · 67th percentile · elementary · 2026

  • Hilltop Drive Elementary

    Assigned

    Scope Score 79 · Solid · 69th percentile · elementary · 2026

  • Kellogg (Karl H.) Elementary

    Assigned

    Scope Score 71 · Developing · 26th percentile · elementary · 2026

  • Rosebank Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 71 · Needs Support · 23rd percentile · elementary · 2026

    99% of the zone’s children

  • Halecrest Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 76 · Solid · 54th percentile · elementary · 2026

    74% of the zone’s children

  • Castle Park Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 73 · Developing · 40th percentile · elementary · 2026

    59% of the zone’s children

  • Rogers (Greg) Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 72 · Developing · 29th percentile · elementary · 2026

    43% of the zone’s children

  • Parkview Elementary

    Assigned for part of the zone

    Scope Score 85 · Strong · 86th percentile · elementary · 2026

    18% of the zone’s children

High-school links

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking.

Where the path ends: Hilltop Senior High
Hilltop Senior HighScope Score 75 · Developing · 48th percentile · 2025district-published assignment

The road from this school ends at Hilltop Senior High. UC records 37 enrollees from Hilltop Senior High for fall 2025. The AP Course Audit lists 26 AP courses its teachers are authorized to teach in 2025–26. Those figures come from dated records. A child starting here today would reach Hilltop Senior High around 2028, and a school can change a lot in 2 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 74% of the students who finished high school at Hilltop Senior High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.

37 UC enrollees (fall 2025) · 26 authorized AP courses (AP Course Audit 2025–26) → full record on Hilltop Senior High's page
Source: UC & College Board AP Course Ledger

Where it is

Where is Hilltop?

Address
44 East J Street, Chula Vista 91910Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Gina Galvez-MallariAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated March 12, 2024.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 7 common questions

How do I get in?

Ask Sweetwater Union High which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is Hilltop a good middle school?

Hilltop Middle has a Scope Score of 71. It scored higher than 27 in 100 of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools (Developing, 27th percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 15 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 16 in 100 at the average middle school in the Sweetwater Union High district. 5.9% of students (54 of 918) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. See the details ↓

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

Lower, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 7 and 8 scored 26 points lower in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Minimal. In math, they scored 31 points lower, which the state calls Minimal.

  • Included in this measure: 769 students in English, 770 in math

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 35% of low-income students in grades 7 and 8 at Hilltop Middle in Chula Vista scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 39% for the same group across California. See the details ↓

Where does it lead?

By the district’s published 2025 attendance boundaries, Hilltop Middle is zoned to Hilltop Senior High. Boundaries change, are approximate at the edges and don’t guarantee placement, so confirm your address with the district.

  • Hilltop Senior High: Scope Score 75, Developing, 48th percentile among California’s regular public and charter high schools, 2025 results

See the details ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 12 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
12
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2017–2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #1,836 of 2,529 California middle schools we score · #7 of 12 in Sweetwater Union High
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math8%3942%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math32%4323%
Chronically absent15 in 100545%
Suspension rate5.9% (54 of 918)425%
English learners: top level18%465%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. The weights above add to 80%: the remaining 20%, for measures with no value here, is shared out among the measures above.

Scope Score by year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–267127#1836California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School yearChronic absenceSuspension
2018–198 in 1007.4% (79 of 1,071)
2021–22not on filenot on file
2022–23not on filenot on file
2023–2420 in 10012.5% (118 of 944)
2024–2520 in 1006.2% (57 of 917)
2025–2615 in 1005.9% (54 of 918)

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series
Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresTop levelTop two levels
2026 · English8248%40%
2026 · Math8117%23%
2025 · English8188%38%
2025 · Math8287%20%
2024 · English8349%38%
2024 · Math8445%19%
2023 · English79711%40%
2023 · Math7997%19%
2022 · English78112%43%
2022 · Math7847%19%
2019 · English95211%46%
2019 · Math9528%23%
2018 · English9589%41%
2018 · Math9569%20%
2017 · English9099%40%
2017 · Math9177%21%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subjectStudents with scoresMet or exceeded
2025 · Grade 7 · English40841%
2025 · Grade 8 · English41034%
2025 · Grade 7 · Math41425%
2025 · Grade 8 · Math41416%
2024 · Grade 7 · English41740%
2024 · Grade 8 · English41735%
2024 · Grade 7 · Math42224%
2024 · Grade 8 · Math42214%
2023 · Grade 7 · English41442%
2023 · Grade 8 · English38337%
2023 · Grade 7 · Math41323%
2023 · Grade 8 · Math38615%
2022 · Grade 7 · English37643%
2022 · Grade 8 · English40543%
2022 · Grade 7 · Math37822%
2022 · Grade 8 · Math40617%
2019 · Grade 7 · English47649%
2019 · Grade 8 · English47644%
2019 · Grade 7 · Math47627%
2019 · Grade 8 · Math47620%
2018 · Grade 7 · English47442%
2018 · Grade 8 · English48441%
2018 · Grade 7 · Math47624%
2018 · Grade 8 · Math48015%
2017 · Grade 7 · English47436%
2017 · Grade 8 · English43544%
2017 · Grade 7 · Math48122%
2017 · Grade 8 · Math43619%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide3935%19%56%20%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California
Group · EnglishTestedProficient or Advancedvs districtvs California
Low-income51935%0−4
Hispanic or Latino71037%−4−3
English learners1507%+10
Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score
GroupEnglishnCDE categoryMathnCDE category
All students−26769Minimal−31770Minimal
Hispanic or Latino−26655Minimal−30656Minimal
Low-income−25478Minimal−26479Minimal
English-only students−27383not categorized−34383not categorized
English learners−28255Minimal−26255Minimal
Recently reclassified as fluent in English−26137not categorized−35137not categorized
English learners only−31118not categorized−17118not categorized
Students with disabilities−39111Minimal−29110Minimal
Long-term English learners (grades 6–8 only)−28108Minimal−20108Moderate
White−3155Minimal−3755Minimal
Two or more races−3025Minimal−3925Minimal
Filipino−813Moderate−3213Minimal
Black or African American−1611Moderate−1911Moderate

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. Long-term English learner counts cover grades 6–8 only (CDE’s rule), so that row is not comparable to the All students row. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 7 and 8. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure
California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English−26 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 7 and 8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 7 and 8

769 students

CDE growth category: Minimal

California growth model, English: −26 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Minimal, against SchoolScope's −2-point median for California middle school records.

State model · math−31 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 7 and 8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 7 and 8

770 students

CDE growth category: Minimal

California growth model, math: −31 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Minimal, against SchoolScope's −3-point median for California middle school records.

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California middle school records, the median English estimate is −2 and the middle half fall between −10 and +5 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 7 and 8, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 20 in 100 → 2025–26 · 15 in 100 · −5 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 6.2% (57 of 917) → 2025–26 · 5.9% (54 of 918) · −0.3 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female8 in 10013 in 100+5 in 100
Male8 in 10018 in 100+10 in 100
Black or African American2 of 202 of 12—
Filipino0 of 210 of 19—
Hispanic or Latino8 in 10016 in 100+8 in 100
American Indian or Alaska Native0 of 19——
Two or more races3 of 350 of 26—
White12 in 10010 of 52—
Students with disabilities16 in 10021 in 100+5 in 100
English learners8 in 10019 in 100+11 in 100
Homeless5 of 149 of 17—
Low-income9 in 10019 in 100+10 in 100
All students8 in 10015 in 100+7 in 100
Asian—0 of 11—

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$15,976 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 97,968 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

School-level federal expenditures$1,097 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 866

Central federal expenditures attributed here$95 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 866

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,370 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

These figures are not directly comparable: school ESSA attributed spending and NCES district current expense use different measures and populations. Their fiscal years are labeled above.

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 58%Instruction support 16%Student services 8%Administration 8%Buildings & maintenance 8%Other 2%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$329,672,20957.65%58%
Instruction support$91,151,79115.94%16%
Student services$45,979,5568.04%8%
Administration$45,077,1857.88%8%
Buildings & maintenance$48,207,9608.43%8%
Other$11,732,6442.05%2%
Total$571,821,344100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $571,821,344 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$15,976 per pupil
2020$14,540 per pupil
2019$14,457 per pupil
2018$11,416 per pupil
2017$11,708 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders0.0%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 91910 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 91910 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$90,222
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)29%
ZIP-area population77,123
Median age38.0 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 91910 →

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Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026

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