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iHigh Virtual Academy · San Diego

iHigh Virtual Academy: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

iHigh Virtual Academy posts 50% meeting the standard, and 27.8% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

4050 Appleton Street, 92110 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades K-6·148 students·82% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 430-1720·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2022–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4845
% Exceeded28%21%
% Met+50%43%
Growth-17.6-2.9
Absence8.1%17.9%
Suspension0.3%1.6%
Scope Score
48
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #2,060 statewide · #55 of 137 in San Diego Unified

iHigh Virtual Academy scores 48 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 64th 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 →

🤝 Culture First — Ask whether the low absenteeism and suspension numbers come from what the school does or from the community it serves — both can produce the same numbers, and only a visit tells you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “50% proficient” and call it done. iHigh Virtual Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

iHigh Virtual Academy's low-income kids hit 51.8% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 55th to the 64th percentile since 2022 — past roughly 500 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade2022202320242025
Grade 339%41%54%56%
Grade 445%40%32%65%
Grade 553%31%56%45%
Grade 641%35%62%
Grade 745%42%
Grade 850%38%
Grade 1162%73%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 344%46%42%56%
Grade 444%21%30%50%
Grade 526%26%44%31%
Grade 635%17%38%
Grade 731%26%
Grade 827%14%
Grade 1156%25%23%

The story this school is actually telling

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

26%
30%
44%
Grade 3 · 56% proficient
45%
20%
35%
Grade 4 · 65% proficient
14%
31%
55%
Grade 5 · 45% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 12.1pp across grades; the floor slips 10.7pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

51.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

iHigh Virtual Academy's most underrated number

51.8% 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.

iHigh Virtual Academy low-income: 51.8%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
27.8%
State 21.3%
6.5pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-17.6pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
50.3%
State 42.7%
7.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
8.1%
State 17.9%
9.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.3%
State 1.6%
1.4pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0%
State 18.0%
2.0pp above 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.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At iHigh Virtual Academy in San Diego, 51.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. iHigh Virtual Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (46.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 83 students tested.

All students at this school: 50% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 50%, district —, state 43%50%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 45%, district 36%, state 32%45% · −4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 47%, district 51%, state 44%47% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 35%, state 32%41% · −9 vs school
MaleMale: this school 48%, district 50%, state 42%48% · −2 vs school

11 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 4.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.6pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 8.1%, district 20.8%, state 17.9%8.1% · −9.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.3%, district —, state 1.6%0.3% · −1.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–66.8%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
iHigh Virtual Academy
48/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 23:121:1
Teaching staff8 teachers
Avg. experience21.4 years
Fully credentialed84%
Intern / emergency permit2.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$55,375 – $124,275
Principal salary$0 – $187,294
Superintendent salary$300,404

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $21,039, CA average $14,815$21,039 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,369 per student

$1,369 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,967 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction63%
Instruction support12%
Student services12%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance7%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$15,976 per pupil
2019$14,540 per pupil
2018$14,457 per pupil
2017$11,416 per pupil
2016$11,708 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic56.1%
District 47.0% · CA 56.1%
Other19.6%
District 13.8% · CA 9.0%
White8.1%
District 22.9% · CA 19.9%
Asian8.1%
District 8.7% · CA 10.2%
Black8.1%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 82.4% (19pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$111K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.01M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+55% · CA 35%
ZIP population30,902
Median age35 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 148 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California elementary school (≈480).

On the state's science test (CAST), 28% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is iHigh Virtual Academy a good elementary school?

iHigh Virtual Academy has a Scope Score of 48 out of 100, placing it in the 64th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #2,060 statewide. 27.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.5 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are iHigh Virtual Academy's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 50.3% of students at iHigh Virtual Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 27.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 27.8% 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. 152 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does iHigh Virtual Academy rank in California?

iHigh Virtual Academy ranks #2,060 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 64th 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 iHigh Virtual Academy getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at iHigh Virtual Academy decreases by 17.6 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 iHigh Virtual Academy?

8.1% of students at iHigh Virtual Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.3%, 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 iHigh Virtual Academy compare to other schools in San Diego?

iHigh Virtual Academy scores 48/100 (64th 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 148 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does iHigh Virtual Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At iHigh Virtual Academy in San Diego, 51.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. iHigh Virtual Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (38.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (46.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 8.7 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 83 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.

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.


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 · 38%
27.8%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 56th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-17.6pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 41th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
50.3%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
8.1%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 66th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.3%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32726%30%22%22%56%+12
Grade 42045%20%5%30%65%+20
Grade 52914%31%17%38%45%−3
Grade 62619%42%19%19%62%+15
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 32730%26%19%26%56%+10
Grade 42035%15%25%25%50%+8
Grade 52917%14%28%41%31%−4
Grade 62619%19%38%23%38%+3
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11297%21%55%17%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged8351.8%+9+14
Hispanic/Latino4946.9%+6+8
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
iHigh Virtual Academy ←4827.8%50.3%−17.60.3%
Torrey Pines Elementary2.7 mi7961.2%82.1%−6.60.3%
Curie Elementary1.2 mi7260.1%81.8%−11.80.9%
Mt. Everest Academy1.6 mi7146.5%85.3%−18.40.7%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20223855#260221.5%41.9%51.7%0.0%-2.1pp
20232411#508313.9%34.5%78.7%0.0%-15.2pp
20244046#308817.3%42.9%40.0%0.2%+2.1pp
20254864#206027.8%50.3%8.1%0.3%-17.6pp
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female56.5%6.0%-50.5pp
Male47.8%6.5%-41.3pp
Hispanic/Latino54.2%9.0%-45.2pp
Two or More Races53.3%5.9%-47.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged54.5%6.7%-47.8pp
All Students53.6%6.2%-47.4pp
Asian0.0%
Black/African American7.7%
White0.0%
Students with Disabilities3.2%
English Learners5.3%
Homeless4.0%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction