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Independence Continuation High · MaderaPublic

Independence Continuation High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Independence Continuation posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

12150 Road 36, 93636 (opens in new tab)·Golden Valley Unified·Madera·Grades 9-12·45 students·89% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(559) 645-3580·Website
Continuation school — a small alternative high school designed for students at risk of not graduating. Focuses on credit recovery and flexible scheduling. Test scores and college-readiness rates are not directly comparable to comprehensive high schools.
2022–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3347
% Exceeded5%16%
% Met+19%36%
Grad rate84.6%86.6%
College readiness0.0%33.9%
Absence32.3%30.2%
Suspension3.9%3.6%
Scope Score
33
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,640 statewide

Independence Continuation High scores 33 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 24th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “19% proficient” and call it done. Independence Continuation deserves a closer read. The school sits in Madera, where four in five 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.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 24th percentile since 2022.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade2022202320242025
Grade 1150%29%6%33%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade2022202320242025
Grade 110%4%0%5%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
19%
State 36%
Graduate
85%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
0%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 19 are proficient by 11th grade → 85 graduate → 0 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
84.6%
State 86.6%
2.0pp below state avg
Exceeded standard
4.8%
State 15.8%
11.1pp below state avg
College readiness
0.0%
State 33.9%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
19.0%
State 35.7%
16.7pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
32.3%
State 30.2%
2.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
3.9%
State 3.6%
0.2pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

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.

  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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 Independence Continuation High in Madera, 22.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Independence Continuation High trails its district average for low-income students by 24.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.6% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 18 students tested.

All students at this school: 19% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 19%, district —, state 36%19%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 14%, district 38%, state 32%14% · −5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 19%, district 48%, state 42%19% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 14%, district 44%, state 32%14% · −5 vs school

6 of 10 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 32.3%, district 14.2%, state 30.2%32.3% · +2.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.9%, district —, state 3.6%3.9% · +0.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1232.8%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
High School
Independence Continuation High
33/100
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 15:1, district 23:115:1
Teaching staff6 teachers
Avg. experience3.7 years
Fully credentialed45%
First-year teachers17%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$53,680 – $102,617
Principal salary$128,682 – $145,367
Superintendent salary$215,823

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth

What gets spent here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $12,158, CA average $14,491$12,158 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$1,689 per student

$1,689 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$14,436 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
Instruction56%
Instruction support11%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance13%
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$11,644 per pupil
2019$10,741 per pupil
2018$11,241 per pupil
2017$10,876 per pupil
2016$10,522 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Hispanic68.9%
District 49.8% · CA 56.1%
White22.2%
District 37.5% · CA 19.9%
Other6.7%
District 4.1% · CA 9.0%
Black2.2%
District 2.3% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 35.6%Male 64.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 88.9% (25pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$133K · CA $85K
Median home value$542K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+39% · CA 35%
ZIP population15,294
Median age39 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 45 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 19% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Independence Continuation High a good high school?

Independence Continuation High has a Scope Score of 33 out of 100, placing it in the 24th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,640 statewide. 4.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 11.1 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Independence Continuation High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 19.0% of students at Independence Continuation High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 14.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.8% 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. 42 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Independence Continuation High rank in California?

Independence Continuation High ranks #1,640 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 24th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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.

What is the attendance and school culture like at Independence Continuation High?

32.3% of students at Independence Continuation High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.9%. 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 Independence Continuation High compare to other schools in Madera?

Independence Continuation High scores 33/100 (24th percentile) among California high 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 45 students. Use the schools in Madera page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Independence Continuation High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Independence Continuation High in Madera, 22.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 46.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Independence Continuation High trails its district average for low-income students by 24.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.6% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 18 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 nearest schools.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
84.6%
↓ vs CA 86.6% · 48th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
4.8%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 38th pctile
College readiness · 20%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 33.9% · 31th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
19.0%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 38th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
32.3%
↓ vs CA 30.2% · 48th pctile
▼ 7.4pp lower vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
3.9%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 49th pctile
▼ 3.3pp lower vs 2024
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 112110%24%24%43%33%−14
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11210%5%29%67%5%−19

We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, no valid result was published, or the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.

Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide210%19%67%14%

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.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged1822.2%−24−16
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = the same students tracked across grades, in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Grade gapCohort growthSusp
Independence Continuation High ←334.8%19.0%3.9%
Liberty High0.1 mi5722.1%47.7%4.1%
California average4715.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
84.6%
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
A-G Completion
0.0%
This school may not offer A-G courses
College-Going Rate
20.0%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrade gap
20223021#16490.0%25.0%42.8%10.2%
20233022#16742.1%16.7%42.2%5.9%
20242617#17780.0%2.9%39.7%7.2%
20253324#16404.8%19.0%32.3%3.9%
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 16 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female60.0%23.1%-36.9pp
Male55.0%39.5%-15.5pp
Hispanic/Latino58.3%26.7%-31.6pp
Foster Youth83.3%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged54.8%34.6%-20.2pp
All Students57.5%32.8%-24.7pp
Students with Disabilities53.8%
09Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
MeasureThis school
AP offerednot offered
AP course countnot reported
AP enrollmentnot reported
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot offered
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections0
Physics sections0
Chemistry sections0
Total enrollment (CRDC)43

Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.

10College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California00.0%
California State University00.0%
California community college213.3%
In-state private16.7%
Out-of-state, 4-year00.0%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled1280.0%

15 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 20% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.

EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · 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