School Profile · Sun Valley
ISANA Cardinal Academy: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
ISANA Cardinal Academy posts 45% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
7330 Bakman Avenue, 91352 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Sun Valley·Grades K-8·294 students·89% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(818) 759-5633·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
48
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #1,892 statewide · #180 of 580 in Los Angeles Unified
ISANA Cardinal Academy scores 48 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 67th 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 “45% proficient” and call it done. ISANA Cardinal Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Sun Valley, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The headline number: 8.5% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.
As a charter, ISANA Cardinal 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.
25%
25%
50%
Grade 3 · 50% proficient
19%
23%
58%
Grade 4 · 42% proficient
29%
29%
42%
Grade 5 · 58% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 3.9pp across grades; the floor rises 7.8pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
19.5%
State 21.3%
1.8pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
45.4%
State 42.7%
2.8pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-5.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
8.5%
State 17.9%
9.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.4%
State 1.6%
1.2pp 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.
Planning ahead? 10 licensed preschools near this school →
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 72
Science Academy STEM Magnet
Los Angeles Unified · 2.3 mi
Strong
93/100
Theodore Roosevelt Elementary
Burbank Unified · 3.3 mi
Solid
61/100
ISANA Palmati Academy
Los Angeles Unified · 1.5 mi
Solid
61/100
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
Hispanic94.6%
White1.4%
Asian1.0%
Black0.7%
Other2.4%
GenderFemale 53.4%Male 46.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 89.1% (25pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
294
326 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,180
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$60,420 – $122,706
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At ISANA Cardinal Academy in Sun Valley, 47.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. ISANA Cardinal Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (49.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 40.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 117 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−40.9pp
9.0% vs 49.9% overall · n=33
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−21.2pp
2.9% vs 24.2% overall · n=33
Math · English Learner−32.2pp
8.7% vs 40.8% overall · n=35
Math Exceeded · English Learner−14.7pp
0.0% vs 14.7% overall · n=35
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income120 tested
ELA 47.9%·Math 39.2%· +6.9pp vs district
Hispanic125 tested
ELA 49.6%·Math 40.0%· +8.6pp vs district
English Learner35 tested
ELA 9.1%·Math 8.6%· +2.1pp vs district
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 rises by 9.8pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.5pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$78K
$7K below CA median
Median Home Value
$765K
$106K above CA median
Bachelor's+
18%
17pp below 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
3.6 years avg experience
14 teachers · 36% first-year · 21% second-year
Teacher Credentials
92% fully credentialed
7.7% on intern/emergency permit
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%
19.5%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
45.4%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 52th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-5.0pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
8.5%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 65th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.4%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 60th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 40 | 25% | 25% | 20% | 30% | 50% | +7 |
| Grade 4 | 43 | 19% | 23% | 19% | 40% | 42% | −3 |
| Grade 5 | 45 | 29% | 29% | 27% | 16% | 58% | +10 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 40 | 23% | 30% | 10% | 38% | 53% | +7 |
| Grade 4 | 45 | 7% | 29% | 27% | 38% | 36% | −6 |
| Grade 5 | 46 | 15% | 20% | 22% | 43% | 35% | −1 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 46 | 13% | 11% | 67% | 9% |
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 | 117 | 47.9% | +7 | +10 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 123 | 49.6% | +9 | +11 |
| English Learners | 33 | 9.1% | +2 | −1 |
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISANA Cardinal Academy ← | — | 48 | 19.5% | 45.4% | −5.0 | 0.4% |
| Science Academy STEM Magnet | 2.3 mi | 93 | 87.7% | 98.3% | −4.6 | 0.2% |
| Theodore Roosevelt Elementary | 3.3 mi | 61 | 34.5% | 64.0% | +6.2 | 0.8% |
| ISANA Palmati Academy | 1.5 mi | 61 | 41.0% | 63.5% | −10.7 | 0.4% |
| California average | — | 43 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2050 → #2591 → #4161 → #2017 → #1892
What we can't show
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is ISANA Cardinal Academy a good elementary school?
ISANA Cardinal Academy has a Scope Score of 48 out of 100, placing it in the 67th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,892 statewide. 19.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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 ISANA Cardinal Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 45.4% of students at ISANA Cardinal Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 19.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 19.5% 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. 259 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does ISANA Cardinal Academy rank in California?
ISANA Cardinal Academy ranks #1,892 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 67th 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 ISANA Cardinal Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at ISANA Cardinal Academy decreases by 5.0 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 ISANA Cardinal Academy?
8.5% of students at ISANA Cardinal 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 0.4%, 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 ISANA Cardinal Academy compare to other schools in Sun Valley?
ISANA Cardinal Academy scores 48/100 (67th 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 294 students. Use the schools in Sun Valley page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does ISANA Cardinal Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At ISANA Cardinal Academy in Sun Valley, 47.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. ISANA Cardinal Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (49.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 40.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 117 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.