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School Profile · Garden Grove

John Murdy Elementary: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

John Murdy pairs 69% proficiency with gains that hold up when the same students are tracked two years apart — the rare school that posts both.

14851 Donegal Drive, 92844 (opens in new tab)·Garden Grove Unified·Garden Grove·Grades TK-6·689 students·71% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 663-6405·Website
Scope Score
68
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #598 statewide · #5 of 44 in Garden Grove Unified

John Murdy Elementary scores 68 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 90th 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 “69% proficient” and call it done. John Murdy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Garden Grove, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

John Murdy's low-income kids hit 66.8% 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 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.

32%
25%
43%
Grade 3 · 57% proficient
45%
25%
30%
Grade 4 · 70% proficient
50%
36%
14%
Grade 5 · 86% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 18.1pp across grades; the floor rises 28.6pp. 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.

66.8%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

John Murdy's most underrated number

66.8% 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.

John Murdy low-income: 66.8%State low-income: 38.2%John Murdy EL: 35.9%State EL: 10.4%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
40.6%
State 21.3%
19.2pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
69.5%
State 42.7%
26.8pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+13.7pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
7.7%
State 17.9%
10.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 1.6%
0.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
30.2%
State 18.0%
12.2pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
John Murdy Elementary
68/100
This school
High School

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

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

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic12.9%
White2.5%
Asian78.1%
Other6.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 71.3% (7pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
689
209 above CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
67 TK students
10% of a 673-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
3 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,255
District avg: $14,737 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
30.2% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$72,504 – $141,634
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At John Murdy Elementary in Garden Grove, 66.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. John Murdy Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (66.1% Math proficient); Asian students (72.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 292 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Hispanic+12.5pp
20.2% vs 7.7% overall · n=89
ELA · English Learner−42.9pp
29.0% vs 71.9% overall · n=78
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−35.2pp
6.8% vs 42.0% overall · n=78
Math · English Learner−34.8pp
34.5% vs 69.3% overall · n=93
Math Exceeded · English Learner−29.1pp
12.8% vs 41.8% overall · n=93

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income292 tested
ELA 66.8%·Math 66.1%· +11.4pp vs district
Asian304 tested
ELA 72.9%·Math 73.0%· -6.6pp vs district
English Learner93 tested
ELA 35.9%·Math 37.6%· +15.7pp 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 28.8pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +7.0pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 63%Support 34%Other 3%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$80K
$5K below CA median
Median Home Value
$754K
$95K above CA median
Bachelor's+
22%
13pp 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
17.0 years avg experience
33 teachers · 12% first-year
Teacher Credentials
92% fully credentialed

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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is John Murdy Elementary a good elementary school?
John Murdy Elementary has a Scope Score of 68 out of 100, placing it in the 90th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #598 statewide. 40.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 19.2 percentage points above 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 John Murdy Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 69.5% of students at John Murdy Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.6% 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. 555 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does John Murdy Elementary rank in California?
John Murdy Elementary ranks #598 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 90th 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 John Murdy Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at John Murdy Elementary increases by 13.7 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. 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 John Murdy Elementary?
7.7% of students at John Murdy Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.7%, 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 John Murdy Elementary compare to other schools in Garden Grove?
John Murdy Elementary scores 68/100 (90th 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 689 students. Use the schools in Garden Grove page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does John Murdy Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At John Murdy Elementary in Garden Grove, 66.8% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. John Murdy Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (66.1% Math proficient); Asian students (72.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 42.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 292 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.

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%
40.6%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 69th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
69.5%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 70th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+13.7pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 66th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
7.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 67th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 57th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
30.2%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 68th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39132%25%27%15%57%+14
Grade 410245%25%16%14%71%+26
Grade 58450%36%10%5%86%+38
Grade 610241%33%14%12%75%+28
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 39132%35%19%14%67%+21
Grade 410236%34%21%9%71%+29
Grade 58548%18%24%11%66%+31
Grade 610251%23%16%11%74%+39
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/118520%45%32%4%

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 Disadvantaged29266.8%+11+29
Asian30372.9%−7−1
English Learners9235.9%+16+25
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
John Murdy Elementary ←6840.6%69.5%+13.70.7%
Ethan B. Allen Elementary1.3 mi8566.4%88.5%−1.00.6%
Plavan (Urbain H.) Elementary2.1 mi8457.7%81.0%+8.40.5%
A. G. Cook Elementary1.2 mi7857.0%80.4%−12.10.4%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
66%68%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #741 → #652 → #508 → #608 → #598
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue