Math
35%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Public high school
Kathleen MacDonald High
This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
65% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 35% in math. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
Phone(669) 369-4400
DistrictSanta Clara Unified
PrincipalVivian Rhone-Lay
Grades9-12
Enrollment683 students
English
65%Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
683Total enrollment
Graduation
—Four-year graduation rate
What are you trying to decide?
The overall score is a starting point.
Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.
View school performance →Start with your child’s daily experience.
Explore teaching, coursework and student-group results. A schoolwide average cannot predict an individual experience.
Explore student experience →Confirm the enrollment route.
Check the address, grade and enrollment requirements directly with the district or school.
Check attendance and enrollment →Compare the options you can access.
Use comparable evidence alongside entry requirements, cost and location.
Compare nearby schools →Academic performance
What do the results tell us?
2025 results · Grade 11 · weighted by students tested within each subject.
Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →
Share at Proficient or Advanced
● Math┄ English
Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.
Exact annual results
| Year | Math | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35% | 65% |
Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.
How achievement is distributed
AdvancedStandard Exceeded
19%ProficientStandard Met
16%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
23%MinimalStandard Not Met
42%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
32%ProficientStandard Met
33%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
20%MinimalStandard Not Met
16%Achievement-level percentages are not percentiles. “Developing” here is a test achievement level, separate from the SchoolScope performance band with the same name.
Annual results and the full academic record
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
Two in five of students here meet the standard. One in four clear it by a lot.
ELA65% met or exceeded
Exceeded 32%Met 33%Nearly Met 20%Not Met 16%
Math35% met or exceeded
Exceeded 19%Met 16%Nearly Met 23%Not Met 42%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California high schools · average20% exceeded · 43% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2025–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Grad rate | College readiness | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 62 | 26% | 50% | — | — | 13.5% | 5.5% |
| CA average · High School | 54 | 20% | 43% | 92.5% | 43.0% | 23.1% | 3.3% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope6254
% Exceeded26%20%
% Met+50%43%
Grad rate—92.5%
College readiness—43.0%
Absence13.5%23.1%
Suspension5.5%3.3%
Students & opportunity
Who shares in the school’s results?
Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25
Low-income students here meet the ELA standard ahead of the same group statewide.
56.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. This comparison does not tell us what caused the difference.
Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 50% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 50%, district —, state 43%50%
MaleMale: this school 50%, district 53%, state 42%50% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 50%, district 57%, state 44%50% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 29%, district 30%, state 32%29% · −21 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 40%, district 31%, state 32%40% · −10 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 81%, district 77%, state 72%81% · +31 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 18%, district 20%, state 15%18% · −32 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 58%, district 69%, state 56%58% · +8 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 57%, district 60%, state 65%57% · +7 vs school
7 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide California's growth model by student group
No student-group growth record is available for this school in this data release.
Where graduates go
What happens after high school?
See the published graduate records below. Missing destination counts are not treated as zero.
College destinations and the full graduate record
Where graduates go
Context — never part of the Scope Score
The daily experience
What is it like to be a student here?
Students per teacher
Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.
Teacher experience
Average teacher experience in the published staffing record. It does not measure individual teacher effectiveness.
AP subjects authorized
Authorization does not mean every course runs every year. Ask about current offerings, prerequisites, scheduling and support.
Chronically absent
The share of students absent for at least 10% of their enrolled school days. Attendance reflects both school and out-of-school circumstances.
The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25
About 19 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Kathleen MacDonald's teachers are authorized to teach 13 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — including Calculus AB, Computer Science A, and Computer Science Principles.
Students per teacher19 · district 20
Teaching staff39 teachers
Avg. experience10.1 years
PrincipalVivian Rhone-Lay
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$95,734 – $171,568
Principal salary$219,111 – $234,952
Superintendent salary$338,130
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
Advanced coursework
AP subjects taught13
ShowHide the 13 AP courses by discipline
Math & Computer Science (4)Calculus AB · Computer Science A · Computer Science Principles · Statistics
Sciences (2)Biology · Chemistry
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (3)Psychology · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History
World Languages & Cultures (1)Spanish Language and Culture
Arts (1)Drawing
Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, 2025 - 2026 audit year (authorization, not enrollment) · IB World Schools directory, name-matched
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here show up more, and get suspended more, than the state average.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 13.5%, district 14.7%, state 23.1%13.5% · −9.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.5%, district —, state 3.3%5.5% · +2.2pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
ShowHide attendance by student group and by grade
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1212.1%
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25
It spends $34,764 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $34,764, CA average $14,491$34,764 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$32,023 per student
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 62%Instruction support 14%Student services 7%Administration 7%Buildings & maintenance 9%
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$20,344 per pupil
2019$18,925 per pupil
2018$19,279 per pupil
2017$17,223 per pupil
2016$15,125 per pupil
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
One in four of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Worth knowing
At 683 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).
On the state's science test (CAST), 51% 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.
Hispanic or Latino46.0% · district 38.1% · CA 56.1%
White12.6% · district 15.9% · CA 19.9%
Asian19.9% · district 31.1% · CA 10.2%
Black2.9% · district 2.4% · CA 4.8%
Other18.6% · district 12.4% · CA 9.0%
Free or reduced lunch31.8% · CA 64%
Median income$204K · CA $85K
Bachelor's degree+76% · CA 35%
ZIP population30,471
Median age31 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Culture & philosophy
What is the school’s approach?
School-stated approach · questions for your visit
Look beyond the brochure
A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.
Read the school’s own website ↗Family voices
What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?
Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”
Educator voices
What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?
Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”
Compare nearby schools
What are the alternatives?
Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.
2025 · high schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.
No nearby schools in this category are listed. The school being viewed stays visible for reference.
| School | Type | Performance band | Advanced | Proficient or Advanced | Distance | Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen MacDonald Highalternative comparison group | Public | Strong | 26% | 50% | School being viewed | |
| Opportunity Youth Academyalternative comparison group | Charter | Developing | 2% | 10% | 2.5 mi |
More nearby public and private options
Your other options
Your other options
Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.
Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.
4 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
- District public
- Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
- Charter
- Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
- Private
- Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.
Moving & enrollment
Which schools could serve my child?
Check your address with the district
School location and nearby schools do not establish attendance eligibility. Confirm boundaries and permit requirements with Santa Clara Unified.
District information →School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
Abram Agnew ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 52/100
George Mayne ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 42/100
Kathryn Hughes ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 37/100
Montague ElementaryAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 32/100
Don CallejonAlternative · verify enrollment routeScope Score 66/100
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Source: proximity. Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.
Plan your next step
What should I do next?
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 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.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Kathleen MacDonald High a good high school?
Kathleen MacDonald High has a Scope Score of 62 out of 100, placing it in the 98th percentile of California alternative high schools and ranked #2 in that group. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 25.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.9 percentage points above the California average of 19.8%. 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 Kathleen MacDonald High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 49.9% of students at Kathleen MacDonald High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 25.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 25.7% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 384 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Kathleen MacDonald High rank among California alternative schools?
Kathleen MacDonald High ranks #2 among California alternative high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 98th percentile. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 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 Kathleen MacDonald High?
13.5% of students at Kathleen MacDonald High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 23.1%. The suspension rate is 5.5%. 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 Kathleen MacDonald High compare to other schools in San Jose?
Kathleen MacDonald High scores 62/100 (98th percentile) among California alternative high schools. This is a rank inside that group, not a statewide one: SchoolScope compares alternative schools with one another rather than with California's comprehensive campuses, so it cannot be read against a statewide figure. Why these schools are ranked separately. 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 683 students. Use the schools in San Jose page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Kathleen MacDonald High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Kathleen MacDonald High in San Jose, 56.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Kathleen MacDonald High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 19.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (47.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 62 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.
What AP courses are offered at Kathleen MacDonald High?
Kathleen MacDonald High's teachers are authorized to teach 13 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: Biology, Calculus AB, Chemistry, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, Drawing, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, Psychology, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, United States History. Authorization means the school may teach a course, not that a section is running this year, and it's separate from AP exam pass rates. Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.
Behind the evidence
Inspect the full record
Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.
How the Scope Score is calculated
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.
What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25
The 5 things our score weighs
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 25.7% | 19.8% | 22% |
| Met or exceeded | 49.9% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 13.5% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 5.5% | 3.3% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 30.1% | 18.0% | 5% |
Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures graduation, test performance, college readiness, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built
A closer look at the evidence
Kathleen MacDonald High: reading the evidence
Kathleen MacDonald posts 50% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
Explore the underlying data →Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
Kathleen MacDonald High is ranked #2 of California alternative high schools.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 25.7% | 19.8% | 22% |
| Met or exceeded | 49.9% | 43.2% | 18% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 13.5% | 23.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 5.5% | 3.3% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 30.1% | 18.0% | 5% |
- Exceeded standard
- ↑ vs CA 19.8% · index 61 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↑ vs CA 43.2% · index 60 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↑ vs CA 23.1% · index 64 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- Suspension rate
- ↓ vs CA 3.3% · index 42 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
- EL proficiency (ELPAC)
- ↑ vs CA 18.0% · index 72 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 193 | 32% | 33% | 20% | 16% | 65% | +16 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 191 | 19% | 16% | 23% | 42% | 35% | +11 |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 195 | 16% | 35% | 45% | 4% |
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 · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 62 | 56.5% | +19 | +18 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 85 | 47.1% | +10 | +8 |
| Asian | 45 | 88.9% | +10 | +15 |
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kathleen MacDonald High ← | — | 62 | 25.7% | 49.9% | 5.5% |
| California average | — | 54 | 19.8% | 43.2% | 3.3% |
| Opportunity Youth Academyscored within its class, not statewide | 2.5 mi | 17 | 2.0% | 9.9% | 0.5% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
What we can't show
- — This school's rank and percentile are computed against California alternative high schools, not California's comprehensive campuses — see the Enrollment Axiom at /methodology#peer-class.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
ShowHide table 05 — Climate by student group
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | — | 14.4% | — |
| Male | — | 9.9% | — |
| Asian | — | 7.1% | — |
| Black/African American | — | 23.8% | — |
| Filipino | — | 8.3% | — |
| Hispanic/Latino | — | 13.9% | — |
| Two or More Races | — | 20.0% | — |
| White | — | 9.1% | — |
| Students with Disabilities | — | 16.0% | — |
| English Learners | — | 16.7% | — |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | — | 12.7% | — |
| All Students | — | 12.1% | — |
06AP course catalog2025 - 2026
ShowHide table 06 — AP course catalog
| Subject | Taught by |
|---|---|
| Biology | this school |
| Calculus AB | this school |
| Chemistry | this school |
| Computer Science A | this school |
| Computer Science Principles | this school |
| Drawing | this school |
| English Language and Composition | this school |
| English Literature and Composition | this school |
| Psychology | this school |
| Spanish Language and Culture | this school |
| Statistics | this school |
| U.S. Government and Politics | this school |
| United States History | this school |
Authorization ≠ a section running this year — the Ledger records what the school may teach, not seat counts.
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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,647 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · AP Course Ledger 2025 - 2026 (November refresh; authorization not enrollment) · Data updated 2026-09-18
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