ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
School Profile · El Cajon

Kidinnu Academy: English learners here outpace the state by 25 points. But this year's 5th graders test below its 3rd graders.

Kidinnu Academy posts numbers for its most vulnerable students that most schools don't reach overall. The trend line is the part worth a closer look.

1025 North Second Street, 92021 (opens in new tab)·Cajon Valley Union·El Cajon·Grades K-8·433 students·90% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 938-4864·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
48
🤝 Culture First · Developing
ranked #1,876 statewide · #2 of 22 in Cajon Valley Union

Kidinnu 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 “50% proficient” and call it done. Kidinnu Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in El Cajon, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 3.4% chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

As a charter, Kidinnu Academy enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The story this school is actually telling

The culture · kids show up
3.4%

chronic absenteeism — versus 17.9% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

↑ a culture signal, not a test score
The trajectory · grade 3→5
18.3pp

proficiency runs 59% in this year's grade 3 against 41% in its grade 5. The state average rises by +4.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

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

35%
24%
41%
Grade 3 · 59% proficient
27%
27%
46%
Grade 4 · 54% proficient
17%
32%
51%
Grade 5 · 49% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 18.3pp across grades; the floor slips 9.8pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. The school's 5th graders aren't posting a wider lead than its 3rd graders. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

50.2%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Kidinnu Academy's most underrated number

50.2% 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.

Kidinnu Academy low-income: 50.2%State low-income: 38.2%Kidinnu Academy EL: 35.0%State EL: 10.4%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
26.1%
State 21.3%
4.8pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
50.1%
State 42.7%
7.5pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-18.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
3.4%
State 17.9%
14.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.3%
State 1.6%
1.3pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 3 and grade 5. The trajectory is the thing a tour will tell you more about than a spreadsheet.

Where the path goes

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

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

Hispanic1.6%
White98.4%
GenderFemale 54.7%Male 45.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 89.8% (26pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
433
187 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
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,459
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$56,646 – $131,982
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Kidinnu Academy in El Cajon, 50.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Kidinnu Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 22.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (36.4% Math proficient); White students (52.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 209 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−18.6pp
33.3% vs 51.9% overall · n=123
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−6.8pp
13.3% vs 20.1% overall · n=123
Math · English Learner−9.6pp
28.1% vs 37.7% overall · n=123
Math Exceeded · English Learner−6.4pp
12.9% vs 19.3% overall · n=123

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income209 tested
ELA 50.2%·Math 36.4%· +22.7pp vs district
White221 tested
ELA 52.5%·Math 39.4%· +16.5pp vs district
English Learner123 tested
ELA 35.0%·Math 30.9%· +30.4pp 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 falls by 11.6pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +5.5pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 35%Other 3%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$74K
$11K below CA median
Median Home Value
$612K
$47K below 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
4.4 years avg experience
19 teachers · 32% first-year · 16% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% 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 →
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%
26.1%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
50.1%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 56th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
-18.3pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 33th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
3.4%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 74th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.3%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 61th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35135%24%18%24%59%+15
Grade 45227%27%19%27%54%+9
Grade 55317%32%13%38%49%+1
Grade 64910%33%24%33%43%−4
Grade 72010%45%25%20%55%+7
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35137%22%20%22%59%+13
Grade 45227%21%31%21%48%+6
Grade 55313%19%17%51%32%−3
Grade 6498%10%22%59%18%−17
Grade 72010%20%30%40%30%−4
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11532%23%62%13%

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 Disadvantaged20950.2%+23+12
White22152.5%+16−9
English Learners12335.0%+30+25
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Kidinnu Academy ←4826.1%50.1%−18.30.3%
Riverview Elementary2.6 mi6235.6%63.6%−0.50.5%
Literacy First Charter1.8 mi5127.0%51.2%+7.52.1%
Lakeview Elementary3 mi4523.0%53.3%−16.10.9%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
42%48%'22'23'24'25
2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · rank #1982 → #2146 → #2130 → #1876
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 Kidinnu Academy a good elementary school?
Kidinnu Academy has a Scope Score of 48 out of 100, placing it in the 67th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,876 statewide. 26.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.8 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 Kidinnu Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 50.1% of students at Kidinnu Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 26.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 26.1% 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. 312 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Kidinnu Academy rank in California?
Kidinnu Academy ranks #1,876 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 Kidinnu Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Kidinnu Academy decreases by 18.3 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 Kidinnu Academy?
3.4% of students at Kidinnu 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 Kidinnu Academy compare to other schools in El Cajon?
Kidinnu 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 433 students. Use the schools in El Cajon page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Kidinnu Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Kidinnu Academy in El Cajon, 50.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Kidinnu Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 22.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (36.4% Math proficient); White students (52.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 18.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 209 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.