ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
School Profile · Tustin

Ladera Elementary: High scores, real growth, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Ladera posts 47.0% exceeding the standard — versus 21.3% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

2515 Rawlings Way, 92782 (opens in new tab)·Tustin Unified·Tustin·Grades TK-5·345 students·32% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 730-7505
Scope Score
74
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #344 statewide · #7 of 18 in Tustin Unified

Ladera Elementary scores 74 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 94th 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 “71% proficient” and call it done. Ladera deserves a closer read. The school sits in Tustin, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Ladera's low-income kids hit 51.9% 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.

50%
21%
29%
Grade 3 · 71% proficient
41%
19%
40%
Grade 4 · 60% proficient
51%
24%
25%
Grade 5 · 75% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 3.9pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

51.9%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Ladera's most underrated number

51.9% 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.

Ladera low-income: 51.9%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
47.0%
State 21.3%
25.6pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
70.9%
State 42.7%
28.2pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+1.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
6.7%
State 17.9%
11.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
26.9%
State 18.0%
8.9pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Ladera Elementary
74/100
This 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

Hispanic29.3%
White23.5%
Asian32.2%
Black0.6%
Other14.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 32.5% (31pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
345
135 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
45 TK students
13% of a 359-student campus · CDE Census Day 2025-26
Student-Teacher Ratio
27:1
6 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,539
District avg: $12,042 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
26.9% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$63,595 – $136,551
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Ladera Elementary in Tustin, 51.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 45.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ladera Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (59.6% Math proficient); Asian students (82.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 52 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+5.2pp
11.9% vs 6.7% overall · n=59
ELA · Low-Income−16.7pp
51.4% vs 68.2% overall · n=39
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−16.5pp
30.8% vs 47.2% overall · n=39
Math · Hispanic−15.7pp
57.9% vs 73.6% overall · n=19
Math Exceeded · Hispanic−20.4pp
26.3% vs 46.7% overall · n=19

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income52 tested
ELA 51.9%·Math 59.6%· +6.0pp vs district
Asian56 tested
ELA 82.1%·Math 85.7%· -4.5pp vs district
Hispanic46 tested
ELA 54.3%·Math 54.3%· +12.4pp 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 rises by 12.9pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +7.6pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 66%Support 31%Other 2%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$146K
$61K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.15M
$490K above CA median
Bachelor's+
66%
31pp above 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
13.5 years avg experience
16 teachers · 13% second-year
Teacher Credentials
76% 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 Ladera Elementary a good elementary school?
Ladera Elementary has a Scope Score of 74 out of 100, placing it in the 94th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #344 statewide. 47.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 25.6 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 Ladera Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 70.9% of students at Ladera Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 47.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 47.0% 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. 334 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Ladera Elementary rank in California?
Ladera Elementary ranks #344 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 94th 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 Ladera Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Ladera Elementary increases by 1.3 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 Ladera Elementary?
6.7% of students at Ladera 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 0.1%, 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 Ladera Elementary compare to other schools in Tustin?
Ladera Elementary scores 74/100 (94th 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 345 students. Use the schools in Tustin page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Ladera Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Ladera Elementary in Tustin, 51.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 45.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Ladera Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 6.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (59.6% Math proficient); Asian students (82.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.7 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 52 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%
47.0%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 75th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
70.9%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 72th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+1.3pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 77th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
6.7%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 68th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 62th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
26.9%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35850%21%17%12%71%+27
Grade 45441%19%24%17%59%+14
Grade 55551%24%16%9%75%+27
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35845%31%16%9%76%+30
Grade 45441%30%22%7%70%+29
Grade 55555%20%15%11%75%+39
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115529%24%47%0%

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 Disadvantaged5251.9%+6+14
Asian5682.1%−5+8
Hispanic/Latino4654.3%+12+16
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Ladera Elementary ←7447.0%70.9%+1.30.1%
Santiago Hills Elementary2.3 mi9266.6%86.0%+3.70.7%
Orchard Hills1.3 mi8865.2%86.0%+7.01.4%
Tustin Memorial Elementary0.8 mi8760.7%88.3%−0.10.7%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
68%74%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #635 → #294 → #685 → #658 → #344
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue