School Profile · Oakland
LIFE Academy: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
LIFE Academy posts 25% meeting the standard and 4.1% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
2101 35th Avenue, 94601 (opens in new tab)·Oakland Unified·Oakland·Grades 6-12·436 students·98% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(510) 879-1335·Website
Scope Score
29
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,592 statewide · #17 of 34 in Oakland Unified
LIFE Academy scores 29 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 29th percentile of 2,238 California middle 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 “25% proficient” and call it done. LIFE Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Oakland, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
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.
15%
82%
Grade 6 · 18% proficient
48%
49%
Grade 7 · 51% proficient
8%
26%
66%
Grade 8 · 34% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 4.9pp across grades; the floor rises 16.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp 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 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
4.1%
State 16.8%
12.7pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
24.9%
State 39.3%
14.4pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+12.6pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
23.1%
State 18.5%
4.6pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.9%
State 3.7%
2.7pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
18.0%
State 18.0%
0.1pp 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 Path
LIFE Academy serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 78
Piedmont Middle
Piedmont City Unified · 2.8 mi
Strong
82/100
Downtown Charter Academy
Oakland Unified · 1.3 mi
Strong
76/100
Lincoln Middle
Alameda Unified · 2.4 mi
Strong
74/100
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
Hispanic92.0%
White0.5%
Asian2.3%
Black3.7%
Other1.6%
GenderFemale 50.0%Male 49.8%Non-binary 0.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 98.2% (34pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
436
764 below CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
No TK reported, 2025-26
California requires the district to offer TK, but not every site has a room — ask the district which campuses do.
Student-Teacher Ratio
15:1
6 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$29,915
District avg: $18,173 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
18.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$62,696 – $109,878
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At LIFE Academy in Oakland, 37.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. LIFE Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 241 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+21.3pp
44.4% vs 23.1% overall · n=18
ELA · Disabilities−26.8pp
11.8% vs 38.5% overall · n=18
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−6.6pp
0.0% vs 6.6% overall · n=18
Math · English Learner−12.6pp
3.2% vs 15.8% overall · n=69
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income241 tested
ELA 37.6%·Math 15.2%· +13.5pp vs district
Hispanic224 tested
ELA 39.5%·Math 15.4%· +17.5pp vs district
English Learner83 tested
ELA 12.3%·Math 2.5%· +7.3pp 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 15.3pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +2.9pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$72K
$13K below CA median
Median Home Value
$710K
$51K above CA median
Bachelor's+
26%
9pp 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
7.7 years avg experience
33 teachers · 9% first-year · 9% second-year
Teacher Credentials
50% fully credentialed
5.2% 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%
4.1%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 36th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
24.9%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 39th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+12.6pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 56th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
23.1%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 44th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.9%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 61th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
18.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 61 | 3% | 15% | 38% | 44% | 18% | −29 |
| Grade 7 | 63 | 3% | 48% | 27% | 22% | 51% | +3 |
| Grade 8 | 61 | 8% | 26% | 38% | 28% | 34% | −12 |
| Grade 11 | 59 | 12% | 39% | 31% | 19% | 51% | +4 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 61 | 2% | 8% | 11% | 79% | 10% | −25 |
| Grade 7 | 63 | 3% | 14% | 40% | 43% | 17% | −17 |
| Grade 8 | 59 | 5% | 14% | 39% | 42% | 19% | −14 |
| Grade 11 | 58 | 2% | 16% | 28% | 55% | 17% | −6 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 120 | 3% | 18% | 65% | 13% |
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 | 241 | 37.6% | +14 | −1 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 224 | 39.5% | +17 | +1 |
| English Learners | 83 | 12.3% | +7 | +2 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIFE Academy ← | — | 29 | 4.1% | 24.9% | +12.6 | 0.9% |
| Piedmont Middle | 2.8 mi | 82 | 54.9% | 82.9% | −8.1 | 1.7% |
| Downtown Charter Academy | 1.3 mi | 76 | 45.2% | 75.8% | −7.6 | 0.5% |
| Lincoln Middle | 2.4 mi | 74 | 43.6% | 75.2% | +1.3 | 4.6% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1920 → #1567 → #1380 → #1193 → #1592
What we can't show
- — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is LIFE Academy a good middle school?
LIFE Academy has a Scope Score of 29 out of 100, placing it in the 29th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,592 statewide. 4.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle 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 LIFE Academy's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 24.9% of students at LIFE Academy met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.1% 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. 368 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does LIFE Academy rank in California?
LIFE Academy ranks #1,592 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 29th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 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 LIFE Academy getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at LIFE Academy increases by 12.6 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 middle 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 LIFE Academy?
23.1% of students at LIFE Academy are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 0.9%, 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 LIFE Academy compare to other schools in Oakland?
LIFE Academy scores 29/100 (29th percentile) among California middle 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 436 students. Use the schools in Oakland page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does LIFE Academy serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At LIFE Academy in Oakland, 37.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 24.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. LIFE Academy outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.8 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 241 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.