ExploreMapCompareBlogSign in
Madison Middle · Oceanside

Madison Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Madison posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

4930 Lake Boulevard, 92056 (opens in new tab)·Vista Unified·Oceanside·Grades 6-8·1,158 students·69% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 940-0176·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope2743
% Exceeded10%17%
% Met+30%39%
Growth-6.8+1.5
Absence27.6%18.5%
Suspension11.5%3.7%
Scope Score
27
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,889 statewide · #6 of 6 in Vista Unified

Madison Middle scores 27 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 16th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

Most rating sites would stop at “30% proficient” and call it done. Madison deserves a closer read. The school sits in Oceanside, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 45th to the 16th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 30% meet the standard today, versus 41% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 649%40%39%37%43%
Grade 746%46%35%30%38%
Grade 852%47%32%30%30%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 634%21%19%20%23%
Grade 728%29%27%27%23%
Grade 836%29%27%20%22%

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.

15%
28%
57%
Grade 6 · 43% proficient
12%
25%
63%
Grade 7 · 37% proficient
23%
70%
Grade 8 · 30% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
9.9%
State 16.8%
6.9pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-6.8pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
29.8%
State 39.3%
9.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
27.6%
State 18.5%
9.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
11.5%
State 3.7%
7.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
12.7%
State 18.0%
5.3pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside it.
  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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.

How every group of students does here

At Madison Middle in Oceanside, 27.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Madison Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 7.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 773 students tested.

All students at this school: 30% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 30%, district —, state 39%30%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 22%, district 30%, state 32%22% · −8 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 22%, district 29%, state 32%22% · −8 vs school
MaleMale: this school 30%, district 39%, state 42%30% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 30%, district 39%, state 44%30% · −0 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 48%, district 60%, state 56%48% · +18 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 8%, district 14%, state 15%8% · −21 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 1%, district 4%, state 11%1% · −29 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 9%, district 19%, state 22%9% · −21 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 37%, district 54%, state 56%37% · +7 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 68%, district 77%, state 72%68% · +38 vs school

5 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 8.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -7.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 27.6%, district 22.4%, state 18.5%27.6% · +9.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 11.5%, district —, state 3.7%11.5% · +7.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–623.3%
Grades 7–829.8%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 19:1, district 22:119:1
Teaching staff64 teachers
Avg. experience13.1 years
Fully credentialed87%
Intern / emergency permit0.3%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$57,722 – $120,983
Principal salary$161,808 – $178,935
Superintendent salary$320,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,437, CA average $14,815$18,437 · spent at this school
Federal share$733 per student

$733 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,783 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction64%
Instruction support12%
Student services9%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other1%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,817 per pupil
2019$13,241 per pupil
2018$14,041 per pupil
2017$11,234 per pupil
2016$10,657 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic65.3%
District 66.4% · CA 56.1%
White23.2%
District 21.5% · CA 19.9%
Other8.2%
District 8.2% · CA 9.0%
Black1.7%
District 2.2% · CA 4.8%
Asian1.6%
District 1.8% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 68.7% (5pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$106K · CA $85K
Median home value$773K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+41% · CA 35%
ZIP population53,616
Median age40 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 23% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Madison Middle a good middle school?

Madison Middle has a Scope Score of 27 out of 100, placing it in the 16th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,889 statewide. 9.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.9 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), 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 Madison Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 29.8% of students at Madison Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.9% 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. 2,226 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Madison Middle rank in California?

Madison Middle ranks #1,889 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 16th 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 Madison Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Madison Middle decreases by 6.8 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 Madison Middle?

27.6% of students at Madison Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 11.5%. 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 Madison Middle compare to other schools in Oceanside?

Madison Middle scores 27/100 (16th 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 1,158 students. Use the schools in Oceanside page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Madison Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Madison Middle in Oceanside, 27.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 35.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Madison Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 7.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 773 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.

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.


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 · 38%
9.9%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 42th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-6.8pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 34th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
29.8%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 43th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
27.6%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 37th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
11.5%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 18th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
12.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 637815%28%22%34%43%−3
Grade 735712%25%25%38%38%−10
Grade 83807%23%26%44%30%−16
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 63769%14%28%49%23%−12
Grade 73567%16%28%49%23%−11
Grade 83799%13%25%52%22%−10
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113865%17%60%17%

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 Disadvantaged77327.9%−7−10
Hispanic/Latino72428.2%−6−11
White25956.4%−9−5
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Madison Middle ←279.9%29.8%−6.811.5%
Calavera Hills Middle1.9 mi5322.5%53.4%+6.84.2%
Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology, Science,2.4 mi4521.4%47.3%+2.57.4%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193745#110514.1%40.7%9.1%12.5%+3.0pp
20223545#11979.6%35.2%34.8%16.5%+7.8pp
20233330#15387.9%29.9%24.2%12.5%+0.2pp
20242621#17448.4%27.2%16.9%8.8%-3.7pp
20252716#18899.9%29.8%27.6%11.5%-6.8pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 10 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female8.6%29.5%+20.9pp
Male9.4%25.8%+16.4pp
Asian7.4%14.3%+6.9pp
Black/African American32.0%45.5%+13.5pp
White7.7%
Hispanic/Latino8.5%31.0%+22.5pp
Two or More Races3.5%23.4%+19.9pp
Students with Disabilities14.4%38.2%+23.8pp
English Learners9.8%31.3%+21.5pp
Homeless22.4%49.0%+26.6pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.1%32.5%+23.4pp
All Students9.1%27.7%+18.6pp
Military-Connected18.2%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

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