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School Profile · Carson

Magnolia Science Academy 3: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Magnolia Science Academy 3 posts low test scores — and suspensions run below the state rate (1.9% vs 3.7%). If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

1254 East Helmick Street, 90746 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles County Office of Education·Carson·Grades 6-12·411 students·73% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 637-3806·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
23
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #2,057 statewide · #12 of 12 in Los Angeles County Office of Education

Magnolia Science Academy 3 scores 23 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 8th 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 “20% proficient” and call it done. Magnolia Science Academy 3 deserves a closer read. The school sits in Carson, 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.

As a charter, Magnolia Science Academy 3 enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

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.

9%
21%
70%
Grade 6 · 30% proficient
30%
63%
Grade 7 · 37% proficient
88%
Grade 8 · 12% proficient

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
7.2%
State 16.8%
9.6pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-13.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
20.5%
State 39.3%
18.8pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
25.8%
State 18.5%
7.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
1.9%
State 3.7%
1.7pp 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.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Path

Magnolia Science Academy 3 serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.

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

Hispanic54.5%
White0.2%
Asian0.5%
Black42.3%
Other2.4%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 72.5% (9pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
411
789 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
23:1
2 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$123,399
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$58,299 – $115,472
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Magnolia Science Academy 3 in Carson, 38.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Magnolia Science Academy 3 trails its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.8% Math proficient); Black students (32.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.1 percentage points for black students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 158 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Black−10.1pp
27.3% vs 37.3% overall · n=96
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Black−7.5pp
7.1% vs 14.6% overall · n=96
Math · Black−3.8pp
13.6% vs 17.4% overall · n=96
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−3.0pp
4.2% vs 7.2% overall · n=160

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income160 tested
ELA 38.0%·Math 15.8%· -0.1pp vs district
Black110 tested
ELA 32.9%·Math 13.6%· +5.1pp vs district
Hispanic109 tested
ELA 43.5%·Math 20.5%· -7.1pp 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 24.4pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 19%Support 76%Other 5%

Source: NCES F-33 (2018–2019) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$113K
$28K above CA median
Median Home Value
$770K
$111K above CA median
Bachelor's+
34%
1pp 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
11.1 years avg experience
22 teachers · 9% first-year · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
77% fully credentialed
4.1% 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Magnolia Science Academy 3 a good middle school?
Magnolia Science Academy 3 has a Scope Score of 23 out of 100, placing it in the 8th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #2,057 statewide. 7.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 9.6 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 Magnolia Science Academy 3's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 20.5% of students at Magnolia Science Academy 3 met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 7.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 13.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 7.2% 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. 335 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Magnolia Science Academy 3 rank in California?
Magnolia Science Academy 3 ranks #2,057 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 8th 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 Magnolia Science Academy 3 getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Magnolia Science Academy 3 decreases by 13.2 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 Magnolia Science Academy 3?
25.8% of students at Magnolia Science Academy 3 are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 1.9%, 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 Magnolia Science Academy 3 compare to other schools in Carson?
Magnolia Science Academy 3 scores 23/100 (8th 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 411 students. Use the schools in Carson page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Magnolia Science Academy 3 serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Magnolia Science Academy 3 in Carson, 38.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Magnolia Science Academy 3 trails its district average for low-income students by 0.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.8% Math proficient); Black students (32.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 10.1 percentage points for black students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 158 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 · 38%
7.2%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 39th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-13.2pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 25th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
20.5%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 35th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
25.8%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 40th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.9%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 57th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6569%21%21%48%30%−16
Grade 7617%30%26%38%36%−12
Grade 8506%6%36%52%12%−34
Grade 115737%33%14%16%70%+23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 6567%13%21%59%20%−15
Grade 7605%8%38%48%13%−21
Grade 85210%2%19%69%12%−21
Grade 11567%18%29%46%25%+2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111064%8%67%22%

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 Disadvantaged15838.0%−0−0
Black/African American11032.9%+5+0
Hispanic/Latino10843.5%−7+5
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Magnolia Science Academy 3 ←237.2%20.5%−13.21.9%
Willowbrook Middle3.4 mi6845.2%77.8%−0.82.9%
Andrew Carnegie Middle1.6 mi4715.4%39.6%+1.00.2%
Environmental Charter Middle - Gardena3 mi4512.4%36.3%−10.52.0%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
31%23%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1414 → #1571 → #1970 → #1585 → #2057
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