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School Profile · Reseda

Magnolia Science Academy 5: Low-income kids here outscore the state by 13 points. But one in four miss a month of school or more.

Magnolia Science Academy 5's strongest signal is real. Attendance is the number to ask about — and both belong on the same page.

18238 Sherman Way, 91335 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles County Office of Education·Reseda·Grades 6-12·218 students·78% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(818) 705-5676·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
51
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #548 statewide · #2 of 12 in Los Angeles County Office of Education

Magnolia Science Academy 5 scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 76th 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 “54% proficient” and call it done. Magnolia Science Academy 5 deserves a closer read. The school sits in Reseda, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: +3.7pp separates this year's grade 6 from its grade 8. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. Following the same students from 2023 G6 → 2025 G8 points the same way.

As a charter, Magnolia Science Academy 5 enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

The story this school is actually telling

The trajectory · grade 6→8
+3.7pp

separates this year's grade 6 from its grade 8. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. Following the same students from 2023 G6 → 2025 G8 points the same way.

↑ the school's value-add, not the zip code's
The catch · chronic absence
28.3%

of students miss a month or more of school, versus 18.5% statewide. High absence often tracks community stress — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

↓ 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.

15%
32%
53%
Grade 6 · 47% proficient
17%
41%
42%
Grade 7 · 58% proficient
8%
42%
50%
Grade 8 · 50% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 6.3pp across grades; the floor rises 3.7pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

51.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Magnolia Science Academy 5's most underrated number

51.5% 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.

Magnolia Science Academy 5 low-income: 51.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
20.9%
State 16.8%
4.1pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
53.5%
State 39.3%
14.2pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-3.7pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Chronic absenteeism
28.3%
State 18.5%
9.7pp above state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 3.7%
1.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school tracks and follows up on attendance. High absence often reflects community stress, not classroom quality — a visit will tell you which.

Where the path goes

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

Estimated K-12 Path
Middle
Magnolia Science Academy …
51
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

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

Hispanic83.9%
White6.0%
Asian4.6%
Black1.8%
Other3.7%
GenderFemale 41.3%Male 58.7%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 78.4% (15pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
218
982 below CA avg (~1,200)
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
17:1
4 fewer 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 5 in Reseda, 51.5% 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 5 outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.0 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 99 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Math · Low-Income−4.0pp
43.3% vs 47.2% overall · n=99
1 more gap by subject
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−4.4pp
19.4% vs 23.8% overall · n=99

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income99 tested
ELA 51.5%·Math 44.4%· +13.4pp vs district
Hispanic97 tested
ELA 52.6%·Math 47.4%· +1.9pp 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 6.2pp 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
$80K
$5K below CA median
Median Home Value
$752K
$93K above CA median
Bachelor's+
30%
5pp 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
6.5 years avg experience
14 teachers · 29% first-year · 14% second-year
Teacher Credentials
63% fully credentialed
6.3% 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 nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
20.9%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 54th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
53.5%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 61th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
-3.7pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 74th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
28.3%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 36th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 64115%32%34%20%46%−0
Grade 72917%41%31%10%59%+11
Grade 8248%42%42%8%50%+4
Grade 112417%46%21%17%63%+15
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 64141%20%27%12%61%+26
Grade 72910%45%34%10%55%+21
Grade 82433%17%29%21%50%+18
Grade 11248%13%58%21%21%−3
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11408%20%70%3%

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 Disadvantaged9951.5%+13+13
Hispanic/Latino9752.6%+2+14
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Magnolia Science Academy 5 ←5120.9%53.5%−3.72.6%
Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle2.4 mi6943.3%64.0%−6.90.8%
Oliver Wendell Holmes Middle3.1 mi6636.0%64.6%−9.60.1%
James Jordan Middle1.2 mi4818.5%46.1%+9.23.3%
California average4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
41%51%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #949 → #1426 → #1243 → #1701 → #548
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

Frequently asked questions

Is Magnolia Science Academy 5 a good middle school?
Magnolia Science Academy 5 has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 76th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #548 statewide. 20.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.1 percentage points above 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 5's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.5% of students at Magnolia Science Academy 5 met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 20.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 32.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 20.9% 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. 188 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Magnolia Science Academy 5 rank in California?
Magnolia Science Academy 5 ranks #548 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 76th 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 5 getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Magnolia Science Academy 5 decreases by 3.7 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 5?
28.3% of students at Magnolia Science Academy 5 are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.6%. 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 5 compare to other schools in Reseda?
Magnolia Science Academy 5 scores 51/100 (76th 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 218 students. Use the schools in Reseda page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Magnolia Science Academy 5 serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Magnolia Science Academy 5 in Reseda, 51.5% 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 5 outperforms its district average for low-income students by 13.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (44.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 4.0 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 99 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.