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School Profile · San Diego

Magnolia Science Academy San Diego: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

Magnolia Science Academy San Diego pairs 66% proficiency with gains that hold up when the same students are tracked two years apart — the rare school that posts both.

6525 Estrella Avenue, 92120 (opens in new tab)·San Diego Unified·San Diego·Grades 6-8·464 students·34% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(619) 644-1300·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
66
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #215 statewide · #8 of 58 in San Diego Unified

Magnolia Science Academy San Diego scores 66 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 90th 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 →

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “66% proficient” and call it done. Magnolia Science Academy San Diego deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Diego, where one in three students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 60.5% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

As a charter, Magnolia Science Academy San Diego 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.

31%
38%
31%
Grade 6 · 69% proficient
38%
35%
27%
Grade 7 · 73% proficient
31%
44%
25%
Grade 8 · 75% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the floor rises 5.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

60.5%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Magnolia Science Academy San Diego's most underrated number

60.5% 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 San Diego low-income: 60.5%State low-income: 38.2%

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
36.6%
State 16.8%
19.8pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
66.3%
State 39.3%
27.0pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+5.7pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
14.0%
State 18.5%
4.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.0%
State 3.7%
1.7pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Your other options

All schools in San Diego →

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

Hispanic33.8%
White36.9%
Asian10.1%
Black3.7%
Other15.5%
GenderFemale 44.8%Male 55.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 34.0% (30pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
464
396 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
27:1
6 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,976
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$55,375 – $124,275
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Magnolia Science Academy San Diego in San Diego, 60.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Magnolia Science Academy San Diego outperforms its district average for low-income students by 17.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (49.7% Math proficient); White students (81.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 27.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 157 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · Disabilities−27.4pp
45.1% vs 72.5% overall · n=89
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−17.6pp
15.9% vs 33.5% overall · n=89
Math · Disabilities−19.6pp
40.5% vs 60.1% overall · n=89
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−15.5pp
24.3% vs 39.8% overall · n=89

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income157 tested
ELA 60.5%·Math 49.7%· +17.9pp vs district
White166 tested
ELA 81.9%·Math 73.5%· +6.8pp vs district
Hispanic149 tested
ELA 61.1%·Math 45.0%· +20.0pp 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 6.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +0.8pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 60%Support 36%Other 4%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$121K
$36K above CA median
Median Home Value
$925K
$266K above CA median
Bachelor's+
60%
25pp 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
11.8 years avg experience
25 teachers · 4% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% 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 →
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%
36.6%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 72th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
66.3%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 71th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+5.7pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
14.0%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.0%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 57th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 615631%38%19%12%69%+23
Grade 715638%35%15%11%74%+26
Grade 813431%44%20%5%75%+29
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 615636%19%26%19%54%+19
Grade 715642%24%19%16%65%+31
Grade 813442%19%22%18%60%+28
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1113427%38%34%1%

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 Disadvantaged15760.5%+18+22
White16681.9%+7+20
Hispanic/Latino14961.1%+20+22
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego ←—6636.6%66.3%+5.72.0%
De Portola Middle2.5 mi6336.5%66.5%−5.93.7%
Lewis Middle0.5 mi5831.6%59.1%+10.33.2%
Farb Middle2.1 mi4517.8%46.5%+5.78.2%
California average—4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
64%66%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #230 → #372 → #386 → #271 → #215
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
How to get into a charter school in LA →

Frequently asked questions

Is Magnolia Science Academy San Diego a good middle school?
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego has a Scope Score of 66 out of 100, placing it in the 90th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #215 statewide. 36.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 19.8 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 San Diego's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 66.3% of students at Magnolia Science Academy San Diego met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 36.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 36.6% 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. 892 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Magnolia Science Academy San Diego rank in California?
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego ranks #215 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 90th 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 San Diego getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Magnolia Science Academy San Diego increases by 5.7 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 Magnolia Science Academy San Diego?
14.0% of students at Magnolia Science Academy San Diego are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.0%, 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 San Diego compare to other schools in San Diego?
Magnolia Science Academy San Diego scores 66/100 (90th 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 464 students. Use the schools in San Diego page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Magnolia Science Academy San Diego serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Magnolia Science Academy San Diego in San Diego, 60.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Magnolia Science Academy San Diego outperforms its district average for low-income students by 17.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (49.7% Math proficient); White students (81.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 27.4 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 157 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.
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