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School Profile · Chico

Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

Marsh (Harry M.) pairs 54% proficiency with gains of 10.3pp per cohort — the rare school that posts both.

2253 Humboldt Road, 95928 (opens in new tab)·Chico Unified·Chico·Grades 6-8·716 students·57% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 895-4110
Scope Score
53
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #373 statewide · #1 of 5 in Chico Unified

Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High scores 53 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 78th percentile of 1,714 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 “54% proficient” and call it done. Marsh (Harry M.) deserves a closer read. The school sits in Chico, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 51.6% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide.

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.

23%
34%
43%
Grade 6 · 57% proficient
23%
43%
34%
Grade 7 · 66% proficient
32%
39%
29%
Grade 8 · 71% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 9.1pp across grades; the floor rises 13.7pp. 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.

51.6%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Marsh (Harry M.)'s most underrated number

51.6% 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.

Marsh (Harry M.) low-income: 51.6%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
25.7%
State 17.3%
8.4pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
53.7%
State 39.5%
14.2pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+10.3pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
17.0%
State 19.1%
2.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
7.7%
State 4.2%
3.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
30.0%
State 18.0%
12.0pp above 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
▼
High School

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

Your other options

All schools in Chico →

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

Hispanic26.4%
White51.4%
Asian6.4%
Black2.6%
Other13.1%
GenderFemale 44.8%Male 54.9%Non-binary 0.3%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
716
144 below CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
57%
7pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
20:1
1 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$14,136
District avg: $13,999 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
30.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$56,997 – $121,381
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High in Chico, 51.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.6% Math proficient); White students (73.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.5 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 378 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+21.3pp
38.3% vs 17.0% overall · n=60
Suspension · Homeless+11.1pp
18.8% vs 7.7% overall · n=64
ELA · Disabilities−43.5pp
20.9% vs 64.4% overall · n=82
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Homeless−20.1pp
5.6% vs 25.6% overall · n=18
Math · Disabilities−28.2pp
14.7% vs 42.9% overall · n=82
Math Exceeded · Homeless−20.1pp
5.6% vs 25.7% overall · n=18

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income381 tested
ELA 51.6%·Math 28.6%· +9.1pp vs district
White358 tested
ELA 73.3%·Math 52.2%· +9.1pp vs district
Hispanic169 tested
ELA 47.3%·Math 25.4%· +8.0pp 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 21.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +8.1pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 62%Support 35%Other 3%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$65K
$20K below CA median
Median Home Value
$503K
$156K below CA median
Bachelor's+
42%
7pp 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
13.6 years avg experience
38 teachers · 11% second-year
Teacher Credentials
77% 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%
25.7%
↑ vs CA 17.3% · 59th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
53.7%
↑ vs CA 39.5% · 61th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+10.3pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 68th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
17.0%
↑ vs CA 19.1% · 53th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
7.7%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 36th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
30.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 53th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 623023%34%22%21%57%+10
Grade 723323%43%15%20%66%+18
Grade 820832%39%19%11%71%+25
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 623023%16%31%30%39%+4
Grade 723326%18%23%33%44%+10
Grade 821127%18%25%29%46%+14
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1121219%27%45%9%

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 Disadvantaged37851.6%+9+13
White35673.3%+9+12
Hispanic/Latino16947.3%+8+8
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High ←—5325.7%53.7%+10.37.7%
California average—4017.3%39.5%+0.84.2%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
71%53%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #352 → #299 → #309 → #334 → #373
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High a good middle school?
Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High has a Scope Score of 53 out of 100, placing it in the 78th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #373 statewide. 25.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.4 percentage points above the California average of 17.3%. 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 Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 53.7% of students at Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 25.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 28.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 25.7% 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. 1,345 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High rank in California?
Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High ranks #373 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 78th 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 Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High increases by 10.3 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 Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High?
17.0% of students at Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 7.7%. 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 Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High compare to other schools in Chico?
Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High scores 53/100 (78th 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 716 students. Use the schools in Chico page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High in Chico, 51.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Marsh (Harry M.) Junior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.6% Math proficient); White students (73.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 43.5 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 378 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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