How does McPherson Magnet compare to other elementary schools in Orange?

McPherson Magnet has a SchoolScope composite score of 60.8/100, placing it at the 84th percentile statewide. 36% of students exceed standard, with a total of 2,280 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at McPherson Magnet?

35.9% of students at McPherson Magnet exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 65.1% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is McPherson Magnet improving or declining?

McPherson Magnet's proficiency rate decreases by 2.5 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at McPherson Magnet?

5.1% of students at McPherson Magnet are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

McPherson Magnet

Orange Unified Orange Orange County 92869

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

2,280 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

853 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

28:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

43%

Teachers

31 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 53.7%

White 25.2%

Asian 10.3%

Black 0.9%

Other 9.8%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for McPherson Magnet
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	35.9%
Met Standard	29.2%
Below Standard	34.9%

Exceeded

35.9%

Met

29.2%

Below

34.9%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "65% proficient" for McPherson Magnet and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

35.9% of students exceeded standard while 29.2% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 14.9 points above the state average of 21.0%. That's 9.8 points above the Orange Unified district average of 26.1%. Compared to the 26 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 10.8 points higher (vs 25.0% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 2.5 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 5.1%, better than the state average of 18.7%.

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

35.9%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

65.1%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G3→G5)

-2.5pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

5.1%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

0.5%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

2,280

Across all grades & subjects

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
3rd	88	50.0%	22.7%	12.5%	14.8%	72.7%
4th	97	59.8%	18.6%	12.4%	9.3%	78.3%
5th	95	53.7%	32.6%	9.5%	4.2%	86.3%
6th	108	37.0%	38.9%	17.6%	6.5%	75.9%
7th	95	23.2%	41.0%	29.5%	6.3%	64.2%
8th	87	17.2%	49.4%	26.4%	6.9%	66.7%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
3rd	88	38.6%	28.4%	19.3%	13.6%	67.0%
4th	97	38.1%	34.0%	16.5%	11.3%	72.2%
5th	95	33.7%	14.7%	30.5%	21.1%	48.4%
6th	108	25.0%	21.3%	34.3%	19.4%	46.3%
7th	95	22.1%	29.5%	26.3%	22.1%	51.6%
8th	87	32.2%	19.5%	28.7%	19.5%	51.7%