How does McSwain Elementary compare to other elementary schools in Merced?

McSwain Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 41.3/100, placing it at the 43rd percentile statewide. 17% of students exceed standard, with a total of 2,476 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at McSwain Elementary?

16.5% of students at McSwain Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 44.8% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is McSwain Elementary improving or declining?

McSwain Elementary's proficiency rate decreases by 26.9 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at McSwain Elementary?

7.7% of students at McSwain Elementary 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.

McSwain Elementary

McSwain Union Elementary Merced Merced County 95341

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

2,476 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

939 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

22:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

36%

Teachers

42 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 48.2%

White 39.9%

Asian 6.6%

Black 0.3%

Other 4.9%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for McSwain Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	16.5%
Met Standard	28.3%
Below Standard	55.2%

Exceeded

16.5%

Met

28.3%

Below

55.2%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "45% proficient" for McSwain Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

16.5% of students exceeded standard while 28.3% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 4.5 points below the state average of 21.0%. Compared to the 1 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 6.5 points higher (vs 10.1% 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 26.9 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 7.7%, better than the state average of 18.7%.

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard

16.5%

Students scoring above proficient

% Met or Above

44.8%

Students meeting standard

Growth (G3→G5)

-26.9pp

Change in proficiency rate

Chronic Absenteeism

7.7%

Students missing 10%+ of days

Suspension Rate

2.3%

Students suspended at least once

Total Tested

2,476

Across all grades & subjects

ELA scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
3rd	89	39.3%	29.2%	22.5%	9.0%	68.5%
4th	105	11.4%	27.6%	20.0%	41.0%	39.0%
5th	98	17.4%	27.6%	26.5%	28.6%	44.9%
6th	111	19.8%	40.5%	28.8%	10.8%	60.4%
7th	115	14.8%	35.6%	27.0%	22.6%	50.4%
8th	101	14.8%	37.6%	31.7%	15.8%	52.5%

Math scores by grade

Grade	Tested	Exceeded	Met	Nearly Met	Not Met	Met+Above
3rd	89	25.8%	34.8%	30.3%	9.0%	60.7%
4th	105	10.5%	28.6%	27.6%	33.3%	39.0%
5th	98	11.2%	19.4%	44.9%	24.5%	30.6%
6th	111	16.2%	27.9%	36.9%	18.9%	44.1%
7th	115	8.7%	13.0%	34.8%	43.5%	21.7%
8th	101	8.9%	17.8%	22.8%	50.5%	26.7%

Nearby schools

1 schools within ~3 miles · avg composite 35.8

Joe Stefani

Merced City Elementary · 2.6 mi

35.8

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