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Morningside Elementary · Garden Grove

Morningside Elementary: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Morningside posts 57% meeting the standard, and 34.0% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

10521 Morningside Drive, 92843 (opens in new tab)·Garden Grove Unified·Garden Grove·Grades TK-6·416 students·76% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 663-6328·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6045
% Exceeded34%21%
% Met+57%43%
Growth+3.4-2.9
Absence12.1%17.9%
Suspension1.4%1.6%
Scope Score
60
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #1,010 statewide · #11 of 44 in Garden Grove Unified

Morningside Elementary scores 60 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 82nd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

Most rating sites would stop at “57% proficient” and call it done. Morningside deserves a closer read. The school sits in Garden Grove, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Morningside's low-income kids hit 58.7% proficiency in ELA — a number the same group reaches at 38.2% statewide. If you're trying to read past zip-code-driven test scores, that's the signal worth weighing.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has held the 82nd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 57% meet the standard today, versus 66% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 360%53%56%55%44%
Grade 463%71%69%61%61%
Grade 567%72%67%69%58%
Grade 669%76%66%65%80%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 370%65%54%64%58%
Grade 471%69%69%55%71%
Grade 563%60%57%57%51%
Grade 667%57%60%63%78%

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.

30%
14%
56%
Grade 3 · 44% proficient
38%
23%
39%
Grade 4 · 61% proficient
36%
22%
42%
Grade 5 · 58% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 6.1pp across grades; the floor rises 14.0pp. The state average rises 4.5pp 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.

58.7%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Morningside's most underrated number

58.7% 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.

Morningside low-income: 58.7%State low-income: 38.2%Morningside EL: 33.3%State EL: 10.4%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
34.0%
State 21.3%
12.7pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+3.4pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
57.3%
State 42.7%
14.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.1%
State 17.9%
5.8pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.4%
State 1.6%
0.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
22.3%
State 18.0%
4.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At Morningside Elementary in Garden Grove, 58.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Morningside Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (61.0% Math proficient); Asian students (71.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 172 students tested.

All students at this school: 65% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 65%, district —, state 43%65%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 60%, district 50%, state 32%60% · −5 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 75%, district 78%, state 72%75% · +10 vs school
MaleMale: this school 66%, district 55%, state 42%66% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 63%, district 56%, state 44%63% · −2 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 37%, district 21%, state 11%37% · −28 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 41%, district 38%, state 32%41% · −24 vs school

7 of 14 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 15.9pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +7.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.1%, district 14.5%, state 17.9%12.1% · −5.8pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.4%, district —, state 1.6%1.4% · −0.2pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (18.6% vs 8.7%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–68.7%
TK/K18.6%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff20 teachers
Avg. experience17.3 years
Fully credentialed100%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$72,504 – $141,634
Principal salary$181,381 – $218,095
Superintendent salary$370,605

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,170, CA average $14,815$18,170 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$263 per student

$263 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$22,744 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction61%
Instruction support11%
Student services11%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other3%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$14,737 per pupil
2019$13,697 per pupil
2018$13,564 per pupil
2017$12,765 per pupil
2016$11,487 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Asian58.6%
District 35.5% · CA 10.2%
Hispanic33.2%
District 53.2% · CA 56.1%
Other6.3%
District 4.8% · CA 9.0%
White1.9%
District 6.0% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.0% (12pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$81K · CA $85K
Median home value$747K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+18% · CA 35%
ZIP population46,414
Median age39 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 42% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Morningside Elementary a good elementary school?

Morningside Elementary has a Scope Score of 60 out of 100, placing it in the 82nd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,010 statewide. 34.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.7 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are Morningside Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 57.3% of students at Morningside Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 34.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 23.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 34.0% 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. 308 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Morningside Elementary rank in California?

Morningside Elementary ranks #1,010 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 82nd percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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 Morningside Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Morningside Elementary increases by 3.4 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 elementary 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 Morningside Elementary?

12.1% of students at Morningside Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 1.4%, 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 Morningside Elementary compare to other schools in Garden Grove?

Morningside Elementary scores 60/100 (82nd percentile) among California elementary 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 416 students. Use the schools in Garden Grove page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Morningside Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Morningside Elementary in Garden Grove, 58.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Morningside Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 3.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (61.0% Math proficient); Asian students (71.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 29.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 172 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.

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.


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 · 38%
34.0%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 62th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
+3.4pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 62th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
57.3%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.1%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.4%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 52th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
22.3%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 56th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34330%14%23%33%44%+1
Grade 45638%23%14%25%61%+16
Grade 55536%22%16%25%58%+10
Grade 67638%42%12%8%80%+34
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34328%30%12%30%58%+12
Grade 45630%41%21%7%71%+30
Grade 55542%9%25%24%51%+16
Grade 67647%30%9%13%78%+43
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/115518%24%49%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 Disadvantaged17258.7%+3+20
Asian14771.4%−8−3
English Learners6033.3%+13+23
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Morningside Elementary ←6034.0%57.3%+3.41.4%
Ethan B. Allen Elementary2.2 mi8066.4%88.5%−1.00.6%
A. G. Cook Elementary0.9 mi7557.0%80.4%−12.10.4%
John Murdy Elementary1.1 mi6940.6%69.5%+13.70.7%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196787#69539.1%65.6%4.3%0.0%+0.1pp
20226691#48939.8%65.0%16.4%0.0%+7.0pp
20236791#53236.2%62.2%15.8%0.0%+7.3pp
20245981#109630.1%60.0%12.7%0.1%+3.4pp
20256082#101034.0%57.3%12.1%1.4%+3.4pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female4.4%12.1%+7.7pp
Male3.9%10.9%+7.0pp
Asian3.1%6.7%+3.6pp
Hispanic/Latino6.4%20.5%+14.1pp
Students with Disabilities7.3%22.4%+15.1pp
English Learners2.7%10.6%+7.9pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged5.7%12.5%+6.8pp
All Students4.2%11.5%+7.3pp
Two or More Races9.1%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction