English
Grades 7 and 8 · spring 2026 · 201 tested
- Advanced
- 3%
- Proficient
- 20%
- Below the standard
- 77%
23% Proficient or Advanced in grades 7 and 8.
Public school · Mountain Empire Unified · Pine Valley, California
Pine Valley · 7–8 · 245 students (2024–25)
The dots are California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools, placed by Scope Score on spring 2026 tests. How it’s built →
Weighted composite · 2025–26
A weighted mix of five of the six middle school measures.
Well below California in English and math: 23% and 12% scored Proficient or Advanced in grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, against 50% and 37%.
From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”).
Choose up to four middle schools.
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Mountain Empire Junior High’s 2025–26 test results, released October 15, 2026, are on this page.
33 in 100 students (75 of 226) missed 10% or more of school days in 2025–26. That compares with 14 in 100 at the average Mountain Empire Unified middle school.
Ask Mountain Empire Unified which school serves your address. Evidence ↓
Mountain Empire Junior High scores higher than 3 in 100 of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools: 3rd percentile, Needs Support, spring 2026. Evidence ↓
In 2025–26, 33 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 14 in 100 at the average Mountain Empire Unified middle school. 13.3% of students (31 of 233) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. Evidence ↓
Below what the state expected, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 7 and 8 scored −18 points against the state’s expected score in English, which the state calls Moderate. In math, they scored −18 points, which it calls Moderate.
In spring 2026, 15% of low-income students in grades 7 and 8 at Mountain Empire Junior High in Pine Valley scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 39% for the same group across California. Evidence ↓
In the 2015–16 federal attendance-boundary survey, most of Mountain Empire Junior High's attendance area fell inside the attendance area of Mountain Empire High. Boundaries come from the U.S. Department of Education’s School Attendance Boundary Survey, a 2015-16 collection and the most recent national one — they are approximate and may since have changed. A boundary doesn’t guarantee placement; confirm your address with the district.
The questions drawn from this page are under Next steps, ready to copy. Evidence ↓
Academic achievement
Well below California in both subjects.
State tests (CAASPP), spring 2026
In grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, 23% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 12% in math, against 50% and 37% across California.
Grades 7 and 8 · spring 2026 · 201 tested
23% Proficient or Advanced in grades 7 and 8.
Grades 7 and 8 · spring 2026 · 201 tested
12% Proficient or Advanced in grades 7 and 8.
What each level means: California's level descriptions.
English
| Measure | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Proficient or Advanced | 24% | 22% |
| Advanced | 3% | 3% |
| Proficient | 21% | 19% |
| Developing level | 26% | 26% |
| Minimal | 50% | 52% |
| Tested | 94 | 107 |
| California | 51% | 49% |
| Difference | −27 | −27 |
California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).
Math
| Measure | Grade 7 | Grade 8 |
|---|---|---|
| Proficient or Advanced | 19% | 7% |
| Advanced | 4% | 0% |
| Proficient | 15% | 7% |
| Developing level | 29% | 18% |
| Minimal | 52% | 75% |
| Tested | 94 | 107 |
| California | 38% | 36% |
| Difference | −19 | −29 |
California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).
A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.
New to these scores? Read CAASPP scores explained: how to read your child’s report →
In grades 7 and 8, spring 2026, math trails English by 11 percentage points in the share who scored Proficient or Advanced, against 13 points across California. The grades 7 and 8 cards above give each subject’s share.
Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English went from 20% to 23% and math from 8% to 12%.
This school
California, same grades49% → 50%2025 → 2026 · 848,364 → 838,600 tested
This school
California, same grades35% → 37%2025 → 2026 · 851,806 → 838,896 tested
Each year is a different group of students.
Below what the state expected, in both subjects. California sets an expected score for each student from that student’s own score the year before. In 2025, students here in grades 7 and 8 scored −18 points against that expected score in English, which the state calls Moderate. In math, they scored −18 points, which it calls Moderate.
Grades 7 and 8 · 2025 · 209 students in English, 211 in math, with scores in both years
Points above or below what the state expected from the same students’ earlier scores.
−18 pts
The state calls it Moderate, the second of its five growth levels.
−18 pts
The state calls it Moderate, the second of its five growth levels.
Ask: What extra help do students who are behind get, and how do you know it’s working?
| Students | Advanced | Proficient | Developing level | Minimal | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English, grades 7 and 8 · This school | 3% | 20% | 26% | 51% | 201 |
| English, grades 7 and 8 · California | 19% | 31% | 23% | 27% | 838,600 |
| English, grades 7 and 8 · Mountain Empire Unified | 10% | 32% | 26% | 32% | 556 |
| Math, grades 7 and 8 · This school | 2% | 10% | 24% | 64% | 201 |
| Math, grades 7 and 8 · California | 21% | 16% | 23% | 40% | 838,896 |
| Math, grades 7 and 8 · Mountain Empire Unified | 16% | 15% | 26% | 43% | 554 |
Below the standard combines the state’s Developing and Minimal levels, its two lowest. Data source: California Department of Education, spring 2026. The state comparison combines CDE’s rows for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation). The district row combines its public schools in the same grades, weighted by students tested.
Read English and math separately, then look at progress and the courses students can take.
Chart and table: 2017–2026. Hover, tap or focus a chart and use the arrow keys to see each year.
The lines break across the COVID years, when state testing was waived or optional.
In grades 7 and 8, the share at the state’s top two levels in English went from 43% in 2017 to 23% in 2026. In math, it went from 17% in 2017 to 12% in 2026. Each year is a different group of students.
| Year | This school | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 43% 35 tested | 49% 915,271 tested |
| 2018 | 29% 122 tested | 50% 919,277 tested |
| 2019 | 24% 116 tested | 50% 932,985 tested |
| 2022 | 20% 110 tested | 48% 852,094 tested |
| 2023 | 20% 114 tested | 47% 842,173 tested |
| 2024 | 21% 256 tested | 47% 849,026 tested |
| 2025 | 20% 227 tested | 49% 848,364 tested |
| 2026 | 23% 201 tested | 50% 838,600 tested |
| Year | This school | California |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 17% 35 tested | 37% 918,964 tested |
| 2018 | 12% 122 tested | 37% 921,089 tested |
| 2019 | 13% 116 tested | 37% 935,223 tested |
| 2022 | 5% 110 tested | 31% 853,132 tested |
| 2023 | 10% 114 tested | 32% 844,737 tested |
| 2024 | 9% 257 tested | 33% 853,781 tested |
| 2025 | 8% 230 tested | 35% 851,806 tested |
| 2026 | 12% 201 tested | 37% 838,896 tested |
California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 18 points below that expected score, and in math 18 points below it.
The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.
Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.
What you can do
Mountain Empire Unified’s board decides Mountain Empire Junior High’s plan.
The state hasn’t placed Mountain Empire Junior High in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source
The state is giving Mountain Empire Unified extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.
Extra help for Mountain Empire Unified: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source
Mountain Empire Unified’s board must adopt its yearly plan (LCAP) by July 1, after at least one public hearing at an earlier meeting.
How to take part
Life at school
33 in 100 students were chronically absent in 2025–26.
State attendance and suspension records, 2025–26
That means they missed 10% or more of school days. At the average Mountain Empire Unified middle school, 14 in 100 were. 13.3% of students were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school.
75 of 226 students were chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of school days.
13.3%
of students were suspended at least once (31 of 233). Average California middle school 3.7%.
Ask: How do you support kids who arrive ahead, and kids who arrive behind?
Ask current families how the school keeps them informed, and what happened when their child needed help. Ask staff how long teachers tend to stay.
Teach here? Tell us Mountain Empire Unified’s email domain so staff can answer our workplace questions.
Every learner
Four student groups scored below the same groups across California in English.
Student groups, grades 7 and 8, spring 2026
15% of low-income students scored Proficient or Advanced in English (grades 7 and 8, spring 2026), against 39% for the same group across California. Hispanic or Latino and White students and English learners also scored below the same groups across California; the chart gives their figures. Every group’s math results are in the table below.
Proficient or Advanced, grades 7 and 8 English, spring 2026. In math the same groups run from 4% to 16%; every value is in the table below.
62% of English learners here moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top, spring 2025 to spring 2026.
Spring 2025 to spring 2026 · English learners with state English test (ELPAC) scores in both years
It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent. Data source: California Department of Education, 2026 Dashboard ↗.
60%of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 148 of 245. California: 63%.
12teachers, 2024–25
11 yearsaverage experience, 2024–25
0%in their first year, 2024–25
67%of teaching positions with proper credential and placement, 2021–22
Ask: What extra help is there in English for low-income students and other student groups, and how does the school check that it works?
| Group and subject | Here | vs Mountain Empire Unified | vs California |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-income · 112 tested | |||
| English | 15% | 015% | −2439% |
| Math | 9% | 09% | −1726% |
| Hispanic or Latino · 135 tested | |||
| English | 19% | +118% | −2140% |
| Math | 10% | 010% | −1525% |
| White · 45 tested | |||
| English | 42% | +240% | −2062% |
| Math | 16% | +115% | −3450% |
| English learners · 56 tested | |||
| English | 0% | 00% | −77% |
| Math | 4% | 04% | −37% |
Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Mountain Empire Unified, and across California. No group that is behind across California does 10 or more points better here.
Students with disabilities: fewer than 30 tested here. No published rate here for Asian, Black or African American, Filipino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students, students of two or more races and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.
| Students, 2025–26 | Here |
|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 68% |
| White | 21% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 5% |
| Asian | — |
| Black or African American | — |
| Filipino | — |
| Two or more races | — |
| Pacific Islander | — |
| Not reported | — |
Data source: California Department of Education chronic-absence file, 2025–26. Shares are of the students the file counts for attendance (CDE’s “eligible enrollment”); unavailable categories are shown as a dash.
CDE SARC report 2024–25, measured 2021–22: 67% of teaching positions, 3.7 properly credentialed teaching-position FTE out of 5.5 total position FTE. This measures positions, not individual teachers.
Next steps
Historical links and nearby options · confirm your child’s address and current assignment with the district. Each school’s standing compares it with California schools at its own level. Explore schools on the map
Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
9th percentile · Needs Support · elementary · 2026
100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students
Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
13th percentile · Needs Support · high · 2025
100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students
Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking. Older zone links come from the federal School Attendance Boundary Survey (NCES SABS).
The road from this school ends at Mountain Empire High. The AP Course Audit lists 3 AP courses its teachers are authorized to teach in 2025–26. That figure comes from dated records. A child starting here today would reach Mountain Empire High around 2028, and a school can change a lot in 2 years. By the state’s 2023 count, 56% of the students who finished high school at Mountain Empire High enrolled in college within 12 months, UC or not.
Ask Mountain Empire Unified which school serves your address.
Directory location · Explore nearby schools on the map. Confirm which school serves your address with Mountain Empire Unified.
Office (619) 326-66623305 Buckman Springs Road, directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Every figure on this page, with its source, grades, year and count.
| Factor | School | Index | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advancedaverage of English and math | 3% | 34 | 42% |
| Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math | 18% | 32 | 23% |
| Chronically absent | 33 in 100 | 31 | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 13.3% (31 of 233) | 14 | 5% |
| English learners: top level | 21% | 49 | 5% |
Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. The weights above add to 80%: the remaining 20%, for measures with no value here, is shared out among the measures above.
| School year | Scope Score | Percentile | Rank | Comparison group |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | 17 | 3 | #2446 | California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula |
2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.
| School year | Chronic absence | Suspension |
|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | 27 in 100 | 6.5% (8 of 124) |
| 2021–22 | not on file | not on file |
| 2022–23 | not on file | not on file |
| 2023–24 | 55 in 100 | 22.8% (73 of 320) |
| 2024–25 | 45 in 100 | 13.7% (36 of 263) |
| 2025–26 | 33 in 100 | 13.3% (31 of 233) |
Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.
English and math by test year · all tested grades
| Year · subject | Students with scores | Top level | Top two levels |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 · English | 201 | 3% | 23% |
| 2026 · Math | 201 | 2% | 12% |
| 2025 · English | 227 | 4% | 20% |
| 2025 · Math | 230 | 3% | 8% |
| 2024 · English | 256 | 3% | 21% |
| 2024 · Math | 257 | 2% | 9% |
| 2023 · English | 114 | 3% | 20% |
| 2023 · Math | 114 | 2% | 10% |
| 2022 · English | 110 | 4% | 20% |
| 2022 · Math | 110 | 1% | 5% |
| 2019 · English | 116 | 2% | 24% |
| 2019 · Math | 116 | 3% | 13% |
| 2018 · English | 144 | 4% | 29% |
| 2018 · Math | 144 | 3% | 14% |
| 2017 · English | 58 | 10% | 43% |
| 2017 · Math | 58 | 2% | 17% |
Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.
Earlier years · grade and subject
| Year · grade · subject | Students with scores | Met or exceeded |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 · Grade 7 · English | 108 | 24% |
| 2025 · Grade 8 · English | 119 | 16% |
| 2025 · Grade 7 · Math | 110 | 9% |
| 2025 · Grade 8 · Math | 120 | 8% |
| 2024 · Grade 7 · English | 126 | 16% |
| 2024 · Grade 8 · English | 130 | 25% |
| 2024 · Grade 7 · Math | 125 | 7% |
| 2024 · Grade 8 · Math | 132 | 10% |
| 2023 · Grade 7 · English | 65 | 18% |
| 2023 · Grade 8 · English | 49 | 22% |
| 2023 · Grade 7 · Math | 65 | 9% |
| 2023 · Grade 8 · Math | 49 | 10% |
| 2022 · Grade 7 · English | 53 | 15% |
| 2022 · Grade 8 · English | 57 | 25% |
| 2022 · Grade 7 · Math | 53 | 6% |
| 2022 · Grade 8 · Math | 57 | 5% |
| 2019 · Grade 7 · English | 57 | 21% |
| 2019 · Grade 8 · English | 59 | 27% |
| 2019 · Grade 7 · Math | 57 | 12% |
| 2019 · Grade 8 · Math | 59 | 14% |
| 2018 · Grade 6 · English | 22 | 32% |
| 2018 · Grade 7 · English | 57 | 35% |
| 2018 · Grade 8 · English | 65 | 23% |
| 2018 · Grade 6 · Math | 22 | 23% |
| 2018 · Grade 7 · Math | 57 | 14% |
| 2018 · Grade 8 · Math | 65 | 11% |
| 2017 · Grade 6 · English | 23 | 43% |
| 2017 · Grade 7 · English | 15 | 40% |
| 2017 · Grade 8 · English | 20 | 45% |
| 2017 · Grade 6 · Math | 23 | 17% |
| 2017 · Grade 7 · Math | 15 | 13% |
| 2017 · Grade 8 · Math | 20 | 20% |
Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | Advanced | Proficient | Developing level | Minimal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 107 | 0% | 8% | 42% | 50% |
CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Group · English | Tested | Proficient or Advanced | vs district | vs California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low-income | 112 | 15% | 0 | −24 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 135 | 19% | +1 | −21 |
| English learners | 56 | 0% | 0 | −7 |
| Group | English | n | CDE category | Math | n | CDE category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All students | −18 | 209 | Moderate | −18 | 211 | Moderate |
| Hispanic or Latino | −18 | 146 | Moderate | −16 | 147 | Moderate |
| Low-income | −16 | 137 | Moderate | −15 | 137 | Moderate |
| English-only students | −15 | 106 | not categorized | −22 | 107 | not categorized |
| English learners | −22 | 90 | Minimal | −13 | 91 | Moderate |
| English learners only | −21 | 68 | not categorized | −8 | 69 | not categorized |
| Long-term English learners (grades 6–8 only) | −27 | 54 | Minimal | −13 | 55 | Moderate |
| White | −19 | 45 | Moderate | −21 | 46 | Minimal |
| Students with disabilities | −30 | 36 | Minimal | −11 | 35 | Moderate |
| Recently reclassified as fluent in English | −31 | 22 | not categorized | −30 | 22 | not categorized |
CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. Long-term English learner counts cover grades 6–8 only (CDE’s rule), so that row is not comparable to the All students row. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 7 and 8. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.
State model · English−18 pts vs expected
matched students, grades 7 and 8California growth model, English: −18 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Moderate, against SchoolScope's −2-point median for California middle school records.State model · math−18 pts vs expected
matched students, grades 7 and 8California growth model, math: −18 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Moderate, against SchoolScope's −3-point median for California middle school records.CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.
| Year-over-year school rates |
|---|
| Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 45 in 100 → 2025–26 · 33 in 100 · −12 in 100 |
| Suspension rate2024–25 · 13.7% (36 of 263) → 2025–26 · 13.3% (31 of 233) · −0.4 percentage points |
| Group | 2018–19 | 2025–26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 27 in 100 | 37 in 100 | +10 in 100 |
| Male | 27 in 100 | 30 in 100 | +3 in 100 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 23 in 100 | 35 in 100 | +12 in 100 |
| White | 38 in 100 | 23 in 100 | −15 in 100 |
| Students with disabilities | 29 in 100 | 36 in 100 | +7 in 100 |
| English learners | 20 in 100 | 43 in 100 | +23 in 100 |
| Low-income | 26 in 100 | 46 in 100 | +20 in 100 |
| All students | 27 in 100 | 33 in 100 | +6 in 100 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | — | 67 in 100 | — |
Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.
NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 1,674 pupils
NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records
CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 245
CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 245
CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator
| Group | Dollars | Share, to two decimals | Printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction | $21,887,858 | 60.55% | 61% |
| Instruction support | $3,382,607 | 9.36% | 9% |
| Student services | $4,793,325 | 13.26% | 13% |
| Administration | $2,375,961 | 6.57% | 7% |
| Buildings & maintenance | $3,164,365 | 8.75% | 9% |
| Other | $546,910 | 1.51% | 1% |
| Total | $36,151,025 | 100.00% | 100% |
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.
| Measure | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,500 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) | 18% |
| ZIP-area population | 3,325 |
| Median age | 46.4 years |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 91906 →
Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026
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