Math
31%Grades 6 & 8 · Proficient or Advanced
Public middle school
Napa Valley Independent Studies
No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
54% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 31% in math. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.
SchoolScope archetype
Building Momentum
What this means for your family
This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.
How archetypes are assigned →Data sources · Methodology · State tests: 2025
Contact
Phone(707) 259-8577
DistrictNapa Valley Unified
PrincipalMaria Cisneros
GradesK-12
Enrollment116 students
English
54%Grades 6 & 8 · Proficient or Advanced
Students
116Total enrollment
Chronic absence
21%Students absent 10% or more of school days
What are you trying to decide?
The overall score is a starting point.
Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.
View school performance →Start with your child’s daily experience.
Explore teaching, coursework and student-group results. A schoolwide average cannot predict an individual experience.
Explore student experience →Confirm the enrollment route.
Check the address, grade and enrollment requirements directly with the district or school.
Check attendance and enrollment →Compare the options you can access.
Use comparable evidence alongside entry requirements, cost and location.
Compare nearby schools →Academic performance
What do the results tell us?
2025 results · Grades 6 & 8 · weighted by students tested within each subject.
Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →
Share at Proficient or Advanced
● Math┄ English
Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.
Exact annual results
| Year | Math | English |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | — | — |
| 2022 | 15% | 38% |
| 2023 | 12% | 40% |
| 2024 | 13% | 40% |
| 2025 | 31% | 54% |
Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.
How achievement is distributed
AdvancedStandard Exceeded
15%ProficientStandard Met
15%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
46%MinimalStandard Not Met
23%AdvancedStandard Exceeded
15%ProficientStandard Met
38%DevelopingStandard Nearly Met
31%MinimalStandard Not Met
15%Achievement-level percentages are not percentiles. “Developing” here is a test achievement level, separate from the SchoolScope performance band with the same name.
Annual results and the full academic record
Is it getting better · CAASPP 2019 to 2025
Slipped from the 71st to the 35th percentile since 2019.
Most rating sites would stop at “32% proficient” and call it done. Napa Valley Independent Studies deserves a closer read. Three in five of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch (California: 64%) — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Napa Valley Independent Studies's low-income kids hit 50.0% 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.
66 tested · 2 of 3 grades published · no cohort tracked
Napa Valley Independent Studies scores 30 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 35th percentile of 2,177 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 32% meet the standard today, versus 50% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.
Percentile among 2,177 middle schools statewide
ELAYellow(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Increased Significantly)
ShowHide the by-grade tables, year by year
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 58% | 47% | 36% | — | 29% |
| Grade 8 | — | 22% | 40% | 40% | 54% |
| Grade 11 | 54% | 48% | 41% | 43% | 47% |
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
| Grade | 2019 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 7 | 42% | 6% | 18% | — | 14% |
| Grade 8 | — | 0% | 12% | 13% | 31% |
| Grade 11 | 15% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 9% |
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25
One in four of students here meet the standard. One in ten clear it by a lot.
ELA47% met or exceeded
Exceeded 8%Met 39%Nearly Met 33%Not Met 20%
Math17% met or exceeded
Exceeded 8%Met 9%Nearly Met 23%Not Met 61%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California middle schools · average17% exceeded · 40% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
| Scope | % Exceeded | % Met+ | Growth | Absence | Suspension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This school | 30 | 9% | 32% | — | 21.5% | 1.3% |
| CA average · Middle School | 39 | 17% | 40% | — | 18.1% | 3.6% |
This schoolCA avg
Scope3039
% Exceeded9%17%
% Met+32%40%
Growth——
Absence21.5%18.1%
Suspension1.3%3.6%
Students & opportunity
Who shares in the school’s results?
Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25
How every group of students does here
At Napa Valley Independent Studies in Napa, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Napa Valley Independent Studies outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (47.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 22 students tested.
Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 30% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 30%, district —, state 40%30%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 30%, district 27%, state 32%30% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 34%, district 38%, state 44%34% · +5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 26%, district 26%, state 32%26% · −3 vs school
MaleMale: this school 17%, district 36%, state 42%17% · −13 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 23%, district 56%, state 56%23% · −7 vs school
7 of 13 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide Student-group results by grade
Student-group results by grade
Results compare different grade groups in the same year, relative to the lowest tested grade. They do not track the same children over time. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
ShowHide California's growth model by student group
No student-group growth record is available for this school in this data release.
The daily experience
What is it like to be a student here?
Students per teacher
Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.
Teacher experience
Average teacher experience in the published staffing record. It does not measure individual teacher effectiveness.
Chronically absent
The share of students absent for at least 10% of their enrolled school days. Attendance reflects both school and out-of-school circumstances.
The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25
About 19 students for every teacher here.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Students per teacher19 · district 24
Teaching staff8 teachers
Avg. experience20.3 years
Fully credentialed44%
PrincipalMaria Cisneros
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$69,598 – $126,977
Principal salary$164,516 – $178,111
Superintendent salary$386,157
Pay is set by the district, not the school.
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25
Kids here miss more school, and get suspended less, than the state average.
Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.5%, district 18.6%, state 18.1%21.5% · +3.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.3%, district —, state 3.6%1.3% · −2.4pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
ShowHide attendance by student group and by grade
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 7–825.8%
Grades 9–1223.2%
Resources & neighborhood
What sits behind the school experience?
Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25
It spends $17,550 per student, more than the California average.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,550, CA average $14,491$17,550 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,390 per student
This schoolDistrictCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 59%Instruction support 12%Student services 9%Administration 8%Buildings & maintenance 11%Other 1%
District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.
ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$12,008 per pupil
2019$11,856 per pupil
2018$12,313 per pupil
2017$11,122 per pupil
2016$11,221 per pupil
Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →
The neighborhood · ACS 2024
Three in five of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.
Context — never part of the Scope Score
Worth knowing
At 116 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).
On the state's science test (CAST), 32% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.
Hispanic or Latino63.8% · district 58.6% · CA 56.1%
White27.6% · district 24.2% · CA 19.9%
Asian2.6% · district 2.8% · CA 10.2%
Black1.7% · district 2.4% · CA 4.8%
Other4.3% · district 12.0% · CA 9.0%
GenderFemale 61.2% · Male 37.9% · Non-binary 0.9%
Free or reduced lunch62.9% · CA 64%
Median income$113K · CA $85K
Median home value$891K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+40% · CA 35%
ZIP population63,657
Median age45 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Culture & philosophy
What is the school’s approach?
School-stated approach · questions for your visit
Look beyond the brochure
A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.
Read the school’s own website ↗Family voices
What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?
Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”
Educator voices
What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?
Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”
Compare nearby schools
What are the alternatives?
Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.
2025 · middle schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.
No nearby schools in this category are listed. The school being viewed stays visible for reference.
| School | Type | Performance band | Advanced | Proficient or Advanced | Distance | Select |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa Valley Independent Studies | Public | Developing | 9% | 32% | School being viewed | |
| Unidos Middle | Public | Solid | 15% | 42% | 2.1 mi | |
| Redwood Middle | Public | Needs Support | 13% | 35% | 1.0 mi | |
| Mayacamas Countywide Middle | Charter | Needs Support | 8% | 21% | 1.1 mi |
More nearby public and private options
Your other options
Your other options
Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.
Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.
12 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
- District public
- Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
- Charter
- Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
- Private
- Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.
Moving & enrollment
Which schools could serve my child?
Check your address with the district
School location and nearby schools do not establish attendance eligibility. Confirm boundaries and permit requirements with Napa Valley Unified.
District information →School website →Schools across the K–12 journey
Elementary · K–5
Middle · 6–8
High school · 9–12
Source: proximity. Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.
Plan your next step
What should I do next?
Worth a school visit
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
- 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.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is Napa Valley Independent Studies a good middle school?
Napa Valley Independent Studies has a Scope Score of 30 out of 100, placing it in the 35th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,406 statewide. 9.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.7 percentage points below the California average of 17.2%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (42%), met or exceeded (proficient) (23%), grade 6-to-8 growth (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 Napa Valley Independent Studies's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 31.9% of students at Napa Valley Independent Studies met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.5% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 54 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Napa Valley Independent Studies rank in California?
Napa Valley Independent Studies ranks #1,406 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 35th 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.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Napa Valley Independent Studies?
21.5% of students at Napa Valley Independent Studies are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 1.3%, 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 Napa Valley Independent Studies compare to other schools in Napa?
Napa Valley Independent Studies scores 30/100 (35th 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 116 students. Use the schools in Napa page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Napa Valley Independent Studies serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Napa Valley Independent Studies in Napa, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Napa Valley Independent Studies outperforms its district average for low-income students by 15.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (47.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 12.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 22 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.
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.
Behind the evidence
Inspect the full record
Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.
How the Scope Score is calculated
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.
What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25
The 5 things our score weighs
| What we weigh | Here | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 9.5% | 17.2% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 31.9% | 40.0% | 23% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 21.5% | 18.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 1.3% | 3.6% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 10.5% | 18.0% | 5% |
Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built
A closer look at the evidence
Napa Valley Independent Studies: reading the evidence
Napa Valley Independent Studies posts 32% meeting the standard and 9.5% exceeding it, against 40% and 17.2% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.
This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.
Explore the underlying data →Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.
Napa Valley Independent Studies is ranked #1,406 statewide · #5 of 8 in Napa Valley Unified.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
| Factor | School | State | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exceeded standard | 9.5% | 17.2% | 42% |
| Met or exceeded | 31.9% | 40.0% | 23% |
| Chronic absenteeism | 21.5% | 18.1% | 5% |
| Suspension rate | 1.3% | 3.6% | 5% |
| EL proficiency (ELPAC) | 10.5% | 18.0% | 5% |
- Exceeded standard
- ↓ vs CA 17.2% · index 42 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
- Met or exceeded
- ↓ vs CA 40.0% · index 44 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
- Chronic absenteeism
- ↓ vs CA 18.1% · index 46 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint · ▲ 1.0pp higher vs 2024
- Suspension rate
- ↑ vs CA 3.6% · index 60 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint · ▼ 1.2pp lower vs 2024
- EL proficiency (ELPAC)
- ↓ vs CA 18.0% · index 40 · 50 = CA middle-school midpoint
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 7 | 14 | 0% | 29% | 29% | 43% | 29% | −19 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | 15% | 38% | 31% | 15% | 54% | +8 |
| Grade 11 | 34 | 3% | 44% | 38% | 15% | 47% | −2 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 7 | 14 | 7% | 7% | 21% | 64% | 14% | −19 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | 15% | 15% | 46% | 23% | 31% | −1 |
| Grade 11 | 34 | 6% | 3% | 12% | 79% | 9% | −15 |
We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolwide | 47 | 0% | 32% | 62% | 6% |
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.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 22 | 50.0% | +15 | +12 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 19 | 47.4% | +15 | +9 |
03Nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = one school's returning cohort tracked across grades (mostly, not exactly, the same kids), in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Grade gap | Cohort growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa Valley Independent Studies ← | — | 30 | 9.5% | 31.9% | — | — | 1.3% |
| Unidos Middle | 2.1 mi | 40 | 15.2% | 41.5% | +10.5pp | — | 6.7% |
| Redwood Middle | 1 mi | 24 | 13.4% | 35.2% | −5.2pp | — | 7.9% |
| Mayacamas Countywide Middle | 1.1 mi | 23 | 7.7% | 21.1% | +1.4pp | — | 5.5% |
| California average | — | 39 | 17.2% | 40.0% | +1.5pp | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
| Year | Scope | Pctile | Rank | Exc | Met+ | Absent | Susp | Grade gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 47 | 71 | #558 | 25.0% | 50.0% | 7.1% | 2.4% | — |
| 2022 | 27 | 37 | #1331 | 7.8% | 26.6% | 35.1% | 1.0% | -31.4pp |
| 2023 | 27 | 42 | #1231 | 9.8% | 26.6% | 34.6% | 1.6% | — |
| 2024 | 29 | 33 | #1437 | 6.7% | 26.7% | 20.5% | 2.5% | — |
| 2025 | 30 | 35 | #1406 | 9.5% | 31.9% | 21.5% | 1.3% | — |
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
- — Growth data isn't available — the state needs matched grades across years to compute it.
- — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
ShowHide table 05 — Climate by student group
| Group | 2019 | 2025 | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 2.2% | 20.0% | +17.8pp |
| Male | 0.0% | 26.1% | +26.1pp |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1.3% | 23.2% | +21.9pp |
| White | 1.7% | 29.6% | +27.9pp |
| Students with Disabilities | 5.9% | 38.5% | +32.6pp |
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 2.4% | 24.5% | +22.1pp |
| All Students | 1.4% | 23.0% | +21.6pp |
| English Learners | — | 30.0% | — |
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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,177 middle schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-09-18
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