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Northmead Elementary · Patterson

Northmead Elementary: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Northmead posts 42% meeting the standard and 16.4% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

625 L Street, 95363 (opens in new tab)·Patterson Joint Unified·Patterson·Grades TK-6·528 students·77% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 892-4740
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3945
% Exceeded16%21%
% Met+42%43%
Growth-1.0-2.9
Absence16.0%17.9%
Suspension2.5%1.6%
Scope Score
39
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,442 statewide · #1 of 5 in Patterson Joint Unified

Northmead Elementary scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 40th 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 →

🌱 Building Momentum — 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “42% proficient” and call it done. Northmead deserves a closer read. The school sits in Patterson, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Slipped from the 68th to the 40th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 42% meet the standard today, versus 55% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 357%51%46%59%46%
Grade 465%49%51%52%52%
Grade 559%23%31%39%54%
Grade 629%38%36%40%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 356%46%47%54%33%
Grade 442%27%28%30%41%
Grade 554%12%18%16%23%
Grade 616%30%15%13%

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.

17%
29%
54%
Grade 3 · 46% proficient
28%
23%
49%
Grade 4 · 51% proficient
22%
33%
45%
Grade 5 · 55% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 4.1pp across grades; the floor rises 8.0pp. 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.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
16.4%
State 21.3%
4.9pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-1.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
41.5%
State 42.7%
1.1pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
16.0%
State 17.9%
1.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.5%
State 1.6%
0.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
9.0%
State 18.0%
9.0pp below state avg
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.

How every group of students does here

At Northmead Elementary in Patterson, 43.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Northmead Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 34.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 237 students tested.

All students at this school: 38% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 38%, district —, state 43%38%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 35%, district 26%, state 32%35% · −3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 33%, district 25%, state 32%33% · −5 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 39%, district 30%, state 44%39% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 37%, district 27%, state 42%37% · −1 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 14%, district 6%, state 15%14% · −24 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 10%, district 7%, state 11%10% · −28 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 52%, district 35%, state 56%52% · +14 vs school

7 of 15 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 10.4pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +9.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 16.0%, district 22.6%, state 17.9%16.0% · −1.9pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.5%, district —, state 1.6%2.5% · +0.9pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (29.6% vs 12.4%). 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 4–612.4%
TK/K29.6%

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 20:1, district 22:120:1
Teaching staff26 teachers
Avg. experience14.8 years
Fully credentialed77%
First-year teachers4%
Intern / emergency permit7.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$63,544 – $125,872
Principal salary$155,622 – $175,460
Superintendent salary$260,857

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,951, CA average $14,815$19,951 · spent at this school
Federal share$315 per student

$315 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$21,171 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
Instruction58%
Instruction support12%
Student services11%
Administration8%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other1%

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$13,669 per pupil
2019$13,086 per pupil
2018$13,614 per pupil
2017$12,086 per pupil
2016$11,178 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic79.5%
District 77.7% · CA 56.1%
White9.5%
District 8.2% · CA 19.9%
Other6.3%
District 7.2% · CA 9.0%
Black3.0%
District 4.4% · CA 4.8%
Asian1.7%
District 2.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.5% (13pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$96K · CA $85K
Median home value$471K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population30,769
Median age32 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), 25% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Northmead Elementary a good elementary school?

Northmead Elementary has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 40th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,442 statewide. 16.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 4.9 percentage points below 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 Northmead Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 41.5% of students at Northmead Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 16.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 16.4% 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. 459 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Northmead Elementary rank in California?

Northmead Elementary ranks #3,442 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 40th 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 Northmead Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Northmead Elementary decreases by 1.0 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. 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 Northmead Elementary?

16.0% of students at Northmead 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 2.5%. 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 Northmead Elementary compare to other schools in Patterson?

Northmead Elementary scores 39/100 (40th 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 528 students. Use the schools in Patterson page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

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

At Northmead Elementary in Patterson, 43.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Northmead Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (44.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 34.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 237 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%
16.4%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 45th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-1.0pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 44th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
41.5%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
16.0%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 53th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.5%
↓ vs CA 1.6% · 42th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
9.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 36917%29%32%22%46%+3
Grade 48128%23%27%21%52%+7
Grade 57922%33%23%23%54%+7
Grade 68210%30%29%30%40%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37010%23%33%34%33%−13
Grade 48112%28%35%25%41%−1
Grade 5799%14%29%48%23%−13
Grade 6824%10%28%59%13%−22
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/117910%15%58%16%

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 Disadvantaged23743.0%+10+5
Hispanic/Latino24344.4%+9+6
English Learners6410.9%+3+1
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Northmead Elementary ←3916.4%41.5%−1.02.5%
Las Palmas Elementary0.5 mi358.8%29.3%+13.14.7%
Apricot Valley Elementary0.9 mi3513.3%31.5%−1.55.3%
Walnut Grove Elementary0.8 mi266.6%24.6%−7.73.8%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195168#174727.1%55.3%10.8%2.8%+0.1pp
2022164#550716.7%34.6%32.3%5.3%-30.8pp
20232719#463916.7%36.9%20.9%4.8%-21.6pp
20243531#397120.1%41.9%12.8%3.8%-28.9pp
20253940#344216.4%41.5%16.0%2.5%-1.0pp
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
Female9.7%13.2%+3.5pp
Male12.0%18.5%+6.5pp
Asian15.4%18.2%+2.8pp
Black/African American30.3%23.5%-6.8pp
Filipino6.7%25.0%+18.3pp
Hispanic/Latino9.3%16.2%+6.9pp
Pacific Islander12.5%
Two or More Races18.2%
Students with Disabilities11.3%24.7%+13.4pp
English Learners8.3%17.6%+9.3pp
Homeless25.0%23.3%-1.7pp
Military-Connected10.0%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.6%17.8%+6.2pp
All Students10.8%15.9%+5.1pp
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