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Novato High · Novato

Novato High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Novato posts 46% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

625 Arthur Street, 94947 (opens in new tab)·Novato Unified·Novato·Grades 9-12·1,287 students·48% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(415) 898-2125·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5344
% Exceeded18%16%
% Met+46%36%
Grad rate93.4%87.6%
College readiness72.2%35.4%
Absence21.6%30.2%
Suspension3.5%3.6%
Scope Score
53
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #639 statewide · #2 of 4 in Novato Unified

Novato High scores 53 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 70th percentile of 2,160 California high 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “46% proficient” and call it done. Novato deserves a closer read. The school sits in Novato, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 81st to the 70th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Declined Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 46% meet the standard today, versus 51% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1166%70%60%56%56%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1136%35%29%24%35%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
46%
State 36%
Graduate
93%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
72%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 46 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 72 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
93.4%
State 87.6%
5.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
17.9%
State 15.8%
2.1pp above state avg
College readiness
72.2%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
45.6%
State 35.7%
9.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
21.6%
State 30.2%
8.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.5%
State 3.6%
0.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
3.7%
State 18.0%
14.3pp below 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 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 Novato High in Novato, 40.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Novato High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 5.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 151 students tested.

All students at this school: 46% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 46%, district —, state 36%46%
MaleMale: this school 44%, district 47%, state 42%44% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 47%, district 47%, state 44%47% · +1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 31%, district 29%, state 32%31% · −14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 25%, district 29%, state 32%25% · −21 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 63%, district 65%, state 56%63% · +17 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 6%, district 8%, state 11%6% · −39 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 13%, district 16%, state 15%13% · −32 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 63%, district 63%, state 56%63% · +18 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 68%, district 74%, state 72%68% · +22 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 41%, district 39%, state 46%41% · −5 vs school

5 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 21.6%, district 14.0%, state 30.2%21.6% · −8.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.5%, district —, state 3.6%3.5% · −0.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1221.1%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Novato High
53/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 20:1, district 21:120:1
Teaching staff73 teachers
Avg. experience13.0 years
Fully credentialed89%
First-year teachers8%
Intern / emergency permit1.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,953 – $133,072
Principal salary$158,792 – $183,904
Superintendent salary$289,800

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered37
AP exam qualifiers156 students
CTE pathway completers45 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,562, CA average $14,815$18,562 · spent at this school
Federal share$237 per student

$237 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,474 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
Instruction63%
Instruction support11%
Student services9%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance9%
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$12,709 per pupil
2019$12,337 per pupil
2018$13,101 per pupil
2017$11,526 per pupil
2016$11,161 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic49.5%
District 40.5% · CA 56.1%
White36.0%
District 43.1% · CA 19.9%
Other7.4%
District 10.1% · CA 9.0%
Asian4.7%
District 4.5% · CA 10.2%
Black2.3%
District 1.7% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 50.3%Male 48.3%Non-binary 1.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 48.3% (15pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$129K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.02M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+47% · CA 35%
ZIP population24,100
Median age48 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 19% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Novato High a good high school?

Novato High has a Scope Score of 53 out of 100, placing it in the 70th percentile of California high schools and ranked #639 statewide. 17.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.1 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Novato High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 45.6% of students at Novato High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.9% 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. 607 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Novato High rank in California?

Novato High ranks #639 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 70th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), 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 Novato High?

21.6% of students at Novato High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.5%. 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 Novato High compare to other schools in Novato?

Novato High scores 53/100 (70th percentile) among California high 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 1,287 students. Use the schools in Novato page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Novato High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Novato High in Novato, 40.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 34.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Novato High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 5.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.5% Math proficient); Hispanic students (34.6% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 151 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

All schools in Novato →

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
Graduation rate · 25%
93.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 57th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
17.9%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 52th pctile
College readiness · 20%
72.2%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 71th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
45.6%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
21.6%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.5%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 51th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
3.7%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 30th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1130523%33%20%24%56%+9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1130213%22%26%38%35%+12
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112364%14%57%25%

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 Disadvantaged15140.1%+6+2
Hispanic/Latino14034.6%+1−4
White12975.6%+4+14
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Novato High ←—5317.9%45.6%—3.5%
San Marin High2.8 mi6228.8%52.0%—1.3%
Marin Oaks High0.5 mi240.0%5.6%—7.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
93.4%
AP Exam Prepared
72.2%
A-G Completion
55.5%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
76.2%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196081#39424.0%50.8%14.2%4.3%—
20225984#34123.6%52.4%16.2%2.8%—
20235679#45619.8%44.9%18.4%3.5%—
20245373#58015.2%40.0%19.6%4.4%—
20255370#63917.9%45.6%21.6%3.5%—
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
Female14.0%20.3%+6.3pp
Male12.5%21.3%+8.8pp
Asian9.5%14.5%+5.0pp
Black/African American23.3%45.2%+21.9pp
White7.7%16.7%+9.0pp
Hispanic/Latino14.4%23.6%+9.2pp
American Indian/Alaska Native6.7%——
Two or More Races14.9%18.6%+3.7pp
Students with Disabilities20.2%32.9%+12.7pp
English Learners22.4%26.1%+3.7pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged14.7%24.6%+9.9pp
All Students13.3%21.1%+7.8pp
Homeless—35.9%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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

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