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School Profile · Laguna Niguel

Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts posts 66% meeting the standard; 38.7% push past it. Steady is worth something — and the gap between those two numbers is the thing to ask about.

Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
62
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #884 statewide · #5 of 14 in Orange County Department of Education

Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts scores 62 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 85th 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 →

Most rating sites would stop at “66% proficient” and call it done. Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts deserves a closer read. It sits at the 85th percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts'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.

As a charter, Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.

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.

27%
34%
39%
Grade 3 · 61% proficient
41%
28%
31%
Grade 4 · 69% proficient
53%
21%
26%
Grade 5 · 74% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 25.4pp across grades; the floor rises 12.3pp. 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 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
38.7%
State 21.3%
17.3pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
65.8%
State 42.7%
23.2pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+6.1pp
State -2.9pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
13.0%
State 17.9%
4.9pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 1.6%
1.1pp 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.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Orange County Academy of Scien…
62/100
This school
High School
No feeder data available for this level

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

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic22.1%
White58.6%
Asian5.6%
Black1.6%
Other12.1%
GenderFemale 47.4%Male 52.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 19.7% (44pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
249
231 below CA avg (~480)
Transitional Kindergarten
TK status unconfirmed
No TK enrollment is on file with the state for this school — that isn't the same as “no TK.” Confirm directly with the district.
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$70,768
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$52,803 – $136,867
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts in Laguna Niguel, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts outperforms its district average for low-income students by 35.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (62.5% Math proficient); White students (68.5% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 24 students tested.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income24 tested
ELA 50.0%·Math 62.5%· +35.5pp vs district
White73 tested
ELA 68.5%·Math 68.5%· +33.2pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 0.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 33%Support 67%Other 0%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$140K
$55K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.19M
$532K above CA median
Bachelor's+
60%
25pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
10.1 years avg experience
11 teachers · 9% first-year · 18% second-year
Teacher Credentials
73% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
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 · 43%
38.7%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 67th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
65.8%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 68th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+6.1pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 54th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
13.0%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34427%34%25%14%61%+18
Grade 43941%28%18%13%69%+24
Grade 53853%21%16%11%74%+26
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34441%25%18%16%66%+20
Grade 43936%23%21%21%59%+17
Grade 53834%32%21%13%66%+30
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113829%37%32%3%

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 Disadvantaged2450.0%+36+12
White7368.5%+33+7
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts ←6238.7%65.8%+6.10.5%
Canyon Vista Elementary2.9 mi8461.8%85.7%−4.60.5%
Laguna Niguel Elementary1.5 mi7052.3%75.5%−15.30.7%
Marian Bergeson Elementary1.3 mi7050.2%70.4%+3.60.8%
California average4321.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
50%62%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1722 → #2148 → #1964 → #659 → #884
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts a good elementary school?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts has a Scope Score of 62 out of 100, placing it in the 85th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #884 statewide. 38.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 17.3 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 65.8% of students at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 38.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 38.7% 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. 242 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts rank in California?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts ranks #884 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 85th 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts increases by 6.1 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts?
13.0% of students at Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts compare to other schools in Laguna Niguel?
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts scores 62/100 (85th 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 249 students. Use the schools in Laguna Niguel page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts in Laguna Niguel, 50.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 14.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts outperforms its district average for low-income students by 35.5 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (62.5% Math proficient); White students (68.5% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 24 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.