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Oso Grande Elementary · Ladera Ranch

Oso Grande Elementary: More than half of kids exceed the standard. But this year's 5th graders test below its 3rd graders.

Oso Grande is one of the strongest elementary schools in Ladera Ranch by raw achievement. The catch worth understanding: the cohort doesn't gain ground year-over-year.

30251 Sienna Parkway, 92694 (opens in new tab)·Capistrano Unified·Ladera Ranch·Grades TK-5·867 students·14% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(949) 234-5966·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope7145
% Exceeded57%21%
% Met+81%43%
Growth-12.3-2.9
Absence9.3%17.9%
Suspension1.1%1.6%
Scope Score
71
⭐ High Ceiling · Strong
ranked #446 statewide · #11 of 39 in Capistrano Unified

Oso Grande Elementary scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 92nd 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 →

⭐ High Ceiling — Ask what happens for a kid who shows up behind — a high ceiling for the top can sit right next to thin support at the bottom, and the score alone won't show you which.

Most rating sites would stop at “81% proficient” and call it done. Oso Grande deserves a closer read. It sits at the 92nd percentile of 5,744 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

Oso Grande's low-income kids hit 78.1% 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.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has held the 92nd-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 81% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 387%83%83%87%86%
Grade 478%79%82%80%85%
Grade 574%72%71%73%79%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 388%83%79%85%84%
Grade 480%82%86%75%87%
Grade 564%58%67%73%65%

The story this school is actually telling

The ceiling · exceeded standard
56.7%

of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.3%.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The trajectory · grade 3→5
12.3pp

proficiency runs 85% in this year's grade 3 against 72% in its grade 5. The state average rises by +4.5pp over the same span.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

61%
24%
15%
Grade 3 · 85% proficient
66%
19%
15%
Grade 4 · 85% proficient
53%
26%
21%
Grade 5 · 79% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 8.5pp across grades; the floor slips 6.5pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. The school's 5th graders aren't posting a wider lead than its 3rd graders. One question worth asking on a tour: are the strongest students being pushed, or coasting? A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

78.1%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Oso Grande's most underrated number

78.1% of low-income students met the ELA standard — versus 38.2% for the same group statewide. That's the strongest kind of signal a school can post: it holds across income lines.

Oso Grande low-income: 78.1%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
56.7%
State 21.3%
35.4pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-12.3pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
81.0%
State 42.7%
38.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
9.3%
State 17.9%
8.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.1%
State 1.6%
0.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
30.0%
State 18.0%
12.0pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask the principal what changes between grade 3 and grade 5. Ask who teaches the older grades, and what the school does when a child starts falling behind.

  • Ask what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Oso Grande Elementary in Ladera Ranch, 78.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Oso Grande Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 23.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (71.9% Math proficient); White students (81.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 students tested.

All students at this school: 80% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 80%, district —, state 43%80%
WhiteWhite: this school 78%, district 74%, state 56%78% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 83%, district 69%, state 44%83% · +2 vs school
MaleMale: this school 78%, district 66%, state 42%78% · −2 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 61%, district 32%, state 15%61% · −19 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 75%, district 49%, state 32%75% · −5 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 87%, district 76%, state 56%87% · +6 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 83%, district 45%, state 32%83% · +2 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 83%, district 60%, state 46%83% · +2 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 96%, district 86%, state 72%96% · +16 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: too few students to report‹11
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
HomelessHomeless: too few students to report‹11
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 falls by 13.6pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.8pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 9.3%, district 13.9%, state 17.9%9.3% · −8.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.1%, district —, state 1.6%1.1% · −0.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–610.2%
TK/K13.5%

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 27:1, district 23:127:1
Teaching staff41 teachers
Avg. experience19.2 years
Fully credentialed98%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,219 – $130,638
Principal salary$185,421 – $206,216
Superintendent salary$348,333

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,647, CA average $14,815$17,647 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,166 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
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$12,431 per pupil
2019$11,341 per pupil
2018$10,665 per pupil
2017$9,388 per pupil
2016$8,875 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White67.7%
District 51.0% · CA 19.9%
Other15.8%
District 14.2% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic9.8%
District 26.7% · CA 56.1%
Asian6.3%
District 7.4% · CA 10.2%
Black0.3%
District 0.7% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 13.8% (50pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$190K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.13M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+66% · CA 35%
ZIP population35,764
Median age36 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 867 students, this school is well above the typical California elementary school (≈480).

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 63% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Oso Grande Elementary a good elementary school?

Oso Grande Elementary has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 92nd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #446 statewide. 56.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 35.4 percentage points above 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 Oso Grande Elementary's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 81.0% of students at Oso Grande Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 56.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 56.7% 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. 902 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Oso Grande Elementary rank in California?

Oso Grande Elementary ranks #446 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 92nd 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 Oso Grande Elementary getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Oso Grande Elementary decreases by 12.3 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 Oso Grande Elementary?

9.3% of students at Oso Grande 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 1.1%, 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 Oso Grande Elementary compare to other schools in Ladera Ranch?

Oso Grande Elementary scores 71/100 (92nd 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 867 students. Use the schools in Ladera Ranch page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Oso Grande Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Oso Grande Elementary in Ladera Ranch, 78.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 55.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Oso Grande Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 23.0 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (71.9% Math proficient); White students (81.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 16.9 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 64 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%
56.7%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 84th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-12.3pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 44th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
81.0%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 79th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
9.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 54th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
30.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 68th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 314061%24%11%4%86%+42
Grade 414366%19%9%6%85%+41
Grade 516853%26%12%9%79%+31
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 314053%31%14%2%84%+38
Grade 414363%24%11%2%87%+45
Grade 516843%22%24%10%65%+30
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1116827%36%34%4%

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 Disadvantaged6478.1%+23+40
White31081.3%+3+19
Students with Disabilities7067.1%+32+50
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Oso Grande Elementary ←7156.7%81.0%−12.31.1%
Chaparral Elementary1.2 mi7763.5%85.2%−5.51.8%
Carl Hankey Elementary1.9 mi7335.9%63.9%+17.91.3%
Ladera Ranch Elementary0.5 mi7051.9%78.6%−0.70.1%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196585#80650.1%78.3%6.1%0.6%-18.1pp
20225784#90545.3%76.3%20.6%0.3%-17.6pp
20236589#63950.3%77.9%17.2%1.0%-12.2pp
20247193#42052.4%79.0%8.4%0.1%-13.2pp
20257192#44656.7%81.0%9.3%1.1%-12.3pp
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
Female5.2%8.9%+3.7pp
Male6.9%9.1%+2.2pp
Asian1.3%7.1%+5.8pp
Black/African American7.7%
Filipino9.3%7.5%-1.8pp
White3.6%0.0%-3.6pp
Hispanic/Latino9.7%16.3%+6.6pp
Two or More Races3.6%5.6%+2.0pp
Students with Disabilities4.3%12.0%+7.7pp
English Learners5.6%4.3%-1.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged6.1%7.6%+1.5pp
All Students6.1%9.0%+2.9pp
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