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Paramount High · Paramount

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

Paramount posts 37% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

14429 South Downey Avenue, 90723 (opens in new tab)·Paramount Unified·Paramount·Grades 9-12·3,400 students·97% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(562) 602-6067
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4544
% Exceeded12%16%
% Met+37%36%
Grad rate92.4%87.6%
College readiness43.0%35.4%
Absence20.1%30.2%
Suspension3.3%3.6%
Scope Score
45
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,098 statewide · #2 of 3 in Paramount Unified

Paramount High scores 45 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 49th 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “37% proficient” and call it done. Paramount deserves a closer read. The school sits in Paramount, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Paramount's low-income kids hit 55.7% 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 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 49th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 37% of students meet the standard today, above the 31% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1142%44%47%45%56%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1120%11%12%14%18%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
37%
State 36%
Graduate
92%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
43%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 37 are proficient by 11th grade → 92 graduate → 43 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

55.7%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Paramount's most underrated number

55.7% 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.

Paramount low-income: 55.7%State low-income: 38.2%Paramount EL: 7.5%State EL: 10.4%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
92.4%
State 87.6%
4.8pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.2%
State 15.8%
3.7pp below state avg
College readiness
43.0%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
37.1%
State 35.7%
1.4pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.1%
State 30.2%
10.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.3%
State 3.6%
0.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
4.9%
State 18.0%
13.1pp 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.

  • Ask whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into it.
  • 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 Paramount High in Paramount, 55.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Paramount High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (56.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 715 students tested.

All students at this school: 37% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 37%, district —, state 36%37%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 37%, district 34%, state 32%37% · −0 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 37%, district 35%, state 32%37% · +0 vs school
MaleMale: this school 37%, district 32%, state 42%37% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 37%, district 36%, state 44%37% · −0 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 5%, district 10%, state 11%5% · −32 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 6%, district 10%, state 15%6% · −31 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 26%, district 23%, state 26%26% · −11 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 45%, district 23%, state 22%45% · +8 vs school

7 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 20.1%, district 24.3%, state 30.2%20.1% · −10.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.3%, district —, state 3.6%3.3% · −0.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1219.9%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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 19:1, district 20:119:1
Teaching staff189 teachers
Avg. experience16.4 years
Fully credentialed82%
First-year teachers2%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$73,292 – $138,335
Principal salary$188,208 – $204,698
Superintendent salary$316,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered52
AP exam qualifiers219 students
CTE pathway completers253 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,721, CA average $14,815$24,721 · spent at this school
Federal share$33 per student

$33 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$26,268 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
Instruction68%
Instruction support11%
Student services7%
Administration4%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$15,272 per pupil
2019$13,970 per pupil
2018$13,949 per pupil
2017$12,942 per pupil
2016$12,153 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic90.9%
District 88.5% · CA 56.1%
Black5.7%
District 7.5% · CA 4.8%
Other1.7%
District 2.2% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.9%
District 0.9% · CA 10.2%
White0.8%
District 0.9% · CA 19.9%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 96.7% (33pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$75K · CA $85K
Median home value$534K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+15% · CA 35%
ZIP population52,050
Median age33 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 3,400 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 20% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Paramount High a good high school?

Paramount High has a Scope Score of 45 out of 100, placing it in the 49th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,098 statewide. 12.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.7 percentage points below 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 Paramount High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 37.1% of students at Paramount High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.2% 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. 1,488 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Paramount High rank in California?

Paramount High ranks #1,098 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 49th 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 Paramount High?

20.1% of students at Paramount 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 3.3%. 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 Paramount High compare to other schools in Paramount?

Paramount High scores 45/100 (49th 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 3,400 students. Use the schools in Paramount page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

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

At Paramount High in Paramount, 55.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 42.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Paramount High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (18.3% Math proficient); Hispanic students (56.1% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 48.4 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 715 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
Graduation rate · 25%
92.4%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 56th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.2%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 46th pctile
College readiness · 20%
43.0%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 54th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
37.1%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.1%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 58th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.3%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 51th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
4.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 31th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1174618%38%25%19%56%+9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 117426%12%26%55%18%−5
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/117603%18%69%11%

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 Disadvantaged71555.7%+13+17
Hispanic/Latino69356.1%+12+17
English Learners947.5%−5−3
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Paramount High ←4512.2%37.1%3.3%
Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathema3.1 mi5728.6%51.8%1.6%
Warren (Earl) High2.4 mi5625.4%54.5%4.1%
Downey High2.9 mi5321.0%51.6%3.7%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
92.4%
AP Exam Prepared
43.0%
A-G Completion
48.6%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
47.7%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194649#10359.7%31.1%9.7%5.3%
20224349#10718.3%27.6%32.8%1.7%
20234349#10968.8%29.8%26.7%3.9%
20244449#10988.3%29.5%19.2%4.0%
20254549#109812.2%37.1%20.1%3.3%
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
Female9.4%20.6%+11.2pp
Male9.5%19.2%+9.7pp
Asian8.8%13.8%+5.0pp
Black/African American16.8%32.5%+15.7pp
White0.0%18.8%+18.8pp
Hispanic/Latino8.8%19.2%+10.4pp
Pacific Islander16.7%27.3%+10.6pp
Two or More Races7.7%10.0%+2.3pp
Students with Disabilities18.3%28.9%+10.6pp
English Learners12.5%27.8%+15.3pp
Foster Youth13.2%37.9%+24.7pp
Homeless31.1%38.2%+7.1pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged9.4%20.2%+10.8pp
All Students9.5%19.9%+10.4pp
Filipino7.7%
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