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School Profile · Arbuckle

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

Pierce posts 42% meeting the standard against 36% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

960 Wildwood Road, 95912 (opens in new tab)·Pierce Joint Unified·Arbuckle·Grades 9-12·463 students·76% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 476-2277
Scope Score
46
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,002 statewide

Pierce High scores 46 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 54th 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 →

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

Pierce's low-income kids hit 65.2% 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 story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
42%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
23%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 42 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 23 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

65.2%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Pierce's most underrated number

65.2% 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.

Pierce low-income: 65.2%State low-income: 38.2%Pierce EL: 21.1%State EL: 10.4%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.5%
State 87.6%
9.9pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
17.6%
State 15.8%
1.8pp above state avg
College readiness
22.9%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate below state avg
Met or exceeded
42.4%
State 35.7%
6.7pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.9%
State 30.2%
17.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
6.5%
State 3.6%
2.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.5%
State 18.0%
9.5pp 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
High School
Pierce High
46/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

Your other options

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic82.3%
White14.0%
Asian0.7%
Black1.3%
Other1.7%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.0% (12pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
463
987 below CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$15,971
District avg: $11,876 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
8.5% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$54,839 – $116,206
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Pierce High in Arbuckle, 65.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 39.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pierce High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 25.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (62.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 92 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+15.2pp
28.1% vs 12.9% overall · n=57
Suspension · Disabilities+7.1pp
13.6% vs 6.5% overall · n=59
ELA · Disabilities−45.1pp
18.8% vs 63.9% overall · n=16
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−25.0pp
5.3% vs 30.3% overall · n=19
Math · Disabilities−21.0pp
0.0% vs 21.0% overall · n=16
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−5.0pp
0.0% vs 5.0% overall · n=16

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income92 tested
ELA 65.2%·Math 20.6%· +25.3pp vs district
Hispanic98 tested
ELA 62.2%·Math 17.4%· +22.8pp vs district
English Learner19 tested
ELA 21.1%·Math 0.0%· +9.9pp vs district

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 63%Support 33%Other 4%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$86K
$1K above CA median
Median Home Value
$436K
$223K below CA median
Bachelor's+
18%
17pp below 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
7.5 years avg experience
28 teachers · 14% first-year · 11% second-year
Teacher Credentials
80% fully credentialed
4.0% on intern/emergency permit
AP Courses Offered
8 AP courses
22 students qualified via AP exam

Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Pierce High a good high school?
Pierce High has a Scope Score of 46 out of 100, placing it in the 54th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,002 statewide. 17.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high 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 Pierce High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 42.4% of students at Pierce High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 24.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.6% 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. 238 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Pierce High rank in California?
Pierce High ranks #1,002 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 54th 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 Pierce High?
12.9% of students at Pierce 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 6.5%. 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 Pierce High compare to other schools in Arbuckle?
Pierce High scores 46/100 (54th 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 463 students. Use the schools in Arbuckle page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Pierce High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Pierce High in Arbuckle, 65.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 39.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pierce High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 25.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (20.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (62.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 45.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 92 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.

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%
97.5%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
17.6%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 52th pctile
College readiness · 20%
22.9%
↓ vs CA 35.4% · 43th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
42.4%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 55th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.9%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
6.5%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 37th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.5%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1111930%34%23%13%64%+17
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 111195%16%24%55%21%−2
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111208%40%50%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 Disadvantaged9265.2%+25+27
Hispanic/Latino9862.2%+23+23
English Learners1921.1%+10+11
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Pierce High ←4617.6%42.4%6.5%
California average4415.8%35.7%3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.5%
AP Exam Prepared
22.9%
A-G Completion
44.1%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
55.1%
Scope Score history
46%46%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1055 → #1230 → #1265 → #1113 → #1002
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue