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School Profile · Davis

Pioneer Elementary: The score is strong. The trajectory is stronger.

Pioneer pairs 71% proficiency with gains of 11.6pp per cohort — the rare school that posts both.

5215 Hamel Street, 95616·Davis Joint Unified·Davis·Grades K-6·572 students·30% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 757-5480·Website
Scope Score
73
🚀 Growth Engine · Strong
ranked #368 statewide · #1 of 8 in Davis Joint Unified

Pioneer Elementary scores 73 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 93rd percentile of 5,230 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 “71% proficient” and call it done. Pioneer deserves a closer read. The school sits in Davis, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: +11.6pp proficiency climbs from grade 3 to grade 5 across the school. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span.

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.

40%
25%
35%
Grade 3 · 65% proficient
57%
23%
20%
Grade 4 · 80% proficient
48%
29%
23%
Grade 5 · 77% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 7.5pp across grades; the floor rises 11.3pp. 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.

53.1%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Pioneer's most underrated number

53.1% 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.

Pioneer low-income: 53.1%State low-income: 38.2%

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
46.2%
State 21.6%
24.6pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
71.4%
State 42.9%
28.5pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+11.6pp
State -3.0pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
10.6%
State 18.1%
7.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.6%
State 1.7%
0.0pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
29.7%
State 17.7%
12.0pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what changed — new curriculum, new principal, new program. Momentum has a cause, and a visit will find it.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Pioneer Elementary
73/100
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

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

Hispanic15.7%
White35.7%
Asian29.2%
Black5.2%
Other14.2%
GenderFemale 47.2%Male 52.6%Non-binary 0.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
572
92 above CA avg (~480)
Free/Reduced Lunch
30%
34pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$24,728
District avg: $14,513 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
29.7% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$56,837 – $107,257
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Pioneer Elementary in Davis, 53.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.0% Math proficient); White students (86.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 81 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+21.7pp
32.3% vs 10.6% overall · n=31
Suspension · Homeless+17.2pp
18.8% vs 1.6% overall · n=16
ELA · Hispanic−32.4pp
43.8% vs 76.2% overall · n=16
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Low-Income−23.5pp
24.9% vs 48.4% overall · n=81
Math · Low-Income−31.7pp
39.7% vs 71.5% overall · n=82
Math Exceeded · Low-Income−25.6pp
21.3% vs 46.9% overall · n=82

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income82 tested
ELA 53.1%·Math 39.0%· +9.8pp vs district
White121 tested
ELA 86.0%·Math 79.2%· +8.3pp vs district
Asian100 tested
ELA 84.0%·Math 82.0%· +4.9pp 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 9.7pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +4.6pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 60%Support 38%Other 2%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$74K
$11K below CA median
Median Home Value
$896K
$237K above CA median
Bachelor's+
78%
43pp 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
14.0 years avg experience
31 teachers · 10% second-year
Teacher Credentials
96% fully credentialed
3.3% on intern/emergency permit

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%
46.2%
↑ vs CA 21.6% · 73th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
71.4%
↑ vs CA 42.9% · 71th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+11.6pp
↑ vs CA -3.0pp · 77th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
10.6%
↑ vs CA 18.1% · 62th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.6%
↑ vs CA 1.7% · 50th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
29.7%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 76th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38040%25%20%15%65%+22
Grade 49057%23%9%11%80%+35
Grade 58048%29%15%9%76%+28
Grade 67349%34%11%5%84%+37
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 38130%28%25%17%58%+12
Grade 49155%24%10%11%79%+38
Grade 58348%22%22%8%70%+35
Grade 67155%24%18%3%79%+44
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/118339%25%30%6%

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 Disadvantaged8153.1%+10+15
White12186.0%+8+24
Asian9484.0%+5+10
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Pioneer Elementary ←7346.2%71.4%+11.61.6%
Fred T. Korematsu Elementary at Mace Ranch1.4 mi4930.4%58.2%−14.97.1%
Marguerite Montgomery Elementary1.7 mi4725.9%49.5%−16.61.5%
California average4421.6%42.9%−3.01.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
87%73%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #220 → #156 → #186 → #351 → #368
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,230 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Pioneer Elementary a good elementary school?
Pioneer Elementary has a Scope Score of 73 out of 100, placing it in the 93rd percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #368 statewide. 46.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 24.6 percentage points above the California average of 21.6%. 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 Pioneer Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 71.4% of students at Pioneer Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 46.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 46.2% 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. 505 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Pioneer Elementary rank in California?
Pioneer Elementary ranks #368 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 93rd 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 Pioneer Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Pioneer Elementary increases by 11.6 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 Pioneer Elementary?
10.6% of students at Pioneer Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 1.6%, 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 Pioneer Elementary compare to other schools in Davis?
Pioneer Elementary scores 73/100 (93rd 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 572 students. Use the schools in Davis page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Pioneer Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Pioneer Elementary in Davis, 53.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.3% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pioneer Elementary outperforms its district average for low-income students by 9.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.0% Math proficient); White students (86.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 32.4 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 81 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.