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Pleasant Hill Middle · Pleasant Hill

Pleasant Hill Middle: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Pleasant Hill posts 53% meeting the standard, and 26.1% going well past it. Most kids here keep up. Fewer get pushed further. Ask the school what it does for a child who already finds the work easy.

1 Santa Barbara Road, 94503 (opens in new tab)·Mt. Diablo Unified·Pleasant Hill·Grades 6-8·738 students·44% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(925) 256-0791
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5443
% Exceeded26%17%
% Met+53%39%
Growth-4.5+1.5
Absence16.3%18.5%
Suspension2.7%3.7%
Scope Score
54
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #501 statewide · #5 of 11 in Mt. Diablo Unified

Pleasant Hill Middle scores 54 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 78th percentile of 2,238 California middle 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 “53% proficient” and call it done. Pleasant Hill deserves a closer read. The school sits in Pleasant Hill, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Climbed from the 53rd to the 78th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 400 middle schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 53% of students meet the standard today, above the 48% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 659%46%50%43%64%
Grade 753%56%49%52%58%
Grade 853%47%53%54%54%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 647%43%40%39%47%
Grade 744%48%45%44%45%
Grade 834%30%43%43%48%

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.

28%
36%
36%
Grade 6 · 64% proficient
23%
34%
43%
Grade 7 · 57% proficient
23%
32%
45%
Grade 8 · 55% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 5.7pp across grades; the floor slips 9.6pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
26.1%
State 16.8%
9.2pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-4.5pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
52.7%
State 39.3%
13.4pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
16.3%
State 18.5%
2.2pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.7%
State 3.7%
0.9pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
17.2%
State 18.0%
0.7pp 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 what changes between grade 6 and grade 8 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Pleasant Hill Middle in Pleasant Hill, 44.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pleasant Hill Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); White students (72.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 56.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 330 students tested.

All students at this school: 53% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 53%, district —, state 39%53%
FemaleFemale: this school 54%, district 44%, state 44%54% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 51%, district 43%, state 42%51% · −1 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 37%, district 27%, state 32%37% · −16 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 67%, district 60%, state 56%67% · +14 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 31%, district 26%, state 32%31% · −22 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 58%, district 54%, state 56%58% · +5 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 17%, district 17%, state 15%17% · −36 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 4%, district 5%, state 11%4% · −49 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 68%, district 59%, state 72%68% · +16 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 5%, district 24%, state 26%5% · −48 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: 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 8.9pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 16.3%, district 22.3%, state 18.5%16.3% · −2.2pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.7%, district —, state 3.7%2.7% · −0.9pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–613.4%
Grades 7–817.8%

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 24:1, district 24:124:1
Teaching staff33 teachers
Avg. experience15.8 years
Fully credentialed81%
First-year teachers6%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,422 – $120,624
Principal salary$151,493 – $174,392
Superintendent salary$305,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $127, CA average $14,815$127 · spent at this school

These measure different things: this figure is spending attributed to this campus, while district-wide figures also include central administration, districtwide programs, and the state's pension contributions made on the district's behalf — costs that never get assigned to a single school. The district number runs higher at nearly every school, not just this one.

Federal share$112 per student

$112 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,016 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
Instruction62%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance10%
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$11,965 per pupil
2019$12,119 per pupil
2018$13,284 per pupil
2017$12,803 per pupil
2016$12,073 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White39.4%
District 27.3% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic32.5%
District 42.5% · CA 56.1%
Other16.8%
District 17.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian7.7%
District 9.6% · CA 10.2%
Black3.5%
District 3.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 44.4% (19pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$121K · CA $85K
Median home value$697K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+32% · CA 35%
ZIP population21,841
Median age37 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 44% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Pleasant Hill Middle a good middle school?

Pleasant Hill Middle has a Scope Score of 54 out of 100, placing it in the 78th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #501 statewide. 26.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 9.2 percentage points above the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 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 Pleasant Hill Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 52.7% of students at Pleasant Hill Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 26.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 26.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 26.1% 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. 1,458 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Pleasant Hill Middle rank in California?

Pleasant Hill Middle ranks #501 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 78th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 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 Pleasant Hill Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Pleasant Hill Middle decreases by 4.5 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 middle 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 Pleasant Hill Middle?

16.3% of students at Pleasant Hill Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.7%. 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 Pleasant Hill Middle compare to other schools in Pleasant Hill?

Pleasant Hill Middle scores 54/100 (78th percentile) among California middle 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 738 students. Use the schools in Pleasant Hill page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Pleasant Hill Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Pleasant Hill Middle in Pleasant Hill, 44.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Pleasant Hill Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 12.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (29.8% Math proficient); White students (72.7% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 56.1 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 330 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%
26.1%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 60th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-4.5pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 57th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
52.7%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
16.3%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 53th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.7%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 54th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
17.2%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 44th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625328%36%21%15%64%+17
Grade 723923%34%23%19%58%+10
Grade 823723%32%23%22%54%+8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 625330%17%28%25%47%+12
Grade 723923%22%23%32%45%+11
Grade 823728%20%21%32%48%+15
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1123518%26%47%9%

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 Disadvantaged33044.5%+13+6
White28272.7%+9+11
Hispanic/Latino23738.3%+7−1
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Pleasant Hill Middle ←5426.1%52.7%−4.52.7%
Walnut Creek Intermediate1.9 mi6337.7%67.6%+0.72.4%
Sequoia Middle0.5 mi5625.1%50.9%+2.33.1%
Valley View Middle2.1 mi5123.5%49.1%−3.02.9%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194053#94522.7%48.3%6.9%6.8%-9.6pp
20224365#76118.6%45.1%22.6%2.7%-6.0pp
20235273#58220.8%46.6%23.2%4.9%+3.1pp
20245278#49022.4%45.8%18.5%4.9%+7.8pp
20255478#50126.1%52.7%16.3%2.7%-4.5pp
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
Female6.9%19.5%+12.6pp
Male6.9%12.9%+6.0pp
Asian10.7%6.7%-4.0pp
Black/African American5.0%32.1%+27.1pp
Filipino18.8%12.5%-6.3pp
White4.3%0.0%-4.3pp
Hispanic/Latino6.6%27.6%+21.0pp
Two or More Races4.6%12.6%+8.0pp
Students with Disabilities19.4%35.7%+16.3pp
English Learners7.3%25.5%+18.2pp
Homeless30.8%
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged10.0%24.6%+14.6pp
All Students6.9%16.3%+9.4pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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