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PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High · Los Angeles

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College posts 35% meeting the standard and 14.7% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

7350 North Figueroa Street, 90041 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Los Angeles·Grades 6-12·265 students·95% low-income·Charter·Magnet·2024–25 CAASPP·(213) 239-0063·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4143
% Exceeded15%17%
% Met+35%39%
Growth+2.9+1.5
Absence38.7%18.5%
Suspension0.5%3.7%
Scope Score
41
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,114 statewide · #118 of 226 in Los Angeles Unified

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High scores 41 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 50th 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “35% proficient” and call it done. PUC CALS Middle School and Early College deserves a closer read. The school sits in Los Angeles, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 0.5% suspension rate — versus 3.7% statewide.

As a charter, PUC CALS Middle School and Early College enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 50th percentile since 2019.

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 35% meet the standard today, versus 39% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 639%40%42%22%53%
Grade 752%50%42%36%30%
Grade 848%38%44%39%47%
Grade 1159%52%75%52%38%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 633%13%27%19%18%
Grade 728%19%23%28%33%
Grade 834%12%18%23%29%
Grade 1126%23%32%16%26%

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.

12%
41%
47%
Grade 6 · 53% proficient
8%
23%
69%
Grade 7 · 31% proficient
26%
21%
53%
Grade 8 · 47% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 14.6pp across grades; the floor slips 5.6pp. 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 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
14.7%
State 16.8%
2.1pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+2.9pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
34.9%
State 39.3%
4.4pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
38.7%
State 18.5%
20.1pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.5%
State 3.7%
3.2pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask how the school follows up when a student starts missing days — chronic absence often starts outside the classroom, not inside 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 PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High in Los Angeles, 39.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 136 students tested.

All students at this school: 34% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 34%, district —, state 39%34%
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 34%, district 36%, state 32%34% · +0 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 34%, district 36%, state 32%34% · −0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 38%, district 42%, state 44%38% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 29%, district 41%, state 42%29% · −5 vs school

8 of 13 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

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 2.8pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -0.3pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 38.7%, district 24.5%, state 18.5%38.7% · +20.1pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.5%, district —, state 3.7%0.5% · −3.2pp vs state

Where the path goes

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High serves grades 6-12 — students can complete middle and high school here, without a separate middle-to-high transition.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 14:1, district 20:114:1
Teaching staff21 teachers
Avg. experience9.9 years
Fully credentialed62%
First-year teachers24%
Intern / emergency permit13.5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,420 – $122,706
Principal salary$154,576 – $170,030
Superintendent salary$440,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $18,180, CA average $14,815$18,180 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$29,292 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
Instruction52%
Instruction support16%
Student services12%
Administration7%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

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$18,180 per pupil
2019$16,355 per pupil
2018$15,793 per pupil
2017$13,247 per pupil
2016$13,549 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic93.6%
District 73.2% · CA 56.1%
White3.0%
District 9.9% · CA 19.9%
Black1.5%
District 7.2% · CA 4.8%
Other1.5%
District 6.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian0.4%
District 3.4% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 95.1% (31pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$115K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.19M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+53% · CA 35%
ZIP population27,920
Median age41 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 265 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California middle school (≈860).

On the state's science test (CAST), 25% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High a good middle school?

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High has a Scope Score of 41 out of 100, placing it in the 50th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,114 statewide. 14.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.1 percentage points below 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 PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.9% of students at PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.7% 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. 190 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High rank in California?

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High ranks #1,114 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 50th 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 PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High increases by 2.9 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High?

38.7% of students at PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 0.5%, 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 PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High compare to other schools in Los Angeles?

PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High scores 41/100 (50th 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 265 students. Use the schools in Los Angeles page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High in Los Angeles, 39.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (28.2% Math proficient); Hispanic students (40.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 3.4 percentage points for low-income students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 136 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

All schools in Los Angeles →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

How to get into a charter school in LA →
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%
14.7%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 48th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+2.9pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 54th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
34.9%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 47th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
38.7%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 22th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.5%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61712%41%29%18%53%+6
Grade 7408%23%30%40%30%−18
Grade 83826%21%34%18%47%+1
Grade 115313%25%32%30%38%−9
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 61712%6%53%29%18%−17
Grade 74013%20%20%48%33%−1
Grade 83818%11%26%45%29%−3
Grade 11536%21%17%57%26%+3
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11885%20%72%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 Disadvantaged13639.2%−2+1
Hispanic/Latino13740.4%−1+2
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
PUC CALS Middle School and Early College High ←—4114.7%34.9%+2.90.5%
South Pasadena Middle2.9 mi8258.0%81.3%+1.41.8%
Luther Burbank Middle1.3 mi5117.6%43.3%+15.41.6%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20193746#107912.3%39.0%14.8%3.5%+5.4pp
20223545#11988.6%28.8%29.4%0.1%-1.7pp
20233536#13909.7%32.9%40.4%1.1%-3.7pp
20243542#12738.6%27.7%40.0%0.8%+10.4pp
20254150#111414.7%34.9%38.7%0.5%+2.9pp
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
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

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