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Rio Vista School of Applied Learning · Apple Valley

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning posts 33% meeting the standard and 12.6% exceeding it, against 43% and 21.3% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

13590 Havasu Road, 92308 (opens in new tab)·Apple Valley Unified·Apple Valley·Grades TK-6·927 students·63% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 240-0280
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope3845
% Exceeded13%21%
% Met+33%43%
Growth-2.0-2.9
Absence22.2%17.9%
Suspension0.8%1.6%
Scope Score
38
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #3,536 statewide · #2 of 12 in Apple Valley Unified

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning scores 38 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 38th percentile of 5,744 California elementary 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 “33% proficient” and call it done. Rio Vista School of Applied Learning deserves a closer read. The school sits in Apple Valley, where three 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 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Has stayed near the 38th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 33% meet the standard today, versus 47% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 354%43%31%31%34%
Grade 451%33%40%36%39%
Grade 547%56%47%37%43%
Grade 652%43%41%37%41%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 353%39%38%27%35%
Grade 444%23%31%35%22%
Grade 530%30%29%24%22%
Grade 630%20%15%24%15%

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.

17%
17%
66%
Grade 3 · 34% proficient
14%
25%
61%
Grade 4 · 39% proficient
14%
29%
57%
Grade 5 · 43% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 3.3pp across grades; the floor rises 8.8pp. The state average rises 4.5pp 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
12.6%
State 21.3%
8.7pp below state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-2.0pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
32.7%
State 42.7%
10.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
22.2%
State 17.9%
4.3pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 1.6%
0.8pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
18.1%
State 18.0%
0.1pp above 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 what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 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 Rio Vista School of Applied Learning in Apple Valley, 30.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Rio Vista School of Applied Learning outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 327 students tested.

All students at this school: 32% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 32%, district —, state 43%32%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 23%, district 20%, state 32%23% · −9 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 25%, district 21%, state 32%25% · −6 vs school
MaleMale: this school 32%, district 23%, state 42%32% · +1 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 31%, district 24%, state 44%31% · −1 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 41%, district 30%, state 56%41% · +10 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 11%, district 6%, state 15%11% · −21 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 9%, district 6%, state 11%9% · −22 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 23%, district 15%, state 22%23% · −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
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 rises by 14.0pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: +1.4pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 22.2%, district 32.6%, state 17.9%22.2% · +4.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.8%, district —, state 1.6%0.8% · −0.8pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–621.6%
TK/K31.0%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Rio Vista School of Applied Le…
38/100
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.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 25:1, district 23:125:1
Teaching staff42 teachers
Avg. experience8.8 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers5%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,367 – $136,253
Principal salary$161,951 – $178,015
Superintendent salary$255,803

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $15,962, CA average $14,815$15,962 · 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$867 per student

$867 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$19,836 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
Instruction65%
Instruction support10%
Student services8%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance11%

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$11,653 per pupil
2019$9,934 per pupil
2018$10,396 per pupil
2017$8,812 per pupil
2016$8,939 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic54.7%
District 59.9% · CA 56.1%
White33.2%
District 26.9% · CA 19.9%
Other5.8%
District 5.2% · CA 9.0%
Black3.8%
District 6.8% · CA 4.8%
Asian2.5%
District 1.3% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 63.0% (1pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$67K · CA $85K
Median home value$384K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+17% · CA 35%
ZIP population42,709
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 927 students, this school is well above the typical California elementary school (≈480).

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 28% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Rio Vista School of Applied Learning a good elementary school?

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning has a Scope Score of 38 out of 100, placing it in the 38th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #3,536 statewide. 12.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.7 percentage points below the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 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 Rio Vista School of Applied Learning's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 32.7% of students at Rio Vista School of Applied Learning met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 20.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.6% 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. 731 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Rio Vista School of Applied Learning rank in California?

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning ranks #3,536 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 38th 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 Rio Vista School of Applied Learning getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Rio Vista School of Applied Learning decreases by 2.0 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 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 Rio Vista School of Applied Learning?

22.2% of students at Rio Vista School of Applied Learning are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.8%, 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 Rio Vista School of Applied Learning compare to other schools in Apple Valley?

Rio Vista School of Applied Learning scores 38/100 (38th 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 927 students. Use the schools in Apple Valley page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Rio Vista School of Applied Learning serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Rio Vista School of Applied Learning in Apple Valley, 30.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 25.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Rio Vista School of Applied Learning outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (14.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.9% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.8 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 327 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%
12.6%
↓ vs CA 21.3% · 42th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-2.0pp
↑ vs CA -2.9pp · 50th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
32.7%
↓ vs CA 42.7% · 42th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
22.2%
↓ vs CA 17.9% · 43th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 57th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
18.1%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 51th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 313317%17%26%41%34%−10
Grade 410414%25%23%38%39%−5
Grade 512914%29%28%29%43%−5
Grade 61457%34%23%35%41%−5
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 313312%23%27%38%35%−10
Grade 41039%14%43%35%22%−19
Grade 51299%13%30%47%22%−13
Grade 614411%4%32%53%15%−20
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111279%19%54%18%

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 Disadvantaged32730.6%+5−8
Hispanic/Latino28332.9%+5−6
White15850.0%+14−12
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Rio Vista School of Applied Learning ←3812.6%32.7%−2.00.8%
Academy for Academic Excellence2.8 mi5921.5%47.7%+18.83.1%
Endeavour School of Exploration2.2 mi4928.9%56.3%−5.72.8%
Phoenix Academy3.1 mi324.0%13.3%+1.09.6%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194044#308021.9%46.7%9.0%0.5%-15.3pp
20223958#239514.7%37.5%44.9%0.9%+2.3pp
20234359#236113.2%35.8%30.2%1.5%+3.7pp
20243429#409410.3%31.6%21.9%0.7%+1.5pp
20253838#353612.6%32.7%22.2%0.8%-2.0pp
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
Female9.5%21.9%+12.4pp
Male8.5%22.9%+14.4pp
Asian2.9%8.7%+5.8pp
Black/African American16.7%21.3%+4.6pp
Filipino10.3%
Hispanic/Latino10.4%25.2%+14.8pp
Two or More Races10.7%23.9%+13.2pp
Students with Disabilities10.3%30.9%+20.6pp
English Learners4.2%16.7%+12.5pp
Foster Youth0.0%10.0%+10.0pp
Homeless28.3%29.1%+0.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged11.5%25.8%+14.3pp
All Students9.0%22.4%+13.4pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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