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Santa Susana High · Simi Valley

Santa Susana High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Santa Susana posts 40.2% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

3570 East Cochran Street, 93063 (opens in new tab)·Simi Valley Unified·Simi Valley·Grades 9-12·1,033 students·30% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 520-6800·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope7144
% Exceeded40%16%
% Met+70%36%
Grad rate97.7%87.6%
College readiness81.4%35.4%
Absence16.8%30.2%
Suspension2.6%3.6%
Scope Score
71
💪 Strong All-Around · Strong
ranked #95 statewide · #1 of 5 in Simi Valley Unified

Santa Susana High scores 71 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 96th 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “70% proficient” and call it done. Santa Susana deserves a closer read. The school sits in Simi Valley, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Santa Susana's low-income kids hit 67.1% 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 seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has held the 96th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathBlue(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 70% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1188%79%78%80%81%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1153%37%49%39%58%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
70%
State 36%
Graduate
98%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
81%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 70 are proficient by 11th grade → 98 graduate → 81 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

67.1%
Low-income · ELA · met standard

Santa Susana's most underrated number

67.1% 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.

Santa Susana low-income: 67.1%State low-income: 38.2%

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
97.7%
State 87.6%
10.1pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
40.2%
State 15.8%
24.4pp above state avg
College readiness
81.4%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
69.6%
State 35.7%
33.9pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
16.8%
State 30.2%
13.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.6%
State 3.6%
1.1pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
40.0%
State 18.0%
22.0pp 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 whether extra support — tutoring, counseling, small groups — reaches kids across income lines, not just the students already ahead.
  • 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 Santa Susana High in Simi Valley, 67.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Santa Susana High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 28.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (50.0% Math proficient); White students (86.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 33.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 students tested.

All students at this school: 70% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 70%, district —, state 36%70%
MaleMale: this school 75%, district 44%, state 42%75% · +6 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 63%, district 43%, state 44%63% · −6 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 73%, district 50%, state 56%73% · +3 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 59%, district 32%, state 32%59% · −11 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 53%, district 31%, state 32%53% · −17 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 82%, district 71%, state 72%82% · +12 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 33%, district 12%, state 15%33% · −36 vs school

7 of 15 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 16.8%, district 19.5%, state 30.2%16.8% · −13.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.6%, district —, state 3.6%2.6% · −1.1pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1215.8%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
Santa Susana High
71/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 23:121:1
Teaching staff58 teachers
Avg. experience11.9 years
Fully credentialed91%
First-year teachers9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,887 – $115,704
Principal salary$148,925 – $170,414
Superintendent salary$297,494

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered39
AP exam qualifiers158 students
CTE pathway completers68 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,075, CA average $14,815$17,075 · spent at this school
Federal share$265 per student

$265 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,900 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
Instruction57%
Instruction support14%
Student services11%
Administration7%
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$12,276 per pupil
2019$11,727 per pupil
2018$11,607 per pupil
2017$10,765 per pupil
2016$10,354 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White37.6%
District 38.8% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic32.9%
District 45.4% · CA 56.1%
Asian18.0%
District 7.2% · CA 10.2%
Other10.2%
District 7.0% · CA 9.0%
Black1.4%
District 1.6% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 56.4%Male 42.6%Non-binary 1.0%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 30.5% (33pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$125K · CA $85K
Median home value$817K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+37% · CA 35%
ZIP population55,066
Median age43 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 60% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Santa Susana High a good high school?

Santa Susana High has a Scope Score of 71 out of 100, placing it in the 96th percentile of California high schools and ranked #95 statewide. 40.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 24.4 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), 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 Santa Susana High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 69.6% of students at Santa Susana High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 40.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 40.2% 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. 467 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Santa Susana High rank in California?

Santa Susana High ranks #95 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 96th 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 Santa Susana High?

16.8% of students at Santa Susana 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 2.6%. 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 Santa Susana High compare to other schools in Simi Valley?

Santa Susana High scores 71/100 (96th 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 1,033 students. Use the schools in Simi Valley page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Santa Susana High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Santa Susana High in Simi Valley, 67.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Santa Susana High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 28.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (50.0% Math proficient); White students (86.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 33.1 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 79 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 Simi Valley →

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
Graduation rate · 25%
97.7%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 62th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
40.2%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 76th pctile
College readiness · 20%
81.4%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 77th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
69.6%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 74th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
16.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 61th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.6%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
40.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 88th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1123452%29%13%6%81%+34
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1123328%30%15%27%58%+35
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1123325%35%38%2%

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 Disadvantaged7967.1%+28+29
White9586.3%+29+25
Hispanic/Latino6764.2%+26+25
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Santa Susana High ←—7140.2%69.6%—2.6%
Simi Valley High2.3 mi5515.9%36.5%—2.5%
Apollo High0.7 mi211.0%6.1%—7.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
97.7%
AP Exam Prepared
81.4%
A-G Completion
67.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
85.3%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20197495#9541.5%70.4%9.1%1.8%—
20226591#19027.2%58.4%16.7%2.9%—
20236692#16928.5%63.5%15.9%2.5%—
20246692#16731.5%59.4%14.1%1.8%—
20257196#9540.2%69.6%16.8%2.6%—
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
Female8.4%16.6%+8.2pp
Male7.6%14.4%+6.8pp
Asian3.0%12.1%+9.1pp
Black/African American13.3%28.6%+15.3pp
White5.0%9.6%+4.6pp
Hispanic/Latino7.7%17.1%+9.4pp
Two or More Races10.9%16.7%+5.8pp
Students with Disabilities17.5%28.0%+10.5pp
English Learners8.0%27.5%+19.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged12.4%18.0%+5.6pp
All Students8.1%15.8%+7.7pp
Homeless—33.3%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high 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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