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Sequoia Middle · Pleasant Hill

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

Sequoia posts 51% meeting the standard, and 25.1% 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.

265 Boyd Road, 94523 (opens in new tab)·Mt. Diablo Unified·Pleasant Hill·Grades 6-8·882 students·50% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(925) 934-8174·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5643
% Exceeded25%17%
% Met+51%39%
Growth+2.3+1.5
Absence8.9%18.5%
Suspension3.1%3.7%
Scope Score
56
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #409 statewide · #4 of 11 in Mt. Diablo Unified

Sequoia Middle scores 56 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 82nd 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 “51% proficient” and call it done. Sequoia deserves a closer read. The school sits in Pleasant Hill, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 39.7% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has stayed near the 82nd percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 51% meet the standard today, versus 56% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 665%58%53%52%54%
Grade 766%49%64%62%58%
Grade 863%54%52%61%55%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 649%40%39%46%43%
Grade 748%41%51%47%48%
Grade 847%39%48%56%47%

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.

23%
31%
46%
Grade 6 · 54% proficient
24%
34%
42%
Grade 7 · 58% proficient
22%
33%
45%
Grade 8 · 55% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding holds steady across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. 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
25.1%
State 16.8%
8.3pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+2.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
50.9%
State 39.3%
11.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
8.9%
State 18.5%
9.7pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.1%
State 3.7%
0.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
39.7%
State 18.0%
21.7pp above 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 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 Sequoia Middle in Pleasant Hill, 42.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sequoia Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 444 students tested.

All students at this school: 51% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 51%, district —, state 39%51%
FemaleFemale: this school 52%, district 44%, state 44%52% · +2 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 38%, district 27%, state 32%38% · −13 vs school
MaleMale: this school 49%, district 43%, state 42%49% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 32%, district 26%, state 32%32% · −19 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 57%, district 60%, state 56%57% · +6 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 60%, district 54%, state 56%60% · +9 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 77%, district 59%, state 72%77% · +26 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: this school 69%, district 60%, state 65%69% · +18 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 22%, district 17%, state 15%22% · −29 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 4%, district 5%, state 11%4% · −47 vs school

5 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 falls by 0.5pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.7pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 8.9%, district 22.3%, state 18.5%8.9% · −9.7pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.1%, district —, state 3.7%3.1% · −0.5pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–66.6%
Grades 7–89.8%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

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 26:1, district 24:126:1
Teaching staff35 teachers
Avg. experience14.8 years
Fully credentialed92%
First-year teachers3%
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: $126, CA average $14,815$126 · 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$115 per student

$115 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

Hispanic38.2%
District 42.5% · CA 56.1%
White24.5%
District 27.3% · CA 19.9%
Other24.0%
District 17.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian10.2%
District 9.6% · CA 10.2%
Black3.1%
District 3.3% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 50.1% (14pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$143K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.08M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+55% · CA 35%
ZIP population34,592
Median age42 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 39% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Sequoia Middle a good middle school?

Sequoia Middle has a Scope Score of 56 out of 100, placing it in the 82nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #409 statewide. 25.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.3 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 Sequoia Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 50.9% of students at Sequoia Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 25.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 25.1% 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. 1,725 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Sequoia Middle rank in California?

Sequoia Middle ranks #409 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 82nd 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 Sequoia Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Sequoia Middle increases by 2.3 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 Sequoia Middle?

8.9% of students at Sequoia 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 3.1%. 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 Sequoia Middle compare to other schools in Pleasant Hill?

Sequoia Middle scores 56/100 (82nd 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 882 students. Use the schools in Pleasant Hill page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Sequoia Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Sequoia Middle in Pleasant Hill, 42.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 31.7% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sequoia Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 11.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (32.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (39.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 50.9 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 444 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%
25.1%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 59th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+2.3pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 59th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
50.9%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 59th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
8.9%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 64th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.1%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 52th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
39.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 75th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630623%31%28%18%54%+7
Grade 727924%34%23%20%58%+10
Grade 827722%33%27%18%55%+8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630621%22%29%27%43%+8
Grade 727931%17%23%29%48%+14
Grade 827831%17%24%29%47%+15
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1128014%25%55%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 Disadvantaged44442.9%+11+5
Hispanic/Latino33439.2%+8+0
White20660.2%−4−2
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Sequoia Middle ←5625.1%50.9%+2.33.1%
Walnut Creek Intermediate2.4 mi6337.7%67.6%+0.72.4%
Pleasant Hill Middle0.5 mi5426.1%52.7%−4.52.7%
Valley View Middle1.6 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
20195074#52627.7%56.2%4.6%5.0%-2.3pp
20224467#70620.3%46.7%16.9%4.5%-2.6pp
20235477#51021.8%51.1%13.7%4.8%+4.0pp
20245986#30726.3%54.0%10.9%4.0%+9.5pp
20255682#40925.1%50.9%8.9%3.1%+2.3pp
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
Female3.2%7.6%+4.4pp
Male6.1%9.9%+3.8pp
Asian2.9%2.2%-0.7pp
Black/African American13.0%7.4%-5.6pp
White3.9%5.4%+1.5pp
Hispanic/Latino4.6%11.4%+6.8pp
Two or More Races9.5%6.5%-3.0pp
Students with Disabilities10.3%22.1%+11.8pp
English Learners2.7%19.0%+16.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged5.7%12.0%+6.3pp
All Students4.6%8.7%+4.1pp
Filipino11.6%
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