School Profile · Nevada City
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning posts 27% meeting the standard and 13.6% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
505 Main Street, 95959 (opens in new tab)·Nevada Joint Union High·Nevada City·Grades 9-12·191 students·48% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 268-2200·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
36
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,500 statewide · #5 of 6 in Nevada Joint Union High
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning scores 36 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 31st 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 →
Most rating sites would stop at “27% proficient” and call it done. Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning deserves a closer read. The school sits in Nevada City, where two in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
As a charter, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The 4 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
13.6%
State 15.8%
2.3pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
27.2%
State 35.7%
8.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
24.6%
State 30.2%
5.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
10.0%
State 3.6%
6.4pp 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.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
Your other options
Nearby High Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 57
William & Marian Ghidotti High
Nevada Joint Union High · 2.7 mi
Strong
70/100
Nevada Union High
Nevada Joint Union High · 2.6 mi
Solid
53/100
North Point Academy
Nevada Joint Union High · 2.8 mi
Developing
47/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 30
Forest Charter
Nevada County Office of Education · 0.7 mi
Developing
32/100
Twin Ridges Home Study Charter
Nevada County Office of Education · 1.2 mi
Needs Support
29/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic13.1%
White66.5%
Asian1.1%
Other19.4%
GenderFemale 49.2%Male 48.7%Non-binary 2.1%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 47.6% (16pp below CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
191
1,259 below CA avg (~1,450)
Student-Teacher Ratio
14:1
7 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$16,445
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$58,624 – $112,427
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning in Nevada City, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 45.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning trails its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.0% Math proficient); White students (37.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 5.0 percentage points for white students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 18 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Math · Low-Income−6.9pp
5.0% vs 11.9% overall · n=20
2 more gaps by subject
ELA · White−5.0pp
37.5% vs 42.5% overall · n=32
ELA Exceeded · White−4.4pp
15.6% vs 20.0% overall · n=32
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income20 tested
ELA 38.9%·Math 5.0%· -6.9pp vs district
White33 tested
ELA 37.5%·Math 12.1%· -29.0pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$87K
$2K above CA median
Median Home Value
$627K
$32K below CA median
Bachelor's+
47%
12pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
11.4 years avg experience
16 teachers · 6% second-year
Teacher Credentials
53% fully credentialed
7.6% on intern/emergency permit
AP Exam Qualifiers
4 students qualified via AP
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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 · 22%
13.6%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
27.2%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 44th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
24.6%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 55th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
10.0%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 21th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 40 | 20% | 23% | 38% | 20% | 43% | −5 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 11 | 42 | 7% | 5% | 19% | 69% | 12% | −11 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 44 | 9% | 25% | 59% | 7% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 18 | 38.9% | −7 | +1 |
| White | 32 | 37.5% | −29 | −24 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ← | — | 36 | 13.6% | 27.2% | — | 10.0% |
| William & Marian Ghidotti High | 2.7 mi | 70 | 79.2% | 94.5% | — | 1.1% |
| Nevada Union High | 2.6 mi | 53 | 24.5% | 46.1% | — | 3.9% |
| North Point Academy | 2.8 mi | 47 | 17.7% | 38.7% | — | 1.9% |
| California average | — | 44 | 15.8% | 35.7% | — | 3.6% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
AP Exam Prepared
Not offered
This school may not offer AP courses
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #236 → #981 → #759 → #556 → #1500
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning a good high school?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning has a Scope Score of 36 out of 100, placing it in the 31st percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,500 statewide. 13.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.3 percentage points below the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 27.2% of students at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 13.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 13.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 13.6% 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. 82 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning rank in California?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ranks #1,500 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 31st 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning?
24.6% of students at Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 10.0%. 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 Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning compare to other schools in Nevada City?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning scores 36/100 (31st 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 191 students. Use the schools in Nevada City page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning in Nevada City, 38.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 45.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning trails its district average for low-income students by 6.9 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (5.0% Math proficient); White students (37.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 5.0 percentage points for white students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 18 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.