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Charter high school

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning

Nevada City, CA · Grades 9-12 · 191 students · Nevada Joint Union High

The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

43% of tested students are Proficient or Advanced in English and 12% in math. 92.9% graduate in four years. Explore the evidence alongside the opportunities your child would use.

SchoolScope archetype

Building Momentum

What this means for your family

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.

How archetypes are assigned →

Math

12%

Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced

English

43%

Grade 11 · Proficient or Advanced

Students

191

Total enrollment

Graduation

92.9%

Four-year graduation rate

What are you trying to decide?

The overall score is a starting point.

Look at subject results, trends and student groups, then consider the opportunities your child would use.

View school performance →

Academic performance

What do the results tell us?

2025 results · Grade 11 · weighted by students tested within each subject.

Proficient or Advanced combines Levels 3 and 4, formerly Standard Met and Standard Exceeded. California changed the names for 2025–26; the cut scores did not. About the labels →

Share at Proficient or Advanced

0%25%50%75%100%2019: 50%2022: 19%2023: 23%2024: 35%2025: 12%2019: 84%2022: 56%2023: 71%2024: 67%2025: 43%201920222023202420250%25%50%75%100%2019: 50%2022: 19%2023: 23%2024: 35%2025: 12%2019: 84%2022: 56%2023: 71%2024: 67%2025: 43%20192022202320242025
● Math┄ English

Gaps in the lines mark years without annual results.

Exact annual results
YearMathEnglish
201950%84%
202219%56%
202323%71%
202435%67%
202512%43%

Each year describes that year’s tested students. Changes between years do not follow the same children over time. Cohort-growth evidence, when available, is labeled separately below.

Annual results and the full academic record
Is it getting better · CAASPP 2019 to 2025

Slipped from the 61st to the 17th percentile since 2019.

Most rating sites would stop at “27% proficient” and call it done. Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning deserves a closer read. Two in five of its students qualify for free or reduced lunch (California: 64%) — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.

As a charter, Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning enrolls by application rather than address. That changes how you get in, but it doesn't change the score.

40 tested · 1 of 1 grade published

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning scores 42 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 17th percentile of 1,647 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 27% meet the standard today, versus 67% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

Percentile among 1,647 high schools statewide
Year detailsYear2019 · 61st percentile · Scope Score 58 of 1002022 · 34th percentile · Scope Score 47 of 1002023 · 42nd percentile · Scope Score 50 of 1002024 · 51st percentile · Scope Score 52 of 1002025 · 17th percentile · Scope Score 42 of 100
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathRed(Declined Significantly)
ShowHide the by-grade tables, year by year
ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1184%56%71%67%43%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1150%19%23%35%12%
Where students land · CAASPP 2024–25

One in four of students here meet the standard. One in ten clear it by a lot.

ELA43% met or exceeded
Exceeded 20%Met 23%Nearly Met 38%Not Met 20%
Math12% met or exceeded
Exceeded 7%Met 5%Nearly Met 19%Not Met 69%
Exceeded Met Nearly Met Not Met
California high schools · average20% exceeded · 43% met or exceeded
This school against the California average
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
Scope% Exceeded% Met+Grad rateCollege readinessAbsenceSuspension
This school4214%27%92.9%20.0%24.6%10.0%
CA average · High School5420%43%92.5%43.0%23.1%3.3%
This schoolCA avg
Scope4254
% Exceeded14%20%
% Met+27%43%
Grad rate92.9%92.5%
College readiness20.0%43.0%
Absence24.6%23.1%
Suspension10.0%3.3%

Students & opportunity

Who shares in the school’s results?

Who it works for · CAASPP 2024–25

How every group of students does here

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.

Met or exceeded · reading and math combined
All students at this school: 27% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 27%, district —, state 43%27%
WhiteWhite: this school 25%, district 52%, state 56%25% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 32%, district 51%, state 44%32% · +5 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 21%, district 33%, state 32%21% · −6 vs school
MaleMale: this school 20%, district 47%, state 42%20% · −7 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: too few students to report‹11
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: too few students to report‹11
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: too few students to report‹11
American Indian/Alaska NativeAmerican Indian/Alaska Native: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group
ShowHide California's growth model by student group

No student-group growth record is available for this school in this data release.

AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored
Hispanic15.4% AP · 15.0% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 1.1% enroll.
Asian0.0% AP · 0.0% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.0% enroll.
Black3.8% AP · 1.1% enroll.
White73.1% AP · 70.6% enroll.
Two or more races7.7% AP · 12.3% enroll.
English learners0.0% AP · 0.0% enroll.
Students with disabilities3.8% AP · 18.7% enroll.

● share of AP enrollment vs share of total enrollment, this school only · not part of the Scope Score

Data source: U.S. Dept. of Education Office for Civil Rights, Civil Rights Data Collection, 2020-21 (biennial; newest published)

Where graduates go

What happens after high school?

39%

Enrolled in college within a year

Class of 2023 · 13 of 33 completers · includes community colleges

33Completers
6%
Other colleges2 completers · Outside the California community college system
33%
California community colleges11 completers · Enrolled within a year
61%
Not recorded enrolled20 completers · No college enrollment in this reporting window

Destination data describes this earlier graduating class, separately from current-year test results and graduation. Percentages are rounded.

College destinations and the full graduate record
2024–25

Where graduates go

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Where the class of 2023 went
39%enrolled in college within a year
  • California State University1 (3%)
  • California community college11 (33%)
  • Out-of-state, 4-year1 (3%)
  • Not enrolled20 (61%)

CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate, class of 2023 · % = count ÷ completers, our arithmetic

See the full roll →

The daily experience

What is it like to be a student here?

Students per teacher

Student–teacher ratio is a schoolwide staffing measure, not an average class size.

The people teaching · CDE staffing 2024–25

About 14 students for every teacher here.

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Students per teacher14 · district 22
Teaching staff16 teachers
Avg. experience11.4 years
Fully credentialed53%
Intern / emergency permit7.6%
PrincipalRichard Young
ShowHide what the district pays
Teacher salary schedule$58,624 – $112,427
Principal salaryUp to $149,840
Superintendent salary$199,995

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course breadth
AP exam qualifiers4 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
Attendance & discipline · 2024–25

Kids here miss more school, and get suspended more, than the state average.

10.0% of students were suspended, versus 3.3% statewide — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 24.6%, district 24.5%, state 23.1%24.6% · +1.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 10.0%, district —, state 3.3%10.0% · +6.7pp vs state
This schoolDistrictCalifornia

Resources & neighborhood

What sits behind the school experience?

Explore school spending and the district budget
What gets spent · FY 2024–25

Its district spends $16,445 per student, more than the California average.

Context — never part of the Scope Score

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $16,445, CA average $14,491$16,445 · district average
District current expense · FY 2024–25$20,072 per student
District averageCalifornia
Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction 51%Instruction support 10%Student services 14%Administration 9%Buildings & maintenance 12%Other 4%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

ShowHide the district's spending year by year
district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$16,445 per pupil
2019$15,655 per pupil
2018$15,562 per pupil
2017$13,353 per pupil
2016$12,128 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood · ACS 2024

Two in five of students here qualify for free or reduced lunch, versus three in five statewide.

Context — never part of the Scope Score

Worth knowing

At 191 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 34% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 and once in high school, and it never enters the Scope Score.

Hispanic or Latino13.1% · district 17.6% · CA 56.1%
White66.5% · district 71.8% · CA 19.9%
Asian1.1% · district 0.9% · CA 10.2%
Other19.4% · district 9.1% · CA 9.0%
GenderFemale 49.2% · Male 48.7% · Non-binary 2.1%
Free or reduced lunch47.6% · CA 64%
Median income$87K · CA $85K
Median home value$627K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+47% · CA 35%
ZIP population17,683
Median age56 years

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

Culture & philosophy

What is the school’s approach?

School-stated approach · questions for your visit

Look beyond the brochure

A source-reviewed culture summary is not available for this profile yet. Ask how teaching, student support and family communication work day to day.

Read the school’s own website ↗

Family voices

What would you want another family to know about the daily experience here?

Ask a current family: “When your child needs help, how does the school respond?”

Educator voices

What should families understand about teaching, support and the school community?

Ask an educator: “How do you adapt a typical day for children with different needs?”

Bring these questions on a visit →

Compare nearby schools

What are the alternatives?

Compare schools serving the same grade stage. Private schools have no comparable state-test score.

2025 · high schools · combined reading and math measures. Percentiles compare schools within their enrollment group.

Private options →
SchoolTypePerformance bandAdvancedProficient or AdvancedDistanceSelect
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary LearningCharterNeeds Support14%27%School being viewed
William & Marian Ghidotti HighPublicStrong79%94%2.7 mi
Nevada Union HighPublicSolid24%46%2.6 mi
North Point AcademyPublicDeveloping18%39%2.8 mi
Open the comparison tool →
More nearby public and private options
Your other options

Your other options

Nearby public schools across grade levels, plus private options within 10 miles.

All schools in Nevada City →

Private schools do not receive a Scope Score or statewide ranking on SchoolScope.

2 private schools within 10 miles
Not scored
What should I check before applying?
District public
Confirm the attendance boundary and any permit options.
Charter
Check applications, priorities and deadlines with each school.
Private
Confirm admission requirements, tuition and financial aid.

Moving & enrollment

Which schools could serve my child?

Check enrollment with this charter school

Ask the school about applications, priorities and deadlines for your child’s grade.

School website →

Schools across the K–12 journey

Schools are grouped by grade stage. Nearby schools are not confirmed feeder links or address assignments. Verify the current path and eligibility with the district.

Charter enrollment details

Plan your next step

What should I do next?

Worth a school visit

Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.

  • Ask what typically leads to a suspension, and what happens before it gets there.
  • Ask what share of students complete the full college-prep course sequence, and who gets steered into 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.
Questions

Frequently asked questions

Is Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning a good high school?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning has a Scope Score of 42 out of 100, placing it in the 17th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,360 statewide. 13.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 6.3 percentage points below the California average of 19.8%. 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 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% went beyond it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. 82 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning rank in California?
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ranks #1,360 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 17th 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), compared to the California average of 23.1%. 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 42/100 (17th 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.

Use the published evidence to prepare questions, then verify fit and access with the school.

Behind the evidence

Inspect the full record

Public sources, visible methods and the underlying school record. Source years and limitations stay attached to the evidence.

How the Scope Score is calculated

On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see the state comparison and weights.

What the score weighs · CAASPP 2024–25

The 6 things our score weighs

What the score weighs
What we weighHereStateWeight
Graduation rate92.9%92.5%25%
Exceeded standard13.6%19.8%22%
College readiness20.0%43.0%20%
Met or exceeded27.2%43.2%18%
Chronic absenteeism24.6%23.1%5%
Suspension rate10.0%3.3%5%

Source CAASPP 2025 · California Department of Education. Measures graduation, test performance, college readiness, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How the score is built

A closer look at the evidence

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning: reading the evidence

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning posts low test scores — and attendance holds near the state average — families haven't checked out. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

Subject proficiency describes tested students, while graduation describes a graduating cohort. These figures are not successive stages followed by the same students.

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.

Explore the underlying data →
Every number: score factors, grades, student groups and downloads
Every number · For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and nearest schools.

Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning is ranked #1,360 statewide · #5 of 5 in Nevada Joint Union High.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Score factors
FactorSchoolStateWeight
Graduation rate92.9%92.5%25%
Exceeded standard13.6%19.8%22%
College readiness20.0%43.0%20%
Met or exceeded27.2%43.2%18%
Chronic absenteeism24.6%23.1%5%
Suspension rate10.0%3.3%5%
Graduation rate
↑ vs CA 92.5% · index 57 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Exceeded standard
↓ vs CA 19.8% · index 47 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
College readiness
↓ vs CA 43.0% · index 42 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Met or exceeded
↓ vs CA 43.2% · index 44 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint
Chronic absenteeism
↓ vs CA 23.1% · index 55 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▼ 9.2pp lower vs 2024
Suspension rate
↓ vs CA 3.3% · index 21 · 50 = CA high-school midpoint · ▲ 3.4pp higher vs 2024
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ShowHide table 02 — By grade & subgroup
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 114020%23%38%20%43%−6
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11427%5%19%69%12%−12

We show the grade rows CDE publishes for this school. A missing grade or dash can mean the school does not serve that grade, that we hold no valid result for it, or that the tested group was too small to report. It does not mean zero.

Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide449%25%59%7%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged1838.9%−7+1
White3237.5%−29−24
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Susp
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning ←4213.6%27.2%10.0%
William & Marian Ghidotti High2.7 mi7779.2%94.5%1.1%
Nevada Union High2.6 mi5824.5%46.1%3.9%
North Point Academy2.8 mi5117.7%38.7%1.9%
California average5419.8%43.2%3.3%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
ShowHide table 04 — More measures
Graduation Rate
92.9%
AP Exam Prepared
20.0%
A-G Completion
87.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
39.4%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSusp
20195861#58933.6%67.0%24.5%8.9%
20224734#104815.3%37.5%21.5%6.9%
20235042#95317.9%46.9%29.0%6.5%
20245251#80824.6%50.9%33.8%6.6%
20254217#136013.6%27.2%24.6%10.0%
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
ShowHide table 05 — Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshot
MeasureThis school
AP offeredoffered
AP course count1
AP enrollment26
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentnot reported
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections0
Physics sections3
Chemistry sections2
Total enrollment (CRDC)187

Shown, never scored — no entry to any composite. NULL/reserve codes render "not reported," never a fabricated zero. The equity block above this table (§4) is the per-subgroup view of this same collection.

06College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
ShowHide table 06 — College destinations
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California00.0%
California State University13.0%
California community college1133.3%
In-state private00.0%
Out-of-state, 4-year13.0%
Out-of-state, 2-year00.0%
Not enrolled2060.6%

33 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 39% · % column is computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers), not a CDE-native rate · a missing cell is CDE suppression, never a fabricated zero · source: CDE 12-mo CGR, 2023 cohort (the newest published), National Student Clearinghouse match — a different, older vintage than the fall 2025 UC admissions rows in tables 06-07 above.

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EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,647 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · Data updated 2026-09-18

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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