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School Profile · San Jose

Simonds Elementary: Two in five kids exceed the standard. But the zoned next school scores lower.

Simonds holds its own. The zoned path after it is where the numbers dip — worth knowing before you commit to the neighborhood.

6515 Grapevine Way, 95120·San Jose Unified·San Jose·Grades K-5·480 students·9% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(408) 535-6251
Scope Score
69
🚀 Growth Engine · Solid
ranked #521 statewide · #5 of 27 in San Jose Unified

Simonds Elementary scores 69 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 90th percentile of 5,230 California elementary 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 “74% proficient” and call it done. Simonds deserves a closer read. It sits at the 90th percentile of 5,230 California elementary schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 46.5% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.6%.

The story this school is actually telling

The ceiling · exceeded standard
46.5%

of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 21.6%.

↑ what most “best schools” lists are measuring
The next step · the zoned path
18pts

the zoned path continues to Castillero Middle, which scores 18 points lower — a school visit will tell you more than this number.

↓ the part no ranking site shows you

The school, grade by grade

ELA · CAASPP 2024–25

Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.

33%
24%
43%
Grade 3 · 57% proficient
55%
22%
23%
Grade 4 · 77% proficient
48%
32%
20%
Grade 5 · 80% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding rises 14.8pp across grades; the floor rises 22.9pp. The state average rises 4.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
46.5%
State 21.6%
24.9pp above state avg
Met or exceeded
73.8%
State 42.9%
30.9pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
+13.6pp
State -3.0pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
13.6%
State 18.1%
4.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.6%
State 1.7%
1.9pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.6%
State 17.7%
3.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask which schools families here actually choose next — the zoned path is only the default.

Where the path goes

The zoned path continues to Castillero Middle, which scores 18 points lower than this school — worth weighing alongside everything above. Families here often look at charter or magnet options for middle school.

K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Simonds Elementary
69/100
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.

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.

Almaden Country Day School
Trinidad Dr · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-8 · 358 students
7:1Private0.9 mi
Stratford Middle School
Andover Ln Ste 6 · Nonsectarian · Grades 5-8 · 298 students
14:1Private3.3 mi
Champion School
Camden Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-12 · 102 students
11:1Private2.1 mi
Challenger School-Harwood
Harwood Rd · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-4 · 96 students
7:1Private3.1 mi
Second Start-Pine Hill School
Bouret Dr · Nonsectarian · Grades 1-12 · 91 students
7:1Private2.7 mi

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic13.8%
White29.6%
Asian36.0%
Black1.5%
Other19.2%
GenderFemale 49.4%Male 50.6%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
480
Near CA avg (~480)
Free/Reduced Lunch
9%
55pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
22:1
1 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,137
District avg: $13,878 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
14.6% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$70,000 – $134,400
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Simonds Elementary in San Jose, 81.6% of asian students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 79.8% district-wide and 74.4% statewide. Simonds Elementary outperforms its district average for asian students by 1.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Asian students (87.4% Math proficient); White students (70.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 87 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Low-Income+20.3pp
33.9% vs 13.6% overall · n=59
Suspension · Disabilities+10.3pp
13.9% vs 3.6% overall · n=101
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · White−5.2pp
40.4% vs 45.6% overall · n=67
Math Exceeded · Two or More Races−20.9pp
26.7% vs 47.6% overall · n=15

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Asian87 tested
ELA 81.6%·Math 87.4%· +1.8pp vs district
White67 tested
ELA 70.1%·Math 73.1%· -1.1pp vs district
Two or More Races37 tested
ELA 66.7%·Math 78.4%· -3.1pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 60%Support 38%Other 2%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$250K
$165K above CA median
Median Home Value
$2.00M
$1.34M above CA median
Bachelor's+
75%
40pp 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
14.0 years avg experience
22 teachers · 9% second-year
Teacher Credentials
100% fully credentialed

Source: CDE SARC, 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 nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
46.5%
↑ vs CA 21.6% · 74th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
73.8%
↑ vs CA 42.9% · 73th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 15%
+13.6pp
↑ vs CA -3.0pp · 63th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
13.6%
↑ vs CA 18.1% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.6%
↓ vs CA 1.7% · 34th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.6%
↓ vs CA 17.7% · 75th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37533%24%16%27%57%+14
Grade 47855%22%17%6%77%+32
Grade 58148%32%11%9%80%+32
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 37543%32%12%13%75%+29
Grade 47949%25%20%5%75%+33
Grade 58151%28%11%10%79%+44
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/118127%38%31%4%

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
Asian8781.6%+2+7
White6770.1%−1+8
Two or More Races3666.7%−3+5
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Simonds Elementary ←6946.5%73.8%+13.63.6%
Williams Elementary1.3 mi8263.6%85.5%−3.50.7%
Graystone Elementary1.8 mi7657.3%79.6%+10.12.3%
Guadalupe Elementary1.7 mi7352.2%75.8%+1.10.3%
California average4421.6%42.9%−3.01.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
79%69%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #613 → #893 → #463 → #841 → #521
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,230 elementary schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

Frequently asked questions

Is Simonds Elementary a good elementary school?
Simonds Elementary has a Scope Score of 69 out of 100, placing it in the 90th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #521 statewide. 46.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 24.9 percentage points above the California average of 21.6%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for elementary 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 Simonds Elementary's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 73.8% of students at Simonds Elementary met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 46.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 27.3% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 46.5% 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. 469 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Simonds Elementary rank in California?
Simonds Elementary ranks #521 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 90th 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 Simonds Elementary getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Simonds Elementary increases by 13.6 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 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 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 Simonds Elementary?
13.6% of students at Simonds Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.1%. The suspension rate is 3.6%. 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 Simonds Elementary compare to other schools in San Jose?
Simonds Elementary scores 69/100 (90th 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 480 students. Use the schools in San Jose page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.
How does Simonds Elementary serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Simonds Elementary in San Jose, 81.6% of asian students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 79.8% district-wide and 74.4% statewide. Simonds Elementary outperforms its district average for asian students by 1.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Asian students (87.4% Math proficient); White students (70.1% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 87 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.