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Tamiscal High (Alternative) · Larkspur

Tamiscal High (Alternative): Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Tamiscal High (Alternative) posts 52% meeting the standard, and 12.1% 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.

305 Doherty Drive, 94939 (opens in new tab)·Tamalpais Union High·Larkspur·Grades 9-12·124 students·17% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(415) 945-3750·Website
Alternative school — serves students who benefit from a non-traditional educational setting. Scores are not directly comparable to comprehensive schools.
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5044
% Exceeded12%16%
% Met+52%36%
Grad rate94.1%87.6%
College readiness41.4%35.4%
Absence18.8%30.2%
Suspension1.3%3.6%
Scope Score
50
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #784 statewide · #4 of 5 in Tamalpais Union High

Tamiscal High (Alternative) scores 50 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 64th 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 →

🌱 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.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “52% proficient” and call it done. Tamiscal High (Alternative) deserves a closer read. It sits at the 64th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 64th percentile since 2019.

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

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 52% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1164%75%70%26%69%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1135%25%23%14%34%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
52%
State 36%
Graduate
94%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
41%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 52 are proficient by 11th grade → 94 graduate → 41 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 6 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
94.1%
State 87.6%
6.5pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
12.1%
State 15.8%
3.8pp below state avg
College readiness
41.4%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
51.7%
State 35.7%
16.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.8%
State 30.2%
11.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
1.3%
State 3.6%
2.4pp below 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 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.

How every group of students does here

At Tamiscal High (Alternative) in Larkspur, 68.4% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 74.5% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Tamiscal High (Alternative) trails its district average for white students by 6.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (42.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 19 students tested.

All students at this school: 52% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 52%, district —, state 36%52%
FemaleFemale: this school 57%, district 62%, state 44%57% · +5 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 55%, district 66%, state 56%55% · +4 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 45%, district 21%, state 15%45% · −6 vs school

7 of 11 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 18.8%, district 25.7%, state 30.2%18.8% · −11.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 1.3%, district —, state 3.6%1.3% · −2.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1212.1%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 11:1, district 19:111:1
Teaching staff12 teachers
Avg. experience13.9 years
Fully credentialed64%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$75,619 – $145,695
Principal salary$0 – $210,142
Superintendent salary$302,259

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered0
AP exam qualifiers12 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $35,421, CA average $14,815$35,421 · spent at this school
Federal share$61 per student

$61 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$27,690 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
Instruction55%
Instruction support9%
Student services13%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other4%

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$18,225 per pupil
2019$17,224 per pupil
2018$19,565 per pupil
2017$18,416 per pupil
2016$17,534 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White66.1%
District 69.2% · CA 19.9%
Other11.3%
District 10.5% · CA 9.0%
Hispanic10.5%
District 14.3% · CA 56.1%
Asian8.9%
District 4.1% · CA 10.2%
Black3.2%
District 2.0% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 63.7%Male 35.5%Non-binary 0.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 16.9% (47pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$204K · CA $85K
Median home value$2.00M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+71% · CA 35%
ZIP population7,315
Median age48 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 124 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 50% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Tamiscal High (Alternative) a good high school?

Tamiscal High (Alternative) has a Scope Score of 50 out of 100, placing it in the 64th percentile of California high schools and ranked #784 statewide. 12.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 3.8 percentage points below 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative)'s CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 51.7% of students at Tamiscal High (Alternative) met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 12.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 39.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 12.1% 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. 58 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Tamiscal High (Alternative) rank in California?

Tamiscal High (Alternative) ranks #784 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 64th 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative)?

18.8% of students at Tamiscal High (Alternative) are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 1.3%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Tamiscal High (Alternative) compare to other schools in Larkspur?

Tamiscal High (Alternative) scores 50/100 (64th 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 124 students. Use the schools in Larkspur page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Tamiscal High (Alternative) serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Tamiscal High (Alternative) in Larkspur, 68.4% of white students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 74.5% district-wide and 61.8% statewide. Tamiscal High (Alternative) trails its district average for white students by 6.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: White students (42.1% Math proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 19 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 Larkspur →

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%
94.1%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 58th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
12.1%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 46th pctile
College readiness · 20%
41.4%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
51.7%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 61th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
1.3%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 61th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 112921%48%21%10%69%+22
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 11293%31%28%38%34%+11
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/114210%40%50%0%

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
White1968.4%−6+7
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Tamiscal High (Alternative) ←—5012.1%51.7%—1.3%
Redwood High0.1 mi7036.8%63.7%—2.2%
San Rafael High2.5 mi4515.3%34.6%—3.6%
San Andreas High (Continuation)0.4 mi265.9%11.8%—3.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
94.1%
AP Exam Prepared
41.4%
A-G Completion
70.3%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
65.8%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195469#62620.6%49.4%14.5%1.1%—
20225476#50622.5%50.0%18.3%1.8%—
20235374#56224.3%46.4%21.8%2.0%—
20244243#12194.5%19.9%17.8%2.1%—
20255064#78412.1%51.7%18.8%1.3%—
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
Female12.9%10.0%-2.9pp
Male8.2%16.0%+7.8pp
Hispanic/Latino15.8%15.8%+0.0pp
Students with Disabilities28.6%15.2%-13.4pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged10.0%14.8%+4.8pp
All Students11.3%12.1%+0.8pp
Asian—9.1%—
Two or More Races—8.3%—
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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