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School Profile · Lake Elsinore

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

Terra Cotta posts low test scores — and grade 8 tests above grade 6 here this year, by 8.8pp. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

29291 Lake Street, 92530 (opens in new tab)·Lake Elsinore Unified·Lake Elsinore·Grades 6-8·1,026 students·85% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(951) 253-7380
Scope Score
25
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,810 statewide · #6 of 8 in Lake Elsinore Unified

Terra Cotta Middle scores 25 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 19th 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 →

Most rating sites would stop at “20% proficient” and call it done. Terra Cotta deserves a closer read. The school sits in Lake Elsinore, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — 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.

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.

19%
78%
Grade 6 · 22% proficient
9%
16%
75%
Grade 7 · 25% proficient
10%
20%
70%
Grade 8 · 30% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
6.5%
State 16.8%
10.3pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
20.2%
State 39.3%
19.1pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+8.8pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
20.4%
State 18.5%
1.8pp above state avg
Suspension rate
8.1%
State 3.7%
4.5pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
22.0%
State 18.0%
4.0pp above state avg
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.

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
Middle
Terra Cotta Middle
25/100
This school
High 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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic79.0%
White12.2%
Asian1.8%
Black3.4%
Other3.6%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 85.3% (21pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,026
166 above CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
25:1
4 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,078
District avg: $13,540 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
22.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$57,705 – $139,342
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Terra Cotta Middle in Lake Elsinore, 22.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Terra Cotta Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 10.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (22.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 846 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+8.3pp
28.7% vs 20.4% overall · n=195
Suspension · Black+11.5pp
19.6% vs 8.1% overall · n=46
ELA · English Learner−25.6pp
0.0% vs 25.6% overall · n=87
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−7.3pp
0.0% vs 7.3% overall · n=87
Math · English Learner−14.8pp
0.0% vs 14.8% overall · n=88
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−5.9pp
0.0% vs 5.9% overall · n=146

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income849 tested
ELA 22.9%·Math 13.0%· -10.6pp vs district
Hispanic784 tested
ELA 22.3%·Math 12.8%· -11.2pp vs district
Disabilities146 tested
ELA 5.5%·Math 1.4%· -6.2pp 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.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 3.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +1.1pp.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 66%Support 31%Other 3%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$87K
$2K above CA median
Median Home Value
$502K
$157K below CA median
Bachelor's+
17%
18pp below 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
14.9 years avg experience
46 teachers · 9% first-year · 4% second-year
Teacher Credentials
90% 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 →

Frequently asked questions

Is Terra Cotta Middle a good middle school?
Terra Cotta Middle has a Scope Score of 25 out of 100, placing it in the 19th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,810 statewide. 6.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 10.3 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle 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 Terra Cotta Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 20.2% of students at Terra Cotta Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 6.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 13.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 6.5% 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. 1,990 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Terra Cotta Middle rank in California?
Terra Cotta Middle ranks #1,810 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 19th 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 Terra Cotta Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Terra Cotta Middle increases by 8.8 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 Terra Cotta Middle?
20.4% of students at Terra Cotta Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 8.1%. 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 Terra Cotta Middle compare to other schools in Lake Elsinore?
Terra Cotta Middle scores 25/100 (19th 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 1,026 students. Use the schools in Lake Elsinore page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Terra Cotta Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Terra Cotta Middle in Lake Elsinore, 22.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 33.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Terra Cotta Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 10.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.0% Math proficient); Hispanic students (22.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 25.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 846 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.

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%
6.5%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 39th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
20.2%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 35th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+8.8pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 40th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
20.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 47th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
8.1%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 32th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
22.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 51th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 63003%19%30%48%22%−25
Grade 73429%16%27%48%25%−23
Grade 835110%20%24%46%30%−16
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 63033%9%25%63%12%−23
Grade 73424%7%23%67%11%−23
Grade 835211%11%24%54%22%−10
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/113523%16%68%13%

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 Disadvantaged84622.9%−11−15
Hispanic/Latino78022.3%−11−17
Students with Disabilities1465.5%−6−11
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Terra Cotta Middle ←256.5%20.2%+8.88.1%
California average4016.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
32%25%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1407 → #1789 → #1593 → #1624 → #1810
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 15 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue