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Terra Nova High · Pacifica

Terra Nova High: Most kids here clear the bar, year after year. The question is what happens after that.

Terra Nova posts 53% meeting the standard, and 21.2% 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.

1450 Terra Nova Boulevard, 94044 (opens in new tab)·Jefferson Union High·Pacifica·Grades 9-12·740 students·15% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(650) 550-7600·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5744
% Exceeded21%16%
% Met+53%36%
Grad rate95.3%87.6%
College readiness71.8%35.4%
Absence13.8%30.2%
Suspension3.0%3.6%
Scope Score
57
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #454 statewide · #3 of 6 in Jefferson Union High

Terra Nova High scores 57 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 79th 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 “53% proficient” and call it done. Terra Nova deserves a closer read. It sits at the 79th percentile of 2,160 California high schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 13.8% chronic absenteeism — versus 30.2% statewide. Attendance is the quietest strong signal a school can post.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has held the 79th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathYellow(Declined Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 53% of students meet the standard today, above the 46% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1156%71%59%54%64%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1137%39%35%41%41%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
53%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
72%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 53 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 72 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.3%
State 87.6%
7.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
21.2%
State 15.8%
5.3pp above state avg
College readiness
71.8%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
52.7%
State 35.7%
17.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.8%
State 30.2%
16.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.0%
State 3.6%
0.7pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
8.3%
State 18.0%
9.6pp 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 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 Terra Nova High in Pacifica, 33.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Terra Nova High trails its district average for low-income students by 11.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.6% Math proficient); White students (70.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 36.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 30 students tested.

All students at this school: 53% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 53%, district —, state 36%53%
MaleMale: this school 46%, district 43%, state 42%46% · −7 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 57%, district 45%, state 56%57% · +4 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 61%, district 47%, state 44%61% · +8 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 40%, district 26%, state 32%40% · −13 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 28%, district 33%, state 32%28% · −25 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 16%, district 12%, state 15%16% · −37 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 50%, district 47%, state 56%50% · −3 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 77%, district 71%, state 72%77% · +24 vs school

6 of 15 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 13.8%, district 24.8%, state 30.2%13.8% · −16.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.0%, district —, state 3.6%3.0% · −0.7pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1212.0%

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 20:121:1
Teaching staff39 teachers
Avg. experience11.7 years
Fully credentialed82%
First-year teachers3%
Intern / emergency permit2.7%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$65,207 – $112,085
Principal salary$0 – $159,299
Superintendent salary$268,842

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered15
AP exam qualifiers94 students
CTE pathway completers23 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $24,235, CA average $14,815$24,235 · spent at this school
Federal share$1,432 per student

$1,432 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$25,077 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
Instruction53%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance16%
Other1%

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$15,350 per pupil
2019$14,422 per pupil
2018$13,761 per pupil
2017$11,892 per pupil
2016$11,258 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White42.4%
District 14.1% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic28.5%
District 34.9% · CA 56.1%
Other22.2%
District 33.6% · CA 9.0%
Asian6.0%
District 16.1% · CA 10.2%
Black0.9%
District 1.3% · CA 4.8%
GenderFemale 47.4%Male 51.9%Non-binary 0.7%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 14.9% (49pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$160K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.25M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+49% · CA 35%
ZIP population37,274
Median age45 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 740 students, this school is much smaller than the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 37% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Terra Nova High a good high school?

Terra Nova High has a Scope Score of 57 out of 100, placing it in the 79th percentile of California high schools and ranked #454 statewide. 21.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 5.3 percentage points above 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 Terra Nova High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 52.7% of students at Terra Nova High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 21.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 31.5% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 21.2% 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. 292 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Terra Nova High rank in California?

Terra Nova High ranks #454 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 79th 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 Terra Nova High?

13.8% of students at Terra Nova High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.0%. 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 Terra Nova High compare to other schools in Pacifica?

Terra Nova High scores 57/100 (79th 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 740 students. Use the schools in Pacifica page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Terra Nova High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Terra Nova High in Pacifica, 33.3% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 44.4% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Terra Nova High trails its district average for low-income students by 11.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.6% Math proficient); White students (70.5% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 36.7 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 30 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 Pacifica →

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%
95.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
21.2%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 56th pctile
College readiness · 20%
71.8%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 71th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
52.7%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 62th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 63th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.0%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 53th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
8.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 38th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1114729%35%26%10%64%+17
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1114514%28%22%37%41%+18
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/111619%27%53%10%

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 Disadvantaged3033.3%−11−5
White6270.5%+14+9
Hispanic/Latino4454.5%+17+16
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Terra Nova High ←—5721.2%52.7%—3.0%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.3%
AP Exam Prepared
71.8%
A-G Completion
63.2%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
83.9%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195877#46419.5%46.5%13.2%5.6%—
20226186#28727.0%55.0%25.5%3.7%—
20235883#37224.7%46.8%20.4%3.9%—
20245781#40319.5%47.5%14.7%2.5%—
20255779#45421.2%52.7%13.8%3.0%—
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
Female13.2%15.0%+1.8pp
Male11.2%9.5%-1.7pp
Asian5.8%6.8%+1.0pp
White7.4%12.2%+4.8pp
Hispanic/Latino16.5%18.1%+1.6pp
Pacific Islander15.8%——
Two or More Races14.2%9.2%-5.0pp
Students with Disabilities30.6%22.2%-8.4pp
English Learners22.2%24.2%+2.0pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged23.3%22.5%-0.8pp
All Students12.3%12.0%-0.3pp
Homeless—36.4%—
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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