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Thomas Downey High · ModestoPublic

Thomas Downey High: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.

Thomas Downey posts 34% meeting the standard and 14.4% exceeding it, against 36% and 15.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.

1000 Coffee Road, 95355 (opens in new tab)·Modesto City High·Modesto·Grades 9-12·2,192 students·76% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(209) 574-1685·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4747
% Exceeded14%16%
% Met+34%36%
Grad rate93.3%86.6%
College readiness30.0%33.9%
Absence25.7%30.2%
Suspension5.1%3.6%
Scope Score
47
🌱 Building Momentum · Developing
ranked #1,155 statewide · #4 of 9 in Modesto City High

Thomas Downey High scores 47 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 47th 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 “34% proficient” and call it done. Thomas Downey deserves a closer read. The school sits in Modesto, where three in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Has stayed near the 47th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAYellow(Increased)MathOrange(Increased)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 34% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1151%30%33%47%48%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1120%8%12%16%21%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
34%
State 36%
Graduate
93%
State 87%
Pass an AP exam
30%
State 34%

Of 100 students here: 34 are proficient by 11th grade → 93 graduate → 30 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
93.3%
State 86.6%
6.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
14.4%
State 15.8%
1.4pp below state avg
College readiness
30.0%
State 33.9%
AP course or exam readiness below state avg
Met or exceeded
34.2%
State 35.7%
1.5pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
25.7%
State 30.2%
4.5pp below state avg
Suspension rate
5.1%
State 3.6%
1.4pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
13.9%
State 18.0%
4.1pp below state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • 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 Thomas Downey High in Modesto, 41.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Thomas Downey High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (43.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 40.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 411 students tested.

All students at this school: 34% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 34%, district —, state 36%34%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 29%, district 28%, state 32%29% · −6 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 29%, district 28%, state 32%29% · −5 vs school
MaleMale: this school 34%, district 33%, state 42%34% · +0 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 34%, district 34%, state 44%34% · −0 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 50%, district 44%, state 56%50% · +16 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 6%, district 5%, state 11%6% · −28 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 35%, district 39%, state 56%35% · +1 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 5%, district 7%, state 15%5% · −29 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 34%, district 47%, state 72%34% · +0 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 45%, district 24%, state 26%45% · +11 vs school

5 of 16 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
AP access · 2020-21 federal civil rights snapshot (structural, dated — newest published; biennial)
Shown, never scored

In the 2020-21 federal collection — the newest there is — Hispanic students were 69% of Thomas Downey's enrollment but 40% of its AP seats; ask the school what's changed since.

Hispanic40.3% AP · 69.4% enroll.
American Indian/Alaska Native0.0% AP · 0.4% enroll.
Asian1.5% AP · 1.6% enroll.
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.0% AP · 0.5% enroll.
Black0.0% AP · 1.9% enroll.
White55.2% AP · 21.4% enroll.
Two or more races3.0% AP · 4.7% enroll.
English learners0.0% AP · 16.2% enroll.
Students with disabilities0.0% AP · 15.5% 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)

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 25.7%, district 29.6%, state 30.2%25.7% · −4.5pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 5.1%, district —, state 3.6%5.1% · +1.4pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1225.5%

Where the path goes

The path below is estimated from nearby schools in the same district — scores shown for each next step.

Estimated K-12 Path
Middle
Aspire Vanguard College P…
18
→
High
Thomas Downey High
47
This school

Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

Where graduates go

Context — never part of the Scope Score
58%
College-going rate, class of 2023

Where they went after graduation

Of Thomas Downey's class of 2023, 58% enrolled in college somewhere within a year — a CSU, a community college, a UC, or out of state.

College destination mix, class of 2023

Class of 2023: 484 completers, 58% enrolled somewhere within a year

University of California 18 (4%)California State University 56 (12%)California community college 190 (39%)In-state private 4 (1%)Out-of-state, 4-year 9 (2%)Out-of-state, 2-year 4 (1%)Not enrolled 203 (42%)

Percentages are computed by SchoolScope (count ÷ completers) from CDE-reported counts, not a CDE-native rate.

Data source: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort — the newest published; National Student Clearinghouse match.

UC application funnel — one destination of six, tracked in detail because UC is the only source with 30 years of history

In fall 2025, 22 of Thomas Downey's 458 graduates enrolled in the University of California system — Merced the most common landing, with 7 enrollees.

Applied52fall 2025, universitywide
Admitted45
Enrolled22
Where they landed (fall 2025)

5 of 9 campuses are masked below UC's privacy floor — a protection, not a verdict.

campuses never sum to the universitywide figure — students apply to several

UC enrollees, universitywide, 2014–2025

Peak: 23 enrolled, 2021

UC publishes this trend back to 1994 — no other destination has a comparable multi-year record

UC is one road of many — the full destination mix for the class of 2023 is below. And who applied isn't who the school taught: the ratio between the two reflects the self-selected pool of students who chose to apply, not what happened in the classroom. By the state's 2023 count, 58% of this class's predecessors enrolled in college somewhere within a year. More of the class of 2023 enrolled at community colleges (190) than at UC (18).

Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle · college-going rate: California Department of Education, 2023 cohort.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 24:1, district 23:124:1
Teaching staff122 teachers
Avg. experience17.3 years
Fully credentialed76%
Intern / emergency permit2.7%
Course Breadth
AP exam qualifiers60 studentsCCI, participation not authorization
CTE pathway completers68 students
Advanced Coursework

Thomas Downey's teachers are authorized to teach 12 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers — including Calculus BC, Calculus AB, and Physics 1.

AP subjects taught12
Math & Computer Science (3)Calculus AB · Calculus BC · Statistics
Sciences (1)Physics 1
English (2)English Language and Composition · English Literature and Composition
History & Social Science (4)European History · Human Geography · U.S. Government and Politics · United States History
World Languages & Cultures (2)French Language and Culture · Spanish Language and Culture

Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, 2025 - 2026 audit year (authorization, not enrollment) · IB World Schools directory, name-matched · structural depth: 2020-21 federal snapshot, table 09

What gets spent here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $19,060, CA average $14,491$19,060 · spent at this school
Federal share$552 per student

$552 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Hispanic69.1%
District 63.7% · CA 56.1%
White18.1%
District 16.9% · CA 19.9%
Other9.4%
District 11.7% · CA 9.0%
Asian1.8%
District 5.1% · CA 10.2%
Black1.6%
District 2.5% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 76.0% (12pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$87K · CA $85K
Median home value$469K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+24% · CA 35%
ZIP population60,710
Median age38 years

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

Worth Knowing

At 2,192 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 24% 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Thomas Downey High a good high school?

Thomas Downey High has a Scope Score of 47 out of 100, placing it in the 47th percentile of California high schools and ranked #1,155 statewide. 14.4% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near 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 Thomas Downey High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 34.2% of students at Thomas Downey High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 14.4% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 19.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 14.4% 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. 1,102 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Thomas Downey High rank in California?

Thomas Downey High ranks #1,155 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 47th 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 Thomas Downey High?

25.7% of students at Thomas Downey 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 5.1%. 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 Thomas Downey High compare to other schools in Modesto?

Thomas Downey High scores 47/100 (47th 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 2,192 students. Use the schools in Modesto page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does Thomas Downey High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Thomas Downey High in Modesto, 41.5% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Thomas Downey High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.4 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.6% Math proficient); Hispanic students (43.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 40.6 percentage points for disabilities students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 411 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.

What AP courses are offered at Thomas Downey High?

Thomas Downey High's teachers are authorized to teach 12 of the 40 AP subjects the College Board offers, per the 2025 - 2026 AP Course Audit: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, European History, French Language and Culture, Human Geography, Physics 1, Spanish Language and Culture, Statistics, U.S. Government and Politics, United States History. Authorization means the school may teach a course, not that a section is running this year, and it's separate from AP exam pass rates. Data source: College Board AP Course Audit, analyzed by SchoolScope.

How many students from Thomas Downey High go to UC?

In fall 2025, 22 Thomas Downey High graduates enrolled at University of California campuses, universitywide. That figure can't be split into a per-campus sum — students apply to several UC campuses at once, so campus-level counts don't add up to the universitywide total. UC is one destination among many: this says nothing about graduates who chose a CSU, a private college, a community college, or work, and it is a count, not a rate or a ranking. Data source: University of California Office of the President (UC Information Center), fall 2025 admissions cycle.

Your other options

All schools in Modesto →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

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

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
93.3%
↑ vs CA 86.6% · 57th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
14.4%
↓ vs CA 15.8% · 48th pctile
College readiness · 20%
30.0%
↓ vs CA 33.9% · 48th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
34.2%
↓ vs CA 35.7% · 49th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
25.7%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 54th pctile
▲ 0.6pp higher vs 2024
Suspension rate · 5%
5.1%
↓ vs CA 3.6% · 44th pctile
▲ 0.4pp higher vs 2024
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
13.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 46th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1155121%27%25%28%48%−1
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 115518%13%19%60%21%−3

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

Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Schoolwide5575%19%64%12%

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 Disadvantaged41141.5%+1+3
Hispanic/Latino35143.0%+1+4
White11064.2%+9+2
03Nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score · Grade gap = grade 3 vs grade 5, this year, different students; Cohort growth = the same students tracked across grades, in scale-score points — that's the measurement the Scope Score weights
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+Grade gapCohort growthSusp
Thomas Downey High ←—4714.4%34.2%——5.1%
James C. Enochs High3.1 mi6222.8%46.6%——3.2%
Fred C. Beyer High2.3 mi5621.7%47.2%——4.1%
Grace M. Davis High2.7 mi458.4%26.0%——4.5%
California average—4715.8%35.7%——3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
93.3%
AP Exam Prepared
30.0%
A-G Completion
36.9%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
58.1%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrade gap
20194747#109511.3%35.7%20.1%6.2%—
20224035#13635.8%19.1%41.7%6.2%—
20234339#13147.0%22.6%31.4%6.2%—
20244749#109312.6%31.5%25.0%4.7%—
20254747#115514.4%34.2%25.7%5.1%—
Grade gap = this year's grade 3 vs grade 5 result, two different sets of students, not a trend for any one child — it is not the measurement the Scope Score's growth dimension uses. See §01 above and /methodology#verdicts for the school's actual scored (cohort) growth.
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
Female22.7%26.9%+4.2pp
Male17.1%24.3%+7.2pp
Asian17.1%16.7%-0.4pp
Black/African American23.5%27.5%+4.0pp
Filipino32.1%16.5%-15.6pp
White0.0%——
Hispanic/Latino20.2%26.2%+6.0pp
American Indian/Alaska Native16.7%——
Pacific Islander14.3%——
Two or More Races27.0%27.8%+0.8pp
Students with Disabilities29.0%29.6%+0.6pp
English Learners23.9%33.7%+9.8pp
Foster Youth33.3%50.0%+16.7pp
Homeless53.1%48.5%-4.6pp
Military-Connected16.0%36.8%+20.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged22.8%28.1%+5.3pp
All Students19.9%25.5%+5.6pp
06UC admissions, universitywide2014–2025 · summed across CEEB codes at query time
YearAppliedAdmittedEnrolledGPA (applied)GPA (admitted)GPA (enrolled)
20255245223.783.873.95
20244739153.934.004.06
20235339213.673.893.97
20224430153.863.944.08
20214740233.783.813.85
2020211653.793.964.00
20193627113.833.953.92
2018422593.834.044.09
20175032103.863.973.96
20164536213.793.884.01
20155033183.753.933.94
20143929163.653.753.85

‹n = UC masks counts below n · a missing year means zero or masked — never assume zero · GPA cells blank for years with more than one contributing CEEB code (a summed GPA would be fabricated math) · GPAs live here and nowhere else on this page · Applied/Admitted/Enrolled reflect who applied, not what the school taught — no admit rate is computed or implied by this table. Series shown from 2014; full record to 1994 at the UC Infocenter.

07UC admissions by campuslatest falls on file
CampusYearAppliedAdmittedEnrolled
Berkeley20252464
Berkeley2024314‹3
Berkeley202330‹3‹3
Berkeley2022183‹3
Berkeley20212863
Davis20254014‹3
Davis20242918‹3
Davis202338125
Davis2022277‹3
Davis20212193
Irvine2025134‹3
Irvine20248‹3‹3
Irvine202319‹3‹3
Irvine2022175‹3
Irvine202113‹3‹3
Los Angeles2025153‹3
Los Angeles2024253‹3
Los Angeles202322‹3‹3
Los Angeles202216‹3‹3
Los Angeles202120‹3‹3
Merced202529277
Merced202420203
Merced202328226
Merced202211113
Merced202125248
Riverside2025993
Riverside202393‹3
Riverside20215‹3‹3
San Diego2025185‹3
San Diego20242011‹3
San Diego202319‹3‹3
San Diego2022205‹3
San Diego2021133‹3
Santa Barbara202521144
Santa Barbara202427155
Santa Barbara202321134
Santa Barbara202221125
Santa Barbara202124125
Santa Cruz20252618‹3
Santa Cruz20242112‹3
Santa Cruz20232793
Santa Cruz20222410‹3
Santa Cruz202121143
Universitywide2025524522
Universitywide2024473915
Universitywide2023533921
Universitywide2022443015
Universitywide2021474023

Σ campuses ≠ universitywide — students apply to several campuses; the Universitywide row (muted) is its own independent count, never a sum of the rows above it.

08AP course catalog2025 - 2026
SubjectTaught by
Calculus ABthis school
Calculus BCthis school
English Language and Compositionthis school
English Literature and Compositionthis school
European Historythis school
French Language and Culturethis school
Human Geographythis school
Physics 1this school
Spanish Language and Culturethis school
Statisticsthis school
U.S. Government and Politicsthis school
United States Historythis school

Authorization ≠ a section running this year — the Ledger records what the school may teach, not seat counts.

09Advanced coursework — 2020-21 federal civil-rights snapshotstructural, dated — newest published; biennial
MeasureThis school
AP offeredoffered
AP course count5
AP enrollment67
IB participationnot offered
Dual enrollmentoffered · 23 enrolled
Algebra I in grade 8not reported
Calculus sections1
Physics sections6
Chemistry sections16
Total enrollment (CRDC)2,071

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.

10College destinationsclass of 2023 · CDE 12-mo College-Going Rate
DestinationCompleters% (derived)
University of California183.7%
California State University5611.6%
California community college19039.3%
In-state private40.8%
Out-of-state, 4-year91.9%
Out-of-state, 2-year40.8%
Not enrolled20341.9%

484 completers, class of 2023 · state-reported college-going rate 58% · % 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=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · UC Infocenter (annual refresh, summer) — ‹5/‹3 = masked, never summed across campuses · AP Course Ledger 2025 - 2026 (November refresh; authorization not enrollment) · CRDC 2020-21 (biennial; next expected 2021-22) · CDE 12-mo CGR 2023 cohort, National Student Clearinghouse match · 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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