How does Tijeras Creek Elementary compare to other elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?

Tijeras Creek Elementary has a SchoolScope composite score of 61.6/100, placing it at the 85th percentile statewide. 45% of students exceed standard, with a total of 722 students tested across grades and subjects.

What percentage of students exceed standards at Tijeras Creek Elementary?

45.0% of students at Tijeras Creek Elementary exceed the state standard on CAASPP assessments, while 70.7% meet or exceed it. The gap between these two numbers reveals whether the school pushes students beyond basic proficiency.

Is Tijeras Creek Elementary improving or declining?

Tijeras Creek Elementary's proficiency rate decreases by 13.6 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5, suggesting the school is not sustaining early academic gains.

What is the chronic absenteeism rate at Tijeras Creek Elementary?

8.4% of students at Tijeras Creek Elementary are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days). This metric reflects school culture and family engagement, and is weighted at 15% in our composite score.

Tijeras Creek Elementary

Capistrano Unified Rancho Santa Margarita Orange County 92688

Composite Score

out of 100

State Percentile

of elementary schools

State Rank

722 students tested

School overview

Enrollment

318 students

Student-Teacher Ratio

24:1

Free/Reduced Lunch

19%

Teachers

13 full-time

Student demographics

Hispanic 16.7%

White 53.5%

Asian 8.5%

Black 0.6%

Other 20.8%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Tijeras Creek Elementary
Category	Percentage
Exceeded Standard	45.0%
Met Standard	25.7%
Below Standard	29.3%

Exceeded

45.0%

Met

25.7%

Below

29.3%

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "71% proficient" for Tijeras Creek Elementary and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

45.0% of students exceeded standard while 25.7% merely met it. That exceeded rate is 24.0 points above the state average of 21.0%. That's 5.9 points above the Capistrano Unified district average of 39.0%. Compared to the 8 nearby schools within ~3 miles, this exceeded rate is 9.8 points higher (vs 35.1% average). The gap between "met" and "exceeded" is the difference between a school that clears the bar and one that raises it.

Proficiency drops by 13.6 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5 — a signal that the school may not be sustaining early gains.

Chronic absenteeism is 8.4%, better than the state average of 18.7%.