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Vista View Middle · Fountain Valley

Vista View Middle: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.

Vista View posts 39% meeting the standard against 39% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

16250 Hickory Street, 92708 (opens in new tab)·Ocean View·Fountain Valley·Grades 6-8·724 students·83% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(714) 842-0626·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope4443
% Exceeded18%17%
% Met+39%39%
Growth+9.3+1.5
Absence17.2%18.5%
Suspension2.3%3.7%
Scope Score
44
🚀 Growth Engine · Developing
ranked #941 statewide · #3 of 3 in Ocean View

Vista View Middle scores 44 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 58th 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 →

🚀 Growth Engine — Ask how the school tracks each kid's growth year to year, and what happens when a kid stalls instead of gaining.

Most rating sites would stop at “39% proficient” and call it done. Vista View deserves a closer read. The school sits in Fountain Valley, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Slipped from the 79th to the 58th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathOrange(Declined Significantly)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 39% meet the standard today, versus 56% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 658%56%38%43%36%
Grade 762%43%56%41%43%
Grade 854%50%45%52%47%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 644%42%39%34%34%
Grade 756%35%47%39%35%
Grade 863%43%35%45%41%

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.

15%
21%
64%
Grade 6 · 36% proficient
11%
32%
57%
Grade 7 · 43% proficient
14%
33%
53%
Grade 8 · 47% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 1.5pp across grades; the floor rises 11.2pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
17.8%
State 16.8%
0.9pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+9.3pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
39.3%
State 39.3%
0.0pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.2%
State 18.5%
1.3pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.3%
State 3.7%
1.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
14.3%
State 18.0%
3.7pp 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 Vista View Middle in Fountain Valley, 36.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vista View Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 581 students tested.

All students at this school: 39% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 39%, district —, state 39%39%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 34%, district 41%, state 32%34% · −5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 25%, district 35%, state 32%25% · −14 vs school
MaleMale: this school 37%, district 53%, state 42%37% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 42%, district 54%, state 44%42% · +3 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 7%, district 13%, state 11%7% · −33 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 73%, district 76%, state 72%73% · +34 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 6%, district 16%, state 15%6% · −33 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 33%, district 34%, state 22%33% · −7 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 52%, district 63%, state 56%52% · +12 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 40%, district 42%, state 46%40% · +1 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 47%, district 68%, state 56%47% · +7 vs school

5 of 17 student groups here are too small to report — a privacy protection, not a gap.

this school district, same group California, same group
Subgroup growth by grade

Change in proficiency from the lowest tested grade — which groups gain ground the longer they stay. Groups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 12.0pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +6.1pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 17.2%, district 13.9%, state 18.5%17.2% · −1.3pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.3%, district —, state 3.7%2.3% · −1.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–619.3%
Grades 7–816.1%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 21:1, district 24:121:1
Teaching staff35 teachers
Avg. experience16.7 years
Fully credentialed78%
First-year teachers9%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$51,066 – $126,431
Principal salary$158,133 – $0
Superintendent salary$329,000

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $17,351, CA average $14,815$17,351 · spent at this school
Federal share$356 per student

$356 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$18,862 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
Instruction60%
Instruction support10%
Student services6%
Administration9%
Buildings & maintenance9%
Other5%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2018–2020 — the newest published
2020$14,224 per pupil
2020$13,544 per pupil
2019$12,225 per pupil
2019$12,213 per pupil
2018$11,925 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic62.3%
District 42.1% · CA 56.1%
Asian22.2%
District 13.8% · CA 10.2%
White9.8%
District 32.2% · CA 19.9%
Other4.6%
District 10.7% · CA 9.0%
Black1.1%
District 1.2% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 83.2% (19pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$115K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.07M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+46% · CA 35%
ZIP population56,258
Median age44 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 29% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vista View Middle a good middle school?

Vista View Middle has a Scope Score of 44 out of 100, placing it in the 58th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #941 statewide. 17.8% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is near the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 6-to-8 growth (27%), met or exceeded (proficient) (20%), 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 Vista View Middle's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 39.3% of students at Vista View Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 17.8% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.6% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 17.8% 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. 1,391 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Vista View Middle rank in California?

Vista View Middle ranks #941 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 58th 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 Vista View Middle getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Vista View Middle increases by 9.3 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 Vista View Middle?

17.2% of students at Vista View Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.3%. 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 Vista View Middle compare to other schools in Fountain Valley?

Vista View Middle scores 44/100 (58th 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 724 students. Use the schools in Fountain Valley page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Vista View Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Vista View Middle in Fountain Valley, 36.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 43.5% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Vista View Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 6.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (31.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (28.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 35.7 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 581 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

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
Exceeded standard · 38%
17.8%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 51th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+9.3pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 53th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
39.3%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 50th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.2%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 52th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.3%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
14.3%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 40th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 621315%21%25%39%36%−11
Grade 724611%32%22%35%43%−5
Grade 823714%33%22%32%47%+1
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 621019%15%29%38%34%−1
Grade 724820%15%22%43%35%+1
Grade 823727%14%19%40%41%+9
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1123711%17%47%24%

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 Disadvantaged58136.9%−7−1
Hispanic/Latino43628.4%−11−10
English Learners2266.2%−4−4
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Vista View Middle ←4417.8%39.3%+9.32.3%
Fulton (Harry C.) Middle1.4 mi7952.3%77.7%+2.62.4%
Masuda (Kazuo) Middle1.9 mi7947.9%75.3%−4.51.7%
Mesa View Middle2.7 mi6542.3%65.8%+6.23.1%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195479#41725.0%56.3%5.8%5.6%+7.8pp
20224366#73720.6%44.8%26.0%7.1%-3.1pp
20235274#57718.9%43.2%20.9%5.4%+1.0pp
20244769#68319.4%42.1%14.8%4.1%+9.9pp
20254458#94117.8%39.3%17.2%2.3%+9.3pp
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
Female6.9%15.9%+9.0pp
Male4.8%18.1%+13.3pp
Asian0.0%7.8%+7.8pp
Hispanic/Latino8.1%20.1%+12.0pp
Students with Disabilities8.1%30.8%+22.7pp
English Learners6.9%21.9%+15.0pp
Homeless10.8%21.3%+10.5pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged7.3%18.2%+10.9pp
All Students5.8%17.2%+11.4pp
Two or More Races23.8%
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle 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