Walden Academy: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Walden Academy posts low test scores — and attendance holds near the state average — families haven't checked out. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
Walden Academy scores 17 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 1st percentile of 5,744 California elementary 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 “23% proficient” and call it done. Walden Academy deserves a closer read. The school sits in Willows, where two 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.
As a charter, Walden Academy enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
The 5 things our score weighs
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.
Estimated K-12 path based on district and proximity. Actual attendance zones may differ. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
The community around it
Student demographics
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Whole Child
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Frequently asked questions
Is Walden Academy a good elementary school?
What are Walden Academy's CAASPP test scores?
How does Walden Academy rank in California?
Is Walden Academy getting better or worse?
What is the attendance and school culture like at Walden Academy?
How does Walden Academy compare to other schools in Willows?
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 23 | 9% | 22% | 35% | 35% | 30% | −13 |
| Grade 4 | 18 | 17% | 22% | 17% | 44% | 39% | −6 |
| Grade 5 | 21 | 0% | 19% | 29% | 52% | 19% | −29 |
| Grade 6 | 13 | 0% | 15% | 31% | 54% | 15% | −31 |
| Grade 7 | 11 | 0% | 27% | 55% | 18% | 27% | −20 |
| Grade 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 3 | 23 | 9% | 13% | 35% | 43% | 22% | −24 |
| Grade 4 | 18 | 6% | 17% | 28% | 50% | 22% | −19 |
| Grade 5 | 21 | 5% | 0% | 19% | 76% | 5% | −31 |
| Grade 6 | 13 | 8% | 8% | 31% | 54% | 15% | −20 |
| Grade 7 | 11 | 9% | 18% | 55% | 18% | 27% | −7 |
| Grade 8 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 31 | 3% | 16% | 55% | 26% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walden Academy ← | — | 17 | 7.4% | 22.9% | −14.2 | 7.5% |
| California average | — | 45 | 21.3% | 42.7% | −2.9 | 1.6% |
- — Subgroup results are suppressed for small student counts (fewer than 15 tested), following CDE privacy rules.
- — Scored here as an elementary school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.