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Walnut Creek Intermediate · Walnut Creek

Walnut Creek Intermediate: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

Walnut Creek Intermediate posts 37.7% exceeding the standard — versus 16.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

2425 Walnut Boulevard, 94597 (opens in new tab)·Walnut Creek Elementary·Walnut Creek·Grades 6-8·940 students·15% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(925) 944-6840
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope6343
% Exceeded38%17%
% Met+68%39%
Growth+0.7+1.5
Absence12.1%18.5%
Suspension2.4%3.7%
Scope Score
63
💪 Strong All-Around · Solid
ranked #248 statewide

Walnut Creek Intermediate scores 63 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 89th 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 →

💪 Strong All-Around — Ask about what we don't score — class size, electives, the feel of a classroom — strong numbers everywhere on paper don't mean every classroom feels the same.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “68% proficient” and call it done. Walnut Creek Intermediate deserves a closer read. It sits at the 89th percentile of 2,238 California middle schools — but the ranking is the least interesting thing on this page.

The headline number: 37.7% of students scored in the top band on the state test. The California average is 16.8%.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,238 middle schools statewide

Has held the 89th-percentile line every tested year since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAGreen(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

Proficiency here is back to its pre-pandemic level — 68% meet the standard, about where the school stood in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 672%68%71%74%73%
Grade 774%67%69%67%69%
Grade 868%70%60%68%70%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 663%58%60%63%60%
Grade 770%57%57%61%70%
Grade 866%54%55%55%65%

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.

38%
35%
27%
Grade 6 · 73% proficient
32%
37%
31%
Grade 7 · 69% proficient
36%
33%
31%
Grade 8 · 69% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 1.8pp across grades; the floor slips 3.4pp. 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
37.7%
State 16.8%
20.9pp above state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+0.7pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Met or exceeded
67.6%
State 39.3%
28.3pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
12.1%
State 18.5%
6.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.4%
State 3.7%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
27.7%
State 18.0%
9.7pp above 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 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 Walnut Creek Intermediate in Walnut Creek, 45.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Walnut Creek Intermediate trails its district average for low-income students by 2.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.6% Math proficient); White students (75.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 162 students tested.

All students at this school: 68% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 68%, district —, state 39%68%
MaleMale: this school 65%, district 68%, state 42%65% · −3 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 71%, district 71%, state 44%71% · +3 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 73%, district 73%, state 56%73% · +5 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 49%, district 54%, state 32%49% · −19 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 43%, district 46%, state 32%43% · −25 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 81%, district 78%, state 72%81% · +14 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 65%, district 73%, state 56%65% · −2 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 33%, district 36%, state 15%33% · −35 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 23%, district 26%, state 11%23% · −45 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 23%, district 39%, state 26%23% · −45 vs school

6 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 falls by 9.1pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -8.0pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 12.1%, district 10.0%, state 18.5%12.1% · −6.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 2.4%, district —, state 3.7%2.4% · −1.2pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–611.4%
Grades 7–812.3%

Where the path goes

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

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
Middle
Walnut Creek Intermediate
63/100
This school
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level

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 22:1, district 23:122:1
Teaching staff44 teachers
Avg. experience12.6 years
Fully credentialed87%
First-year teachers11%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$60,927 – $119,573
Principal salary$185,087 – $0
Superintendent salary$258,247

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $15,133, CA average $14,815$15,133 · spent at this school
District current expense · FY 2024–25$15,656 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
Instruction64%
Instruction support13%
Student services9%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance9%

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$11,522 per pupil
2019$11,294 per pupil
2018$11,373 per pupil
2017$11,430 per pupil
2016$10,437 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

White47.7%
District 46.8% · CA 19.9%
Hispanic19.0%
District 16.6% · CA 56.1%
Other15.4%
District 18.7% · CA 9.0%
Asian14.8%
District 15.5% · CA 10.2%
Black3.1%
District 2.4% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 15.3% (48pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$132K · CA $85K
Median home value$1.03M · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+65% · CA 35%
ZIP population23,129
Median age39 years

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

Worth Knowing

On the state's science test (CAST), 51% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Walnut Creek Intermediate a good middle school?

Walnut Creek Intermediate has a Scope Score of 63 out of 100, placing it in the 89th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #248 statewide. 37.7% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 20.9 percentage points above 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 Walnut Creek Intermediate's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 67.6% of students at Walnut Creek Intermediate met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 37.7% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 29.9% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 37.7% 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. 1,894 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Walnut Creek Intermediate rank in California?

Walnut Creek Intermediate ranks #248 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 89th 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 Walnut Creek Intermediate getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Walnut Creek Intermediate increases by 0.7 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 Walnut Creek Intermediate?

12.1% of students at Walnut Creek Intermediate are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 2.4%. 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 Walnut Creek Intermediate compare to other schools in Walnut Creek?

Walnut Creek Intermediate scores 63/100 (89th 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 940 students. Use the schools in Walnut Creek page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.

How does Walnut Creek Intermediate serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Walnut Creek Intermediate in Walnut Creek, 45.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 47.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Walnut Creek Intermediate trails its district average for low-income students by 2.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (39.6% Math proficient); White students (75.4% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.0 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 162 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 Walnut Creek →

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%
37.7%
↑ vs CA 16.8% · 73th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
+0.7pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 52th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
67.6%
↑ vs CA 39.3% · 72th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
12.1%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.4%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
27.7%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 59th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630438%35%16%11%73%+26
Grade 732632%37%17%14%69%+21
Grade 831636%33%17%13%70%+24
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 630535%25%23%17%60%+25
Grade 732742%28%16%14%70%+36
Grade 831643%22%16%19%65%+32
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1131619%32%41%8%

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 Disadvantaged16245.7%−2+7
White44775.4%+2+14
Hispanic/Latino17654.5%−2+16
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Walnut Creek Intermediate ←—6337.7%67.6%+0.72.4%
Foothill Middle2.2 mi5836.2%68.6%−10.70.6%
Sequoia Middle2.4 mi5625.1%50.9%+2.33.1%
Pleasant Hill Middle1.9 mi5426.1%52.7%−4.52.7%
California average—4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20195986#28734.9%68.8%4.8%3.4%-0.9pp
20225987#28631.3%62.3%11.1%2.6%-1.4pp
20235984#33932.4%61.8%13.1%2.6%-8.2pp
20245986#30132.3%64.9%9.4%1.6%-7.3pp
20256389#24837.7%67.6%12.1%2.4%+0.7pp
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
Female4.6%10.8%+6.2pp
Male5.0%13.2%+8.2pp
Asian3.5%8.7%+5.2pp
Black/African American15.6%12.9%-2.7pp
White3.4%4.5%+1.1pp
Hispanic/Latino4.3%16.1%+11.8pp
Two or More Races4.0%18.9%+14.9pp
Students with Disabilities10.4%20.2%+9.8pp
English Learners6.6%12.9%+6.3pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.9%25.4%+11.5pp
All Students4.8%12.0%+7.2pp
Filipino—21.1%—
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

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