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Washington · Hawthorne

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

Washington posts 49% meeting the standard against 43% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.

4339 West 129th Street, 90250 (opens in new tab)·Hawthorne·Hawthorne·Grades TK-5·418 students·90% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(310) 676-3422
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5145
% Exceeded24%21%
% Met+49%43%
Growth-12.2-2.9
Absence17.3%17.9%
Suspension0.1%1.6%
Scope Score
51
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #1,776 statewide · #1 of 7 in Hawthorne

Washington scores 51 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 69th 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 →

🌱 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.

Most rating sites would stop at “49% proficient” and call it done. Washington deserves a closer read. The school sits in Hawthorne, 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 5,744 elementary schools statewide

Climbed from the 52nd to the 69th percentile since 2019 — past roughly 900 elementary schools.

CA Dashboard
ELABlue(Increased Significantly)MathGreen(Increased Significantly)

The pandemic drop is behind this school: 49% of students meet the standard today, above the 45% who did in 2019.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 347%37%38%43%55%
Grade 449%33%37%37%42%
Grade 546%48%47%45%56%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 355%49%43%47%61%
Grade 440%20%29%32%44%
Grade 532%32%27%25%37%

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.

32%
23%
45%
Grade 3 · 55% proficient
22%
21%
57%
Grade 4 · 43% proficient
21%
34%
45%
Grade 5 · 55% proficient

The honest read: the share exceeding falls 10.7pp across grades; the proficiency floor barely moves. The state average rises 4.5pp 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
23.9%
State 21.3%
2.5pp above state avg
Growth (G3→G5)
-12.2pp
State -2.9pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
49.3%
State 42.7%
6.6pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
17.3%
State 17.9%
0.6pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.1%
State 1.6%
1.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
26.9%
State 18.0%
8.9pp above 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 what changes between grade 3 and grade 5 here, and who teaches the older kids.
  • 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 Washington in Hawthorne, 48.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 41.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Washington outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (45.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 193 students tested.

All students at this school: 48% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 48%, district —, state 43%48%
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 47%, district 37%, state 32%47% · −2 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 49%, district 36%, state 32%49% · +1 vs school
MaleMale: this school 46%, district 38%, state 42%46% · −2 vs school
FemaleFemale: this school 51%, district 38%, state 44%51% · +3 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 11%, district 10%, state 11%11% · −37 vs school
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: this school 41%, district 37%, state 26%41% · −8 vs school

8 of 15 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 3.3pp from grade 3 to grade 5 at this school. District average: -3.2pp.

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 17.3%, district 21.9%, state 17.9%17.3% · −0.6pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 0.1%, district —, state 1.6%0.1% · −1.5pp vs state

TK/K students miss school at roughly twice the rate of Grades 4–6 students (29.2% vs 16.3%). Chronic absence here concentrates in the earliest grades — worth asking how the school works with new families on attendance.

Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 4–616.3%
TK/K29.2%

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 25:1, district 26:125:1
Teaching staff26 teachers
Avg. experience19.5 years
Fully credentialed96%
First-year teachers8%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$62,726 – $132,630
Principal salary$168,381 – $167,122
Superintendent salary$315,195

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $26,801, CA average $14,815$26,801 · spent at this school
Federal share$2,877 per student

$2,877 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$23,941 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
Instruction62%
Instruction support11%
Student services10%
Administration6%
Buildings & maintenance11%

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$15,538 per pupil
2019$13,458 per pupil
2018$13,250 per pupil
2017$12,663 per pupil
2016$12,717 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic71.3%
District 71.7% · CA 56.1%
Black16.3%
District 18.7% · CA 4.8%
Other5.5%
District 4.5% · CA 9.0%
White4.5%
District 2.6% · CA 19.9%
Asian2.4%
District 2.5% · CA 10.2%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 90.2% (26pp above CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$78K · CA $85K
Median home value$875K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+27% · CA 35%
ZIP population93,826
Median age34 years

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

Worth Knowing

Transitional kindergarten is offered here — confirmed by actual Census Day enrollment, not just the listed grade span.

On the state's science test (CAST), 31% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is Washington a good elementary school?

Washington has a Scope Score of 51 out of 100, placing it in the 69th percentile of California elementary schools and ranked #1,776 statewide. 23.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.5 percentage points above the California average of 21.3%. The Scope Score weights 6 dimensions for elementary schools: exceeded standard (38%), grade 3-to-5 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 Washington's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 49.3% of students at Washington met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 25.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.9% 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. 411 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does Washington rank in California?

Washington ranks #1,776 among California elementary schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 69th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 3 to grade 5 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 Washington getting better or worse?

Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Washington decreases by 12.2 percentage points from Grade 3 to grade 5 growth. This downward pattern doesn't necessarily mean the school is failing — it can reflect cohort differences, demographic shifts, or curriculum changes. A campus visit and conversation with teachers can reveal what the numbers can't. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the elementary 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 Washington?

17.3% of students at Washington are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 17.9%. The suspension rate is 0.1%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Washington compare to other schools in Hawthorne?

Washington scores 51/100 (69th percentile) among California elementary 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 418 students. Use the schools in Hawthorne page or the map view to compare all elementary schools nearby.

How does Washington serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At Washington in Hawthorne, 48.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 41.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Washington outperforms its district average for low-income students by 7.2 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (45.4% Math proficient); Hispanic students (52.0% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 41.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 193 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%
23.9%
↑ vs CA 21.3% · 52th pctile
Growth (G3→G5) · 27%
-12.2pp
↓ vs CA -2.9pp · 55th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
49.3%
↑ vs CA 42.7% · 55th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
17.3%
↑ vs CA 17.9% · 51th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.1%
↑ vs CA 1.6% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
26.9%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 63th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35632%23%21%23%55%+12
Grade 47822%21%19%38%42%−2
Grade 57021%34%21%23%56%+8
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 35732%30%18%21%61%+16
Grade 47916%28%29%27%44%+3
Grade 57120%17%27%37%37%+1
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/117110%21%59%10%

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 Disadvantaged19348.2%+7+10
Hispanic/Latino14852.0%+12+13
English Learners358.6%−0−2
03Peer comparison · nearest elementary schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Washington ←5123.9%49.3%−12.20.1%
Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary3.4 mi8971.2%90.3%+0.60.1%
Lincoln Elementary2.7 mi6651.1%75.8%−11.70.3%
One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary2.7 mi6541.3%66.4%−2.00.1%
California average4521.3%42.7%−2.91.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20194352#265919.0%44.9%12.3%0.2%-12.1pp
20223651#278512.5%36.4%34.8%0.7%-2.7pp
20233848#298217.1%36.7%31.2%0.4%-3.6pp
20243942#332916.9%38.1%23.0%0.1%-9.8pp
20255169#177623.9%49.3%17.3%0.1%-12.2pp
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
Female11.4%17.9%+6.5pp
Male13.2%16.7%+3.5pp
Asian0.0%
Black/African American20.0%11.1%-8.9pp
Hispanic/Latino10.9%19.7%+8.8pp
Pacific Islander26.7%
Students with Disabilities25.8%29.4%+3.6pp
English Learners8.8%19.4%+10.6pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged12.5%17.0%+4.5pp
All Students12.3%17.3%+5.0pp
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=5,744 elementary 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