Public school · Cottonwood Union Elementary

West Cottonwood Junior High — Rating & test scores

20512 West First Street, Cottonwood · 419 students · Grades 5–8

How to enroll
Compare

Compare schools

Choose up to four middle schools.

Type at least two characters to search.

Save

Sign in to save this school

Campus map · © OpenStreetMap

Drawn from OpenStreetMap. Volunteers map it, so a new building may be missing. Buildings with no mapped height are drawn one storey high.

A picture of the campus, not an attendance boundary or a rating.

Schools maintain a closed campus policy. For students’ safety, visitors may enter a campus only with the school’s official permission; this drawing implies no permission to enter.

Scope Score 79

SolidScope Score · 69th percentile. Higher than 69 in 100 of the 2,529 California public middle schools we score.

75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How the score is built

Near California in English (reading and writing), above in math, grades 6–8, spring 2026: 50% and 43% scored Proficient or Advanced, against 49% and 37%.

Source for this line
Source
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026
Students
all students tested in grades 6–8: 302
Comparison
California: CDE’s grade 6, 7 and 8 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 1,254,039 in English and 1,254,800 in math tested).

This rating covers grades 6–8. West Cottonwood Junior High teaches 5–8.

Overview

Is West Cottonwood a good middle school?

Solid. West Cottonwood is higher than most California middle schools on test results, progress in English and attendance. West Cottonwood is in the middle on progress in math.

Test results, spring 2026

English, Proficient or Advanced5850%
Math, Proficient or Advanced7043%
English, Advanced5916%
Math, Advanced6521%

Progress in a year, 2025

English54+2 pts
Math50−1 pts

Showing up, 2025–26

Attendance5115 in 100
West Cottonwood’s place among California middle schools, out of 100Cottonwood Union Elementary’s other middle schoolBar colour, from the lowest quarter of schools to the highest

One more thing to know

In grade 5, spring 2026, 27% scored Proficient or Advanced in math, against 37% across California.

Each bar is West Cottonwood’s place among 2,529 California public middle schools we score. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, updated October 15, 2026.

How to read these bars, and their sources

A place counts the schools out of 100 with a lower figure. The dashed line is the middle. Test results are from spring 2026, grades 6–8. Progress is the state’s measure of how the same students’ scores changed against the score it expected, 2025. Attendance counts students who missed 10% or more of school days; fewer is better, so a higher place means fewer such students.

Source for the sentence
California’s state tests (CAASPP), California Department of Education, spring 2026. All students tested in grade 5. California: CDE’s grade 5 rows for the whole state combined, weighted by students tested (our calculation; 411,080 in math tested).

In its own words

What does West Cottonwood say about itself?

We haven’t read West Cottonwood’s website yet. Until we do, the school’s own site is the best place to hear it in its own words.

Open west.cwusd.com (opens in a new tab)

Progress

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

About the same, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 5–8 scored 2 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 1 point lower, which the state calls Average.

English

+2

points higher than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

White235+4 points
Low-income188−1 points
Hispanic or Latino77−2 points
Students with disabilities57−1 points
American Indian or Alaska Native20−11 points

Math

−1

point lower than California students who had the same score a year earlier. The state calls it Average, the third of its five growth levels.

By student group · students counted

White235−3 points
Low-income188−5 points
Hispanic or Latino77+8 points
Students with disabilities57−19 points
American Indian or Alaska Native20−17 points

Grades 5–8, 2025, 365 students with scores in both years. Faded rows have fewer than 40 students. It describes results, not causes. Source: California Department of Education, growth model.

How the state’s growth measure works

The state calls this comparison an expected score. It sets one for each student from that student’s own score the year before.

California uses each student’s English and math scores from the year before to set an expected score, based on how students with similar earlier scores did across the state. Zero would mean students here scored as expected. In English they scored 2 points above that expected score, and in math 1 point below it. Unlike the growth in our Scope Score, it follows the same students from one year to the next.

The state sorts every school’s growth result into five growth levels, from Minimal to Exceptional.

Here, as at most schools, the state’s figure blends the two most recent years, so it moves more slowly than one year’s scores.

Our Scope Score measures growth another way. It compares the latest grade 8 scores here with the school’s grade 6 scores two years earlier (partly different children), then places that change among California schools at the same level. The state’s measure counts only students who took California’s test the year before, so the two can point different ways.

SchoolScope middle standardized cohort gain: approximately 84th percentile on a calibrated reference scale, not an empirical school rank. This score compares school-level grade groups across English and math, not matched students in California's separate growth model.

Nearby

How does it compare with schools nearby?

0 of the 2 middle schools nearby have a higher Scope Score than West Cottonwood. Each school is compared with every California middle school.

Scope Score

3 middle schools within 4.4 miles, highest score first. Under each name is how the school takes students.

  1. West CottonwoodScope Score 7969th
  2. EvergreenEvergreen Union · by addressScope Score 7548th
  3. AndersonCascade Union Elementary · by addressScope Score 7127th
Cottonwood Union ElementaryA neighborhood school in another district

A neighborhood school in another district takes students who live in its area. Ask that district about a transfer.

Scope Score from California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Distance is a straight line from this campus and is not an attendance boundary. See these schools on the map

Scores and family income

Further right, more students are from low-income families. Higher up, more students scored Proficient or Advanced in English.

25%50%0%25%50%75%100%

English results: California Department of Education state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, grades 6–8. Low-income is the share of students who qualified for free or reduced-price meals, 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes.

Schools like it

How does West Cottonwood compare with schools like it?

West Cottonwood’s Scope Score is 79. 334 California middle schools, counting West Cottonwood, have a similar share of students from low-income families. Their typical score is 77. West Cottonwood’s result is higher than 211 of them.

The five schools with the highest results of the 334

  1. Students from low-income families: 48%

    Scope Score 92Strong · 97th percentile

  2. Students from low-income families: 47%

    Scope Score 92Strong · 96th percentile

  3. Students from low-income families: 46%

    Elevate

    San Diego

    Scope Score 91Strong · 96th percentile

  4. Students from low-income families: 54%

    Scope Score 91Strong · 96th percentile

  5. Students from low-income families: 53%

    Scope Score 90Strong · 95th percentile

334 California public middle schools where 45% to 57% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. The chart compares results, not causes. Our calculation from California Department of Education records, spring 2026.

How the group is chosen

The group is every California public middle school we score where 45% to 57% of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. That is within 6 points of West Cottonwood’s share. The count includes West Cottonwood. Typical means the median: half are higher and half are lower. Schools differ in more than family income, and no score is changed for it. Our calculation from California Department of Education records: state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026, and school meal eligibility, 2024–25.

Over time

Have results changed?

Results in both subjects were similar to 2025. English went from 51% to 50% and math from 39% to 43%.

Share at the state’s top two test levels, 2017 to 2026

Grades 6–8. Point at a year, tap it or use the arrow keys to read its figures.

English

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202650%48%51%Cottonwood Union ElementaryDistrict50%West CottonwoodThis school49%CaliforniaCalifornia

Math

No comparable testsNo tests25%50%75%2017201820192022202320242025202641%38%48%Cottonwood Union ElementaryDistrict43%West CottonwoodThis school37%CaliforniaCalifornia

The lines break where a year has no comparable state test results. Each spring tests a different group of students. Cottonwood Union Elementary’s line combines its 2 middle schools we score (our calculation). Faint lines are its other school. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Each year’s results

The top two levels were called Met or Exceeded before 2026 and are called Proficient or Advanced now. Cottonwood Union Elementary’s figure weights each school by the students it tested.

English, grades 6–8: share at the top two levels
SpringWest CottonwoodCottonwood Union ElementaryCaliforniaTested here
201748%50%48%285
201847%49%49%283
201944%49%50%278
202248%52%47%287
202347%51%46%253
202450%56%46%294
202551%54%49%282
202650%51%49%302
Math, grades 6–8: share at the top two levels
SpringWest CottonwoodCottonwood Union ElementaryCaliforniaTested here
201738%41%37%284
201848%48%37%284
201947%47%38%280
202242%47%31%286
202336%44%32%252
202435%44%33%294
202539%45%36%282
202643%48%37%302

Tests

How did students here do on state tests?

Near California in English; above it in math.

English

50%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

22283416
Cottonwood Union Elementary51%California49%

Math

43%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

28292221
Cottonwood Union Elementary48%California37%
MinimalDeveloping levelProficientAdvanced

In grades 6–8, spring 2026, 50% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 43% in math, against 49% and 37% across California.

The state published these results on October 15, 2026. What changed across California. Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

How do the elementary grades do?

Near California in English; well below it in math. In grade 5, spring 2026, 45% scored Proficient or Advanced in English and 27% in math, against 49% and 37% across California.

English

45%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

31243114
Cottonwood Union Elementary49%California49%

Math

27%

scored Proficient or Advanced.

51221611
Cottonwood Union Elementary32%California37%

School pattern · grades 6–8 · spring 2026

Grade-to-grade gains
From grade 6 in spring 2024 to grade 8 in spring 2026, results here rose more than at the average California middle school. Students move in and out, so these are partly different children. The Score factors record below gives the figure.

What patterns mean

Results for each grade, spring 2026

What each level means: California's level descriptions.

English

English, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 5
Proficient or Advanced45%
Advanced14%
Proficient31%
Developing level24%
Minimal31%
Tested108
California49%
Difference−4
English, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced44%54%52%
Advanced19%12%17%
Proficient25%42%35%
Developing level30%23%31%
Minimal26%23%17%
Tested10790105
California48%51%49%
Difference−4+3+3

California is CDE’s statewide English row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Math

Math, grade 5: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 5
Proficient or Advanced27%
Advanced11%
Proficient16%
Developing level22%
Minimal51%
Tested108
California37%
Difference−10
Math, grades 6–8: share of students tested, spring 2026
MeasureGrade 6Grade 7Grade 8
Proficient or Advanced25%47%58%
Advanced8%21%32%
Proficient17%26%26%
Developing level39%26%21%
Minimal36%27%21%
Tested10790105
California37%38%36%
Difference−12+9+22

California is CDE’s statewide math row for each grade, counting every student tested there; the comparisons in the chapters combine these rows for their grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

A grade the school doesn't teach has no row. “Suppressed” marks a result CDE blanks because fewer than 11 students tested (CDE’s reporting rule); “none tested” marks a grade CDE lists with no students tested; “not on file” marks a result missing from the records we hold. None of them means zero.

All four test levels, with the number of students tested
Share of students tested at each level, spring 2026. The state’s test levels Advanced, Proficient, the Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal.
StudentsAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimalTested
English, grades 6–8 · This school16%34%28%22%302
English, grades 6–8 · California19%30%23%28%1,254,039
English, grades 6–8 · Cottonwood Union Elementary17%34%29%20%384
Math, grades 6–8 · This school21%22%29%28%302
Math, grades 6–8 · California21%16%23%40%1,254,800
Math, grades 6–8 · Cottonwood Union Elementary24%24%28%24%384
English, grade 5 · This school14%31%24%31%108
English, grade 5 · California23%26%20%31%410,249
English, grade 5 · Cottonwood Union Elementary14%35%25%26%134
Math, grade 5 · This school11%16%22%51%108
Math, grade 5 · California21%16%24%39%411,080
Math, grade 5 · Cottonwood Union Elementary15%17%25%43%134

Spring 2026, grades 6–8 combined: 302 tested in English, 302 tested in math. California combines the state’s results for the same grades, weighted by students tested (our calculation).

Who goes here

Who goes here?

White students are the largest group here, at 67% of students. 67 of 439 students missed 10% or more of school days.

Missing school, 2025–26

15in 100

students were chronically absent. That means they missed 10% or more of school days (67 of 439 students).

At the average middle school in the Cottonwood Union Elementary district: 9 in 100. At the average California middle school: 18 in 100.

Students, 2024–25

419

students in grades 5–8.

White 67%Hispanic or Latino 20%American Indian or Alaska Native 6%Two or more races 5%

Family income

51%

of students qualified for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25, 212 of 419. California: 63%.

Teachers, 2024–25

22

teachers, with 11 years of experience on average.

5% were in their first year.

80% of teaching positions had the right credential, 2021–22.

Suspensions, 2025–26

2.8%

of students were suspended at least once (13 of 459). Average California middle school 3.7%.

Sources: California Department of Education. Each tile names its year.

Missing school, by grade
Grades 5–6
14 in 100 students in grades 5–6 were chronically absent (32 of 226).
Grades 7–8
16 in 100 students in grades 7–8 were chronically absent (35 of 213).
Full student mix, 2025–26
StudentsHere
White67%
Hispanic or Latino20%
American Indian or Alaska Native6%
Two or more races5%
Asian—
Black or African American—
Filipino—
Pacific Islander—
Not reported—
Where these figures come from

Attendance and suspensions: California Department of Education, 2025–26. Student mix: the students the state’s attendance file counts, 2025–26; a dash means our records hold no count. Student count: California Department of Education enrollment, 2024–25. Teachers: California Department of Education staffing files, 2024–25.

Teaching credentials: California’s School Accountability Report Card, 2024–25, measured in 2021–22: 17.7 of 22.1 full-time teaching positions. It counts positions, not individual teachers.

Student groups

How do kids like mine do here?

Hispanic or Latino students here scored well above the same group across California in math.

This schoolThe same group, California
  • Hispanic or Latino84 tested40%California 25%
  • White271 tested39%California 50%
  • Low-income220 tested31%California 26%
  • Students with disabilities46 tested4%California 11%

40% of Hispanic or Latino students scored Proficient or Advanced in math (grades 5–8, spring 2026), against 25% for the same group across California. White students scored well below the same group across California in math. Every group’s English results are in the table below.

Share who scored Proficient or Advanced, grades 5–8 math, spring 2026. Each group is compared with the same group in the same grades. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP).

Every group’s results, with the district

Low-income is the state’s “socioeconomically disadvantaged” group.

Proficient or Advancedgrades 5–8 · spring 2026
Group and subjectHerevs Cottonwood Union Elementaryvs California
Low-income · 220 tested
English38%038%−139%
Math31%031%+526%
White · 271 tested
English51%051%−1162%
Math39%039%−1150%
Hispanic or Latino · 84 tested
English46%046%+739%
Math40%040%+1525%
Students with disabilities · 46 tested · grades 5–7 only
English13%013%−316%
Math4%04%−711%

Each gap is to the same group, grades and subject: in Cottonwood Union Elementary, and across California. ■ Green: a group that is behind across California does much better here, by 10 points or more and more than twice the margin of error.

No published rate here for Asian, Black or African American, Filipino, American Indian or Alaska Native, Pacific Islander, homeless and military-family students, students of two or more races, English learners and foster youth. That can reflect privacy rules or small numbers; it isn’t evidence of a gap. This table covers groups by income, race or ethnicity, language and disability; girls and boys aren’t split out.

Family and staff answers

What would families and staff tell you?

Families can answer a short set of questions about West Cottonwood. These are not star ratings or reviews.

  1. Family answers show once 20 families have answered.Until then this page shows how many have answered.
  2. The questions are about the school, never a person.No question asks about a named teacher or staff member.
  3. Answers are never part of the Scope Score.They sit beside the state’s records and do not change a school’s score.

Families

No family answers yet

0 of 20 needed before answers show

  • Does the school tell you how your child is doing, in a way you understand, before report cards arrive?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely
  • When you contact the school with a question, do you hear back within two school days?Usually · Sometimes · Rarely · Haven’t contacted them
  • Can you get school information in the language you read best?Yes · Mostly · No
  • And 4 more questions.

Answer the family questionsResponder en españolHow family answers work

Staff

Staff can’t answer for this school yet

We don’t check staff emails for Cottonwood Union Elementary yet. Tell us your district’s email domain and we’ll work on adding it.

Ask us to add your district

Money

Where does the money go?

$11,782 for each student in 2024–25. California’s middle schools spent $19,269 for each student. Cottonwood Union Elementary’s plan for 2026–27 covers $5 million.

$11,782

for each student at this school, 2024–25
Spent at the school
$9,047
The school’s share of district office costs
$2,735
Of the total, from federal funds
$214
  • West Cottonwood$11,782
  • California middle schools$19,269

The district and California figures combine their middle schools, weighted by enrollment (our calculation, 1,241 California schools). Spending does not show how well money is used. Source: California Department of Education, per-school spending report, 2024–25. Funding records ↓

Cottonwood Union Elementary’s yearly plan

$5million

in the district’s plan for 2026–27

$901,452

planned for services for English learners, low-income students and foster youth

This is the district’s plan. It is not this school’s own budget. The plan has 1 goal. The district’s page lists each one. The plan covers $5 million of $15 million in total budgeted spending. Source: Cottonwood Union Elementary Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), 2026–27.

The neighborhood

What is the area around West Cottonwood like?

These figures are for everyone who lives in ZIP code 96022. They are not figures for the families at West Cottonwood.

Typical household income in a year

$89,338

Typical means half are higher and half are lower. The ZIP code is the school’s address, not its attendance area. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024, ZIP code area 96022.

Typical home value
$366,700
People who live in this ZIP code
17,092
Typical age
41.8 years
Adults 25 and older with a four-year college degree
22%

What you can do

Who can act on West Cottonwood’s results?

Cottonwood Union Elementary’s board decides West Cottonwood’s plan.

When the plan is set

Cottonwood Union Elementary’s board must adopt its yearly plan (LCAP) by July 1, after at least one public hearing at an earlier meeting.

Read the 2026–27 plan (LCAP, PDF)

How to take part

  1. Watch the board’s agenda: the hearing is posted at least 72 hours ahead.
  2. Send written comments on the actions and spending the plan proposes.
  3. Raise questions through the district’s parent advisory committee; the superintendent must answer its comments in writing.
  4. Read the midyear report, due by February 28.

State support

The state hasn’t placed West Cottonwood in a support program. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26. Source 

Extra state help for the district

The state is giving Cottonwood Union Elementary extra help in 2026. It qualified on the 2025 California School Dashboard. The county office must help the district for at least three years, including a review of its yearly plan.

Extra help for Cottonwood Union Elementary: CDE’s assistance status file for the 2025 California School Dashboard. Source 

Questions to ask

What should I ask, and when?

Bring these 7 questions to West Cottonwood. Confirm anything about applying with the school itself.

On a tour

  1. When a child starts missing school, who calls the family, and how soon?15 in 100 chronically absent, 2025–26 (67 of 439 students); average middle school in the Cottonwood Union Elementary district: 9 in 100
  2. What happens before a suspension, and who talks with the family?2.8% suspended at least once, 2025–26 (13 of 459 students); average middle school in the Cottonwood Union Elementary district: 1.4%
  3. What changes for a student who falls behind in math?1 point lower in math than California students who had the same score the year before, grades 5–8, 2025 (365 students)
  4. Which math courses can students take, and how are placements decided?
  5. Which electives and high-school transition supports are available?

At the office

  1. What time does the day start and end, and is any day shorter?
  2. Is there care before or after school, and what does it cost?

Getting in

What comes after West Cottonwood, and how do I get in?

West Cottonwood runs through 8th grade, so there’s no middle-school move. Ask Cottonwood Union Elementary which school serves your address.

  1. Elementary
    Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)
  2. Middle · this school
    West Cottonwood Junior High
    Grades 5–8Scope Score 79Solid · 69th percentile
  3. High
    Link not recorded
    Ask the district about this stage.

These links come from past records and from distance. Confirm your child’s school with the district. Explore schools on the map

All recorded links and nearby alternatives

Elementary links

  • North Cottonwood

    Its zone mostly overlaps this school’s zone on a historical federal map (2015–16)

    100% historical overlap of origin attendance-zone area · not a share of students

Links do not guarantee placement. Charter, magnet, transfer and other admission routes can differ. Each school’s percentile compares it with California schools at its own level (continuation and alternative schools only with their own kind); the stages are not one ranking. Older zone links come from the federal School Attendance Boundary Survey (NCES SABS).

Where it is

Where is West Cottonwood?

Address
20512 West First Street, Cottonwood 96022Get directions (opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Administrator
Lupe CordovaAs the state’s school directory lists it, last updated July 25, 2024.

A school’s place on the map is its address in the state directory. It does not show which homes the school serves. See nearby schools on the map

Short answers to 6 common questions

How do I get in?

West Cottonwood runs through 8th grade, so there’s no middle-school move. Ask Cottonwood Union Elementary which school serves your address. See the details ↓

Is West Cottonwood a good middle school?

West Cottonwood Junior High has a Scope Score of 79. It scored higher than 69 in 100 of California’s 2,529 scored public middle schools (Solid, 69th percentile, spring 2026). See the details ↓

How often do students miss school or get suspended?

In 2025–26, 15 in 100 students missed 10% or more of school days, against 9 in 100 at the average middle school in the Cottonwood Union Elementary district. 2.8% of students (13 of 459) were suspended at least once in 2025–26, against 3.7% at the average California middle school. See the details ↓

Did students here score higher than students who started at the same place?

About the same, in both subjects. In 2025, students here in grades 5–8 scored 2 points higher in English than California students who had the same score the year before. The state calls that Average. In math, they scored 1 point lower, which the state calls Average.

  • Included in this measure: 365 students

See the details ↓

How do kids like mine do here?

In spring 2026, 38% of low-income students in grades 5–8 at West Cottonwood Junior High scored Proficient or Advanced in English, against 39% for the same group across California. See the details ↓

What should I ask on a visit?

The questions drawn from this page are under Questions to ask, ready to copy. See the details ↓

The full record

Source records

This page is built from 12 sets of records from public data sources. Every figure keeps its source, grades, year and count.

Data updated

October 15, 2026

Record sets on this page
12
Sources
California Department of EducationU.S. Census Bureau
State test years
2017–2026

Results

Students

Money and staff

Place, downloads and method

Score factorssource values, index and weights · 2025–26 · ranked #762 of 2,529 California middle schools we score
Score factors, 2025–26
FactorSchoolIndexWeight
Advancedaverage of English and math18%5142%
Proficient or Advancedaverage of English and math47%5523%
8th graders in 2026 against 6th graders in 2024 (partly different children)+58 scale-score pts6420%
Chronically absent15 in 100545%
Suspension rate2.8% (13 of 459)545%

Index is where the school's value sits among the California middle schools we score, from 0 to 100, where 50 is their average; it is not a percentile. School values are from 2025–26. Chronic absence and suspension are CDE's all-students school rates; the score uses an adjusted version of each that pulls small schools toward the average, so their index can sit nearer 50 than the rate suggests. Growth is the change between the school's earlier and later grade-level groups, in scale-score points; it does not follow the same students. The weights above add to 95%: English learners reaching the top level of the state’s English test has no value for this school, so its 5% weight is shared out among the measures above.

Scope Score by year2018–19 to 2025–26 · each year’s inputs, and the score for each year we could verify

Scope Score

School yearScope ScorePercentileRankComparison group
2025–267969#762California middle schools · 2,529 schools · current formula

2018–19, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24 and 2024–25 have records on file but no Scope Score we could verify against that year’s source files, so no score is shown for them.

School yearChronic absenceSuspensionGrade gap (points)
2018–1911 in 1004.9% (22 of 450)+13
2021–22not on filenot on file+13
2022–23not on filenot on file+20
2023–2419 in 1004.2% (18 of 429)+2
2024–2519 in 1006.4% (29 of 454)−8
2025–2615 in 1002.8% (13 of 459)+21

Chronic absence and suspension are CDE’s all-students school rates for each year.

Grade gap: the same year’s grade 6 and grade 8 results, side by side. They are different children, so the gap describes one year, not any child’s progress. The Scope Score’s growth measure is a different comparison, shown in Score factors above (how it’s built).
No 2019–20 or 2020–21 records in this SchoolScope series
Every tested year2017–2026 · rates, tested counts, and each grade

English and math by test year · all tested grades

Year · subjectStudents with scoresTop levelTop two levels
2026 · English41016%49%
2026 · Math41018%39%
2025 · English38817%52%
2025 · Math38815%36%
2024 · English39113%50%
2024 · Math39114%34%
2023 · English36917%49%
2023 · Math36616%35%
2022 · English36114%47%
2022 · Math36012%37%
2019 · English40214%46%
2019 · Math40417%44%
2018 · English3808%46%
2018 · Math38214%43%
2017 · English38510%47%
2017 · Math38312%35%

Each year names its school year end (2026 = 2025–26). “Students with scores” counts each subject on its own, so don’t add the English and math counts together. A dash is unavailable, not zero.

Earlier years · grade and subject

Year · grade · subjectStudents with scoresMet or exceeded
2025 · Grade 5 · English10654%
2025 · Grade 6 · English9348%
2025 · Grade 7 · English11057%
2025 · Grade 8 · English7946%
2025 · Grade 5 · Math10627%
2025 · Grade 6 · Math9342%
2025 · Grade 7 · Math11044%
2025 · Grade 8 · Math7929%
2024 · Grade 5 · English9749%
2024 · Grade 6 · English11553%
2024 · Grade 7 · English8746%
2024 · Grade 8 · English9251%
2024 · Grade 5 · Math9731%
2024 · Grade 6 · Math11531%
2024 · Grade 7 · Math8737%
2024 · Grade 8 · Math9238%
2023 · Grade 5 · English11653%
2023 · Grade 6 · English8136%
2023 · Grade 7 · English9353%
2023 · Grade 8 · English7952%
2023 · Grade 5 · Math11433%
2023 · Grade 6 · Math8121%
2023 · Grade 7 · Math9240%
2023 · Grade 8 · Math7946%
2022 · Grade 5 · English7443%
2022 · Grade 6 · English9643%
2022 · Grade 7 · English8452%
2022 · Grade 8 · English10750%
2022 · Grade 5 · Math7420%
2022 · Grade 6 · Math9527%
2022 · Grade 7 · Math8454%
2022 · Grade 8 · Math10745%
2019 · Grade 5 · English12452%
2019 · Grade 6 · English8328%
2019 · Grade 7 · English10261%
2019 · Grade 8 · English9339%
2019 · Grade 5 · Math12438%
2019 · Grade 6 · Math8432%
2019 · Grade 7 · Math10358%
2019 · Grade 8 · Math9347%
2018 · Grade 5 · English9743%
2018 · Grade 6 · English10147%
2018 · Grade 7 · English8644%
2018 · Grade 8 · English9651%
2018 · Grade 5 · Math9831%
2018 · Grade 6 · Math10141%
2018 · Grade 7 · Math8748%
2018 · Grade 8 · Math9654%
2017 · Grade 5 · English10042%
2017 · Grade 6 · English8933%
2017 · Grade 7 · English10157%
2017 · Grade 8 · English9554%
2017 · Grade 5 · Math9926%
2017 · Grade 6 · Math8933%
2017 · Grade 7 · Math10044%
2017 · Grade 8 · Math9536%

Current 2025–26 grade results are under Academic achievement, in Results for each grade. “Students with scores” counts the students tested in that grade, subject and year. A missing result is not zero, and each year’s row is a different group of children.

Science (CAST)schoolwide · spring 2026
Science (CAST)TestedAdvancedProficientDeveloping levelMinimal
Schoolwide2136%18%66%11%

CAST is tested in grades 5 and 8, then once in grade 10, 11, or 12. This row is the school's all-student aggregate. Not part of the Scope Score.

Student groups: test resultsEnglish · spring 2026 · against the same group in the district and California
Group · EnglishTestedProficient or Advancedvs districtvs California
Low-income22038%0−1
White27151%0−11
Hispanic or Latino8446%0+7
Student groups: the state’s growth measureCalifornia School Dashboard 2025 · points above or below what the state expected · shown, not part of the score
GroupEnglishnCDE categoryMathnCDE category
All students+2365Average−1365Average
English-only students+2347not categorized−3347not categorized
White+4235Average−3235Average
Low-income−1188Average−5188Average
Hispanic or Latino−277Average+877Accelerated
Students with disabilities−157Average−1957Moderate
American Indian or Alaska Native−1120Moderate−1720Moderate
Two or more races−619Moderate+219Average
English learners+114Average+2514Exceptional

CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score — not a percentage or percentile. The table keeps the group records SchoolScope imported for this school, including rows below our narrative display threshold. Muted rows have fewer than 30 students with a valid growth score. SchoolScope uses that threshold for the shorter narrative view; the reported values stay visible here. “Not categorized” means this imported CDE row has a growth value without a performance category. At least one estimate here is a CDE weighted estimate; that describes how CDE combines years, not a year-over-year trend. A group absent from this table has no imported record shown here. Its absence alone does not establish its size or performance. CDE growth covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 5–8. SchoolScope does not use these CDE figures in its Scope Score.

Growth recordsthe state’s student-by-student measure, and grade 8 against the same school’s grade 6 two years earlier, partly different children · two different measures

Grade 8 in 2026 against grade 6 in 2024 · English

English · 2024 · Grade 6
10%
exceeded standard · 53% met or exceeded
CDE CAASPP 2024 · 115 English test records with scores
English · 2026 · Grade 8
17%
Advanced · 52% Proficient or Advanced
CDE CAASPP 2026 · 105 English test records with scores

Minimum rounded subject-mean records with scores at the endpoints: 105 (school-grade cohort proxy).

These paired percentages describe English results for grade groups at this school in two years. The groups are not matched students. SchoolScope's scored growth measure uses a different school-level scale-score proxy across English and math; California's matched-student model is a separate measure.

California growth model · points vs expected

State model · English+2 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 5–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 5–8

365 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, English: +2 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, against SchoolScope's −2-point median for California middle school records.

State model · math−1 pts vs expected

matched students, grades 5–8

CDE California growth model · 2025 Dashboard

Weighted school estimate; assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25

All students, grades 5–8

365 students

CDE growth category: Average

California growth model, math: −1 scale-score points versus the state's expectation, CDE category Average, against SchoolScope's −3-point median for California middle school records.

Source notes. CDE reports scale-score points against the state’s expected score for matched students, never a percentage. Among SchoolScope's retained California middle school records, the median English estimate is −2 and the middle half fall between −10 and +5 scale-score points — the spread is wide, so read the figure against it, not its sign alone. CDE's 2025 Dashboard weighted school estimate uses assessments from 2022–23, 2023–24, and 2024–25; adjacent reporting editions should not be read as independent annual changes. The CDE measure covers grades 4–8; here that is grades 5–8, and it is not part of the Scope Score.

Attendance and suspensionsState records · this school and each student group · 2018–19 and 2025–26

CDE’s all-students school rates for 2024–25 and 2025–26; the change is the difference between the two rates as printed.

Year-over-year school rates
Chronic absenteeism2024–25 · 19 in 100 → 2025–26 · 15 in 100 · −4 in 100
Suspension rate2024–25 · 6.4% (29 of 454) → 2025–26 · 2.8% (13 of 459) · −3.6 percentage points
Group2018–192025–26Change
Female11 in 10018 in 100+7 in 100
Male12 in 10012 in 1000 in 100
Hispanic or Latino7 of 6212 of 88—
American Indian or Alaska Native2 of 157 of 28—
Two or more races2 of 182 of 21—
White12 in 10015 in 100+3 in 100
Students with disabilities14 of 7012 of 63—
English learners2 of 111 of 11—
Low-income16 in 10020 in 100+4 in 100
All students11 in 10015 in 100+4 in 100

Two reported school years only; no intervening-year result is implied. Where fewer than 100 students were counted, the cell shows the count and no change is printed. Source: CDE school-level chronic absenteeism by student group.

Fundingschool and district spending, from state and federal finance records · each row names its fiscal year and measure

Per-pupil spending

District · current expense$11,567 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · fall district membership: 947 pupils

California · selected district mean$14,491 per pupil

NCES F-33 · FY 2020–21 (2021) · SchoolScope’s unweighted mean across 818 selected California district finance records

School-level federal expenditures$207 per pupil

CDE ESSA · school-attributed per-pupil record · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 419

Central federal expenditures attributed here$7 per pupil

CDE ESSA · central expenditures attributed to this school · FY 2024–25 (2025) · source denominator: 419

District current expense · FY 2024–25$16,243 per ADA

CDE SACS Current Expense of Education · district fiscal year ending 2025 · average daily attendance denominator

These figures are not directly comparable: school ESSA attributed spending and NCES district current expense use different measures and populations. Their fiscal years are labeled above.

How the California mean was selected

SchoolScope starts with its selected California finance records, not every NCES California district. For FY 2020–21, it calculates an unweighted mean of NCES F-33 current expense per pupil. District records contribute once, regardless of enrollment. The calculation keeps records with positive per-pupil current expense, enrollment over 100, CCD agency type 1, and a recorded district name; it excludes names ending in County Office of Education, Department of Education, or Superintendent of Schools. This is a SchoolScope calculation, not a state-published spending average.

Selected General Fund operating costs · FY 2024–⁠25 · SchoolScope calculation
Instruction 60%Instruction support 9%Student services 10%Administration 8%Buildings & maintenance 9%Other 4%
The arithmetic behind these shares · FY 2024–25
GroupDollarsShare, to two decimalsPrinted
Instruction$8,191,89259.98%60%
Instruction support$1,266,1969.27%9%
Student services$1,367,77410.02%10%
Administration$1,076,2987.88%8%
Buildings & maintenance$1,213,2118.88%9%
Other$541,5573.97%4%
Total$13,656,928100.00%100%

These shares are our arithmetic: each group’s dollars divided by the $13,656,928 total of the groups shown, rounded to whole percents by largest remainder so they add up to 100. Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar, so they can differ from the total by a dollar. SchoolScope groups district-level CDE SACS UserGL actuals from Fund 01, using operating objects 1000–5999 and excluding retiree benefits, food and community services, facilities acquisition, other outgo, and nonagency goals. These shares use that filtered total; they do not exactly break down CDE's official current expense per ADA above. The school-level ESSA figure uses a separate source.

NCES F-33 district fiscal-year history, 2017–⁠2021; latest district record shown: 2021
2021$11,567 per pupil
2020$11,688 per pupil
2019$11,968 per pupil
2018$10,560 per pupil
2017$10,654 per pupil
Staffing recordsstate teacher credential-and-placement and district salary records · each for its own year

Additional workforce records

Properly assigned intern credential holders0.0%

CDE 2024–25 SARC, Teacher Preparation and Placement table; measured school year 2021–22. Share of reported school teaching-position full-time equivalents assigned to properly assigned intern credential holders. A reported 0.0% is shown; unavailable rates are omitted. This is a position share, not a count of current teachers or of emergency permits.

The surrounding ZIP codeCensus Bureau survey, 2020–2024 · ZIP 96022 · not the school’s students
American Community Survey 5-year estimates · 2020–2024 · ZIP 96022 area
MeasureEstimate
Median household income$89,338
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)22%
ZIP-area population17,092
Median age41.8 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2020–2024 5-year estimates. Median household income covers the past 12 months and is reported in 2024 inflation-adjusted dollars. Bachelor's degree or higher uses adults age 25 and over as its population. A dash is unavailable, not zero; a reported zero remains zero. ZIP-area figures do not establish the school's attendance area or describe its enrolled students. These figures are not part of the Scope Score. See all schools in ZIP code 96022 →

Downloads, embed and methodologyCSV · embed code · sources · corrections

Embed this scorecard

<iframe
  src="https://schoolscope.co/embed/school/west-cottonwood-junior-high-0207"
  width="100%" height="210" loading="lazy"
  style="border:0;border-radius:12px"
  title="West Cottonwood Junior High — SchoolScope scorecard">
</iframe>

Free to embed with the credit link. Data updates automatically.

Data sources: public data sources, including the California Department of Education · state tests (CAASPP) 2025–26 · Scope Score from 2025–26 results, compared across 2,529 middle schools · attendance and suspensions by student group from 2018–19 and 2025–26 · district finance for the year each row names · Census survey (ACS) 2020–2024 · Data updated October 15, 2026