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School Profile · Willows

Willows Intermediate: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Willows Intermediate 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.

1145 West Cedar Street, 95988 (opens in new tab)·Willows Unified·Willows·Grades 5-8·464 students·73% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(530) 934-6633·Website
Scope Score
30
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #1,736 statewide

Willows Intermediate scores 30 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 22nd 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 →

Most rating sites would stop at “25% proficient” and call it done. Willows Intermediate deserves a closer read. The school sits in Willows, where two-thirds of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 34.0% of English learners reached the top ELPAC level, versus 18.0% statewide.

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.

27%
66%
Grade 6 · 34% proficient
11%
22%
67%
Grade 7 · 33% proficient
20%
77%
Grade 8 · 23% proficient

The 6 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
7.2%
State 16.8%
9.7pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-18.2pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
25.3%
State 39.3%
14.0pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
13.4%
State 18.5%
5.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
4.5%
State 3.7%
0.8pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
34.0%
State 18.0%
16.0pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

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.

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.

Your other options

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic50.2%
White39.0%
Asian3.7%
Black0.9%
Other6.3%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 72.6% (9pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
464
396 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,959
District avg: $12,135 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
34.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$57,814 – $122,608
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Willows Intermediate in Willows, 24.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willows Intermediate outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (18.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 23.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 353 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+8.0pp
21.4% vs 13.4% overall · n=70
Suspension · Disabilities+5.4pp
9.9% vs 4.5% overall · n=71
ELA · English Learner−23.5pp
4.8% vs 28.3% overall · n=103
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−7.2pp
0.0% vs 7.2% overall · n=103
Math · Disabilities−17.5pp
2.2% vs 19.7% overall · n=47
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−7.6pp
0.0% vs 7.6% overall · n=47

Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income353 tested
ELA 24.6%·Math 17.8%· +1.6pp vs district
Hispanic234 tested
ELA 18.8%·Math 11.5%· +0.9pp vs district
White175 tested
ELA 40.0%·Math 29.7%· +1.6pp vs district

Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.

Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.

Low-income student ELA proficiency falls by 11.6pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -11.6pp.

Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 57%Support 38%Other 5%

Source: NCES F-33 (2019–2020) · Full district breakdown →

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$66K
$19K below CA median
Median Home Value
$297K
$362K below CA median
Bachelor's+
16%
19pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
12.7 years avg experience
29 teachers · 14% first-year · 14% second-year
Teacher Credentials
83% fully credentialed
6.0% on intern/emergency permit

Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25

Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →

Frequently asked questions

Is Willows Intermediate a good middle school?
Willows Intermediate has a Scope Score of 30 out of 100, placing it in the 22nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,736 statewide. 7.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 9.7 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Willows Intermediate's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 25.3% of students at Willows Intermediate met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 7.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 18.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 7.2% 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. 654 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Willows Intermediate rank in California?
Willows Intermediate ranks #1,736 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 22nd 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 Willows Intermediate getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Willows Intermediate decreases by 18.2 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 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 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 Willows Intermediate?
13.4% of students at Willows 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 4.5%. 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 Willows Intermediate compare to other schools in Willows?
Willows Intermediate scores 30/100 (22nd 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 464 students. Use the schools in Willows page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Willows Intermediate serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Willows Intermediate in Willows, 24.6% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 23.1% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Willows Intermediate outperforms its district average for low-income students by 1.6 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (17.8% Math proficient); Hispanic students (18.8% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 23.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 353 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.

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%
7.2%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 39th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-18.2pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 34th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
25.3%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 39th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
13.4%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 57th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
4.5%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 47th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
34.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 67th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 51299%16%23%53%24%−24
Grade 61017%27%30%37%34%−13
Grade 711311%22%33%35%33%−15
Grade 81133%20%28%49%23%−23
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 51298%9%29%54%17%−18
Grade 610114%21%19%47%35%−0
Grade 71135%13%38%43%19%−15
Grade 81134%5%21%70%9%−23
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/112425%14%60%20%

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 Disadvantaged35324.6%+2−14
Hispanic/Latino23418.8%+1−20
White17540.0%+2−22
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Willows Intermediate ←307.2%25.3%−18.24.5%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
28%30%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1575 → #1929 → #1780 → #1775 → #1736
What we can't show
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 14 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue