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School Profile · Palmdale

Yellen Learning Center: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.

Yellen Learning Center posts low test scores — and test scores are one lens among several. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.

37015 Goldenview Way, 93552 (opens in new tab)·Palmdale Elementary·Palmdale·Grades K-8·58 students·86% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 456-1600·Website
Scope Score
15
🌱 Building Momentum · Needs Support
ranked #2,202 statewide · #12 of 13 in Palmdale Elementary

Yellen Learning Center scores 15 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 2nd 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 “3% proficient” and call it done. Yellen Learning Center deserves a closer read. The school sits in Palmdale, where four 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.

The 5 things our score weighs

Exceeded standard
0.0%
State 16.8%
16.8pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
-6.1pp
State +1.5pp
Scores decline across grades
Met or exceeded
3.0%
State 39.3%
36.3pp below state avg
Chronic absenteeism
41.4%
State 18.5%
22.9pp above state avg
Suspension rate
15.2%
State 3.7%
11.5pp 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
Elementary
Yellen Learning Center
15/100
This school

Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.

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.

The community around it

Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope Score

Student demographics

Hispanic32.8%
White5.2%
Black62.1%
GenderFemale 15.5%Male 84.5%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 86.2% (22pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
58
562 below CA avg (~620)
Transitional Kindergarten
No TK reported, 2025-26
California requires the district to offer TK, but not every site has a room — ask the district which campuses do.
Student-Teacher Ratio
6:1
15 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$119,687
District avg: $15,361 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
Teacher Salary Range
$58,752 – $131,333
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Yellen Learning Center in Palmdale, 0.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Yellen Learning Center trails its district average for low-income students by 27.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Disabilities students (2.9% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 33 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+20.1pp
61.5% vs 41.4% overall · n=52
Suspension · Black+14.4pp
29.6% vs 15.2% overall · n=54

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

Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income33 tested
ELA 0.0%·Math 0.0%· -27.8pp vs district
Disabilities35 tested
ELA 2.9%·Math 3.1%· -4.5pp vs district
Black24 tested
ELA 4.2%· -13.0pp 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.

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

Funding Breakdown
Instruction 55%Support 40%Other 5%

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

Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$86K
$954 above CA median
Median Home Value
$451K
$208K below CA median
Bachelor's+
13%
22pp 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
11.8 years avg experience
12 teachers
Teacher Credentials
97% fully credentialed

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 Yellen Learning Center a good middle school?
Yellen Learning Center has a Scope Score of 15 out of 100, placing it in the 2nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #2,202 statewide. 0.0% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 16.8 percentage points below 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 Yellen Learning Center's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 3.0% of students at Yellen Learning Center met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 0.0% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 3.0% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 0.0% 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. 65 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Yellen Learning Center rank in California?
Yellen Learning Center ranks #2,202 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 2nd 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 Yellen Learning Center getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Yellen Learning Center decreases by 6.1 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 Yellen Learning Center?
41.4% of students at Yellen Learning Center are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 15.2%. 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 Yellen Learning Center compare to other schools in Palmdale?
Yellen Learning Center scores 15/100 (2nd 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 58 students. Use the schools in Palmdale page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Yellen Learning Center serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Yellen Learning Center in Palmdale, 0.0% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 27.8% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Yellen Learning Center trails its district average for low-income students by 27.8 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (0.0% Math proficient); Disabilities students (2.9% ELA proficient). Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 33 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%
0.0%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 31th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 27%
-6.1pp
↓ vs CA +1.5pp · 40th pctile
Met or exceeded · 20%
3.0%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 21th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
41.4%
↓ vs CA 18.5% · 18th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
15.2%
↓ vs CA 3.7% · 4th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34
Grade 48
Grade 59
Grade 6170%6%6%88%6%−41
Grade 76
Grade 8170%0%24%76%0%−46
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 34
Grade 47
Grade 59
Grade 6160%6%0%94%6%−29
Grade 75
Grade 8150%0%0%100%0%−32
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/11250%0%28%72%

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 Disadvantaged330.0%−28−38
Students with Disabilities352.9%−5−14
Black/African American244.2%−13−29
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
Yellen Learning Center ←150.0%3.0%−6.115.2%
Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet Academy1.1 mi276.4%23.4%−3.912.2%
Cactus Medical, Health and Technology Magnet Acade1.9 mi235.4%18.8%+1.814.9%
California average4316.8%39.3%+1.53.7%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
4%15%'19'22'23'24'25
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #2003 → #2100 → #2176 → #2162 → #2202
What we can't show
  • — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
  • — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 38 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue