Elementary Schools in Gardena, California: Gardena schools average 3.1 points above the state — but the range is 33.3 points wide.
Gardena, California has 9 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 42.0/100 — 3.1 points above the state average of 38.9. The highest-scoring school is One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary at 60/100, where 41.3% of students exceed the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment. Gardena schools average 22.0% exceeded standard (state: 21.4%) — this exceeded-vs-met distinction shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. Chronic absenteeism averages 19.2% (near the state average of 17.9%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Start with your child’s school level
The overview describes elementary schools. The lists below separate elementary, middle and high schools, so each school’s standing stays within its own comparison group. Open a profile to see the underlying results, student support and questions to ask on a visit.
Every school in Gardena
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP · levels never mixed
Elementary Schools (9)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 41.3% | 87th percentile · StrongScope Score 60/100 |
| 2 | Chapman Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 34.2% | 81st percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100 |
| 3 | Denker Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 25.5% | 65th percentile · SolidScope Score 43/100 |
| 4 | One Hundred Thirty-Fifth Street Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 16.3% | 63rd percentile · SolidScope Score 42/100 |
| 5 | One Hundred Eighty-Sixth Street Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 19.5% | 61st percentile · SolidScope Score 41/100 |
| 6 | Amestoy Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 23.6% | 57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100 |
| 7 | Gardena Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 11.7% | 57th percentile · SolidScope Score 38/100 |
| 8 | One Hundred Fifty-Third Street Los Angeles Unified | 12.5% | 47th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 35/100 |
| 9 | Purche Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Unified | 13.6% | 26th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 27/100 |
Middle Schools (2)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Charter Middle - Gardena Los Angeles County Office of Education | 12.4% | 57th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100 |
| 2 | Robert E. Peary Middle Los Angeles Unified | 9.9% | 41st percentile · DevelopingScope Score 32/100 |
High Schools (4)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Charter High - Gardena Los Angeles County Office of Education | 15.6% | 51st percentile · SolidScope Score 53/100 |
| 2 | Gardena Senior High Los Angeles Unified | 13.5% | 32nd percentile · DevelopingScope Score 47/100 |
| 3 | New Millennium Secondary Los Angeles Unified | 5.0% | 11th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 39/100 |
| 4 | Moneta Continuation Los Angeles Unified continuation high school | 0.0% | 12th percentile · Needs SupportWithin its own school classScope Score 15/100 |
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Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.
Elementary school archetypes in Gardena
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Gardena are classified as On the Rise (4) — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Private Schools in Gardena
Private schools don't participate in California's standardized testing (CAASPP) and cannot be scored or ranked. Showing enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and affiliation where available.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how school zones and enrollment boundaries affect access. Full methodology