Madera Unified: Madera Unified schools score 10.9 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 6.8 points.
Madera Unified has 28 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 33.9/100 — 10.9 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Sherman Thomas STEM Academy at 91/100, where 49.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $14,158 per student (below the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 23.4%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 30.4/100 | 21 | 8.0% | 20.5% |
| Middle | Strong 91.3/100 | 1 | 49.5% | 3.1% |
| High | Developing 36.7/100 | 6 | 8.7% | 36.7% |
Madera Unified's middle schools average 91.3/100 — 48.7 points above the state average with +18.3pp grade-to-grade growth.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Madera Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Madera Unified has 28 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 33.9/100 — 10.9 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Madera Unified's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 91.3.
District-wide elementary growth averages -6.8pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 80.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 23.4%, 5.5pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 2.8%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Sherman Thomas STEM Academy leads the district at 91 with 49.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Madera Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Madera Unified are classified as On the Rise (3) or Growth Engine — 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
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Madera Unified spends $14,158 per student in current expenditures — $657 below the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Madera Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (21)
Madera Unified has 21 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 30.4 — 14.4 points below the state average of 44.8.
Growth averages -6.8pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Dixieland Elementary with a Scope Score of 43 and 8.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dixieland Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 8.1% | Developing 43/100 |
| 2 | John J. Pershing Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 10.0% | Developing 39/100 |
| 3 | Berenda Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 8.8% | Developing 38/100 |
| 4 | Sherman Thomas Charter Madera Unified Building Momentum | 11.1% | Developing 36/100 |
| 5 | Lincoln Elementary Madera Unified On the Rise | 9.9% | Developing 35/100 |
| 6 | John Adams Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 12.1% | Developing 35/100 |
| 7 | Howard Elementary Madera Unified On the Rise | 6.5% | Developing 34/100 |
| 8 | George Washington Elementary Madera Unified On the Rise | 3.8% | Developing 34/100 |
| 9 | Parkwood Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 12.0% | Developing 33/100 |
| 10 | James Madison Elementary Madera Unified Culture First | 7.8% | Developing 33/100 |
| 11 | Alpha Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 11.1% | Developing 32/100 |
| 12 | Ezequiel Tafoya Alvarado Academy Madera Unified Building Momentum | 8.8% | Developing 31/100 |
| 13 | Virginia Lee Rose Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 7.4% | Needs Support 29/100 |
| 14 | Duane E. Furman Independent Study Madera Unified Building Momentum | 4.5% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 15 | James Monroe Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 9.8% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 16 | Sierra Vista Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 2.4% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 17 | Cesar Chavez Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 9.7% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 18 | Millview Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 10.1% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 19 | Nishimoto Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 7.7% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 20 | La Vina Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 2.2% | Needs Support 21/100 |
| 21 | Eastin Arcola Elementary Madera Unified Building Momentum | 4.2% | Needs Support 11/100 |
Middle Schools (1)
Madera Unified has 1 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 91.3 — 48.7 points above the state average of 42.6. 1 of 1 middle schools have Scope Scores above 90.
Grade-to-grade growth averages +18.3pp — schools are adding value beyond what students arrive with.
The highest-scoring middle school is Sherman Thomas STEM Academy with a Scope Score of 91 and 49.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sherman Thomas STEM Academy Madera Unified Growth Engine | 49.5% | Strong 91/100 |
High Schools (6)
Madera Unified has 6 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 36.7 — 7.0 points below the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Sherman Thomas Charter High with a Scope Score of 48 and 16.7% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sherman Thomas Charter High Madera Unified Building Momentum | 16.7% | Developing 48/100 |
| 2 | Matilda Torres High Madera Unified Building Momentum | 10.7% | Developing 47/100 |
| 3 | Madera High Madera Unified Building Momentum | 14.5% | Developing 45/100 |
| 4 | Madera South High Madera Unified Building Momentum | 9.0% | Developing 40/100 |
| 5 | Mountain Vista High Madera Unified Building Momentum | 1.4% | Needs Support 21/100 |
| 6 | Ripperdan Community Day Madera Unified Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 19/100 |
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.
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 resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology