Orange County Department of Education: Orange County Department of Education schools score within 0.0 points of the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 3.6 points.
Orange County Department of Education has 24 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 44.8/100 — within 0.0 points of the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is International School for Science and Culture at 89/100, where 62.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $70,768 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.7%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 44.0/100 | 17 | 22.5% | 16.7% |
| Middle | Solid 51.2/100 | 2 | 27.6% | 12.9% |
| High | Developing 45.1/100 | 5 | 16.0% | 27.9% |
Orange County Department of Education's middle schools average 51.2/100 — 8.6 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Orange County Department of Education, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Orange County Department of Education has 24 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 44.8/100 — within 0.0 points of the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Orange County Department of Education's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 51.2.
District-wide elementary growth averages -3.6pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 79.1 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 18.7%, 0.8pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.0%, near the state average of 1.6%.
International School for Science and Culture leads the district at 89 with 62.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Orange County Department of Education
Hidden gems: 2 schools in Orange County Department of Education are classified as Growth Engine or On the Rise — 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
Orange County Department of Education spends $70,768 per student in current expenditures — $55,954 above 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 Orange County Department of Education
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (17)
Orange County Department of Education has 17 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 44.0 — within 0.8 points of the state average of 44.8. 2 of 17 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -3.6pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is International School for Science and Culture with a Scope Score of 89 and 62.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International School for Science and Culture Orange County Department of Education High Ceiling | 62.5% | Strong 89/100 |
| 2 | Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley Orange County Department of Education High Ceiling | 53.1% | Strong 78/100 |
| 3 | Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts Orange County Department of Education Growth Engine | 38.7% | Solid 62/100 |
| 4 | Orange County Classical Academy Orange County Department of Education Solid Base | 41.6% | Solid 60/100 |
| 5 | Irvine International Academy Orange County Department of Education Solid Base | 48.3% | Solid 58/100 |
| 6 | California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 29.2% | Solid 55/100 |
| 7 | Scholarship Prep - Orange County Orange County Department of Education On the Rise | 18.3% | Developing 46/100 |
| 8 | Citrus Springs Charter Orange County Department of Education Culture First | 19.0% | Developing 46/100 |
| 9 | Suncoast Preparatory Academy Orange County Department of Education Culture First | 15.7% | Developing 44/100 |
| 10 | OCCS:CHEP/PCHS Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 12.5% | Developing 41/100 |
| 11 | Epic California Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 16.3% | Developing 40/100 |
| 12 | Vista Condor Global Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 7.5% | Developing 38/100 |
| 13 | Explore Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 8.8% | Needs Support 28/100 |
| 14 | Tomorrow's Leadership Collaborative (TLC) Charter Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 8.1% | Needs Support 22/100 |
| 15 | ACCESS County Community Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 1.7% | Needs Support 18/100 |
| 16 | ACCESS Juvenile Hall Orange County Department of Education Culture First | 0.8% | Needs Support 12/100 |
| 17 | Orange County Special Education Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 10/100 |
Middle Schools (2)
Orange County Department of Education has 2 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 51.2 — 8.6 points above the state average of 42.6. 1 of 2 middle schools score above 70.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.8pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle with a Scope Score of 70 and 47.7% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oxford Preparatory Academy - Middle Orange County Department of Education Strong All-Around | 47.7% | Strong 70/100 |
| 2 | Vista Heritage Global Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 7.5% | Developing 32/100 |
High Schools (5)
Orange County Department of Education has 5 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 45.1 — within 1.4 points of the state average of 43.7. 1 of 5 high schools score above 70.
The highest-scoring high school is OCSA with a Scope Score of 80 and 48.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OCSA Orange County Department of Education Strong All-Around | 48.1% | Strong 80/100 |
| 2 | Samueli Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 15.6% | Developing 47/100 |
| 3 | Ednovate - Legacy College Prep. Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 12.6% | Developing 44/100 |
| 4 | Orange County Workforce Innovation High Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 3.0% | Needs Support 27/100 |
| 5 | Vista Meridian Global Academy Orange County Department of Education Building Momentum | 0.9% | Needs Support 27/100 |
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