Pasadena Unified: Pasadena Unified schools score 2.5 points below the state average. The trajectory from grade 3 to 5 falls 8.3 points.
Pasadena Unified has 28 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 42.3/100 — 2.5 points below the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Field (Eugene) Elementary at 74/100, where 52.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $15,197 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 3 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 26.7%, above the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Developing 42.1/100 | 22 | 21.4% | 25.4% |
| Middle | Developing 44.7/100 | 3 | 19.5% | 22.6% |
| High | Developing 41.5/100 | 3 | 10.7% | 40.0% |
Pasadena Unified's middle schools average 44.7/100 — 2.0 points above the state average with a −3.3pp declining trajectory.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Pasadena Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Pasadena Unified has 28 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 42.3/100 — 2.5 points below the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Pasadena Unified's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 44.7.
District-wide elementary growth averages -8.3pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 57.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 26.7%, 8.8pp above the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.9%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Field (Eugene) Elementary leads the district at 74 with 52.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Pasadena Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Pasadena Unified are classified as Growth Engine (3) 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
Pasadena Unified spends $15,197 per student in current expenditures — $382 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 Pasadena Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (22)
Pasadena Unified has 22 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 42.1 — 2.7 points below the state average of 44.8. 1 of 22 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -8.3pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Field (Eugene) Elementary with a Scope Score of 74 and 52.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Field (Eugene) Elementary Pasadena Unified High Ceiling | 52.5% | Strong 74/100 |
| 2 | Sierra Madre Elementary Pasadena Unified Strong All-Around | 43.0% | Solid 67/100 |
| 3 | OCS - South Pasadena Unified Growth Engine | 35.9% | Solid 58/100 |
| 4 | Willard Elementary Pasadena Unified Growth Engine | 25.3% | Solid 58/100 |
| 5 | Aveson School of Leaders Pasadena Unified Growth Engine | 24.4% | Solid 56/100 |
| 6 | Hamilton Elementary Pasadena Unified Culture First | 40.8% | Solid 54/100 |
| 7 | Don Benito Fundamental Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 28.2% | Developing 48/100 |
| 8 | Washington Elementary STEM Magnet Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 14.0% | Developing 46/100 |
| 9 | San Rafael Elementary Pasadena Unified Culture First | 26.3% | Developing 45/100 |
| 10 | Altadena Elementary Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 23.1% | Developing 42/100 |
| 11 | Marshall Fundamental Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 19.5% | Developing 40/100 |
| 12 | Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementa Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 19.8% | Developing 40/100 |
| 13 | Blair High Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 12.9% | Developing 40/100 |
| 14 | Norma Coombs Elementary Pasadena Unified On the Rise | 17.6% | Developing 39/100 |
| 15 | Webster Elementary Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 16.7% | Developing 37/100 |
| 16 | Longfellow (Henry W.) Elementary Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 17.9% | Developing 37/100 |
| 17 | Aveson Global Leadership Academy Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 17.1% | Developing 35/100 |
| 18 | Madison Elementary Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 5.8% | Needs Support 26/100 |
| 19 | McKinley Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 8.8% | Needs Support 25/100 |
| 20 | Learning Works Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 0.0% | Needs Support 24/100 |
| 21 | Pasadena Rosebud Academy Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 8.3% | Needs Support 18/100 |
| 22 | CIS Academy Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 13.1% | Needs Support 16/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
Pasadena Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 44.7 — 2.0 points above the state average of 42.6.
Growth averages -3.3pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring middle school is Sierra Madre Middle with a Scope Score of 67 and 37.8% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra Madre Middle Pasadena Unified Strong All-Around | 37.8% | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | Octavia E. Butler Magnet Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 13.2% | Developing 36/100 |
| 3 | Charles W. Eliot Middle Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 7.3% | Developing 31/100 |
High Schools (3)
Pasadena Unified has 3 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 41.5 — 2.2 points below the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Pasadena High with a Scope Score of 59 and 18.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pasadena High Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 18.5% | Solid 59/100 |
| 2 | John Muir High Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 12.2% | Developing 46/100 |
| 3 | Rose City High (Continuation) Pasadena Unified Building Momentum | 1.5% | 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