Each level is scored on its own scale — elementary, middle, and high are never ranked against each other.
The elementary years
30 points separate El Sol Santa Ana Science and Arts Academy (46) from Franklin Elementary (17) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
38 elementary schools span 30 points around an average of 28.7.
1 of the 34 elementary schools with measurable cohort evidence rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more, grade to grade, than at most schools statewide.
16 of 38 elementary schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The middle years
35 points separate Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate (47) from Willard Intermediate (12) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
35 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 6 middle schools — the average hides more than it tells.
2 of the 6 middle schools with measurable cohort evidence rank as Growth Engines — returning cohorts gaining more, grade to grade, than at most schools statewide.
4 of 6 middle schools sit in the Needs Support band — which campus you're zoned for carries real weight here.
The high school years
48 points separate Middle College High (67) from Lorin Griset Academy (19) — at this level, which school matters more than which district.
48 points separate the strongest and weakest of these 10 high schools — the average hides more than it tells.
2 continuation/alternative schools not plotted — they rank within their own class, not on this statewide axis.
Middle College High (67/100) holds the Strong band — 43.9% of its students exceed the state standard, against a level average of 12.2%. 1 school classifies as Strong All-Around — no weak dimension we measure.
31.2% of students are chronically absent (state: 23.1%) — chronic means missing 10% or more of the school year. Whatever the scores say, ask each school what it is doing about attendance.
What it means for your family
Compare schools at your child’s level before deciding on an address. The strongest attendance-zone candidate is John Muir Fundamental Elementary at 45/100 — confirm the exact boundary with the district before the house.
5 of the 54 ranked schools are charters — enrollment paths that don't depend on your address. If your zoned school sits low in the appendix below, those lotteries and applications are the levers worth the paperwork.
A band is a position, not a prophecy — 14 campuses here rank as On the Rise (11) or Growth Engine (3), their returning cohorts gaining more than most schools statewide. Ask your school two questions: what happens for a kid who arrives behind, and what the classroom looks like for one who arrives ahead.
The strongest-scoring run through the district:
El Sol Santa Ana Science and Arts Academy 71st percentile · SolidScope Score 46/100Douglas MacArthur Fundamental Intermediate 74th percentile · SolidScope Score 47/100Middle College High 84th percentile · StrongScope Score 67/100
Top scorers at each level — not necessarily one zoned sequence. Confirm feeder patterns and enrollment zones with the district, and visit before you decide.
What this page can't see: whether a campus feels safe and glad at 8 a.m. If a path above looks workable, the next step is a visit.