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.
How Gardena schools compare
Gardena has 9 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 42.0/100 — 3.1 points above the state average of 38.9 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
The top-ranked school is One Hundred Fifty-Sixth Street Elementary with a Scope Score of 60 and 41.3% of students exceeding standard.
Chronic absenteeism in Gardena averages 19.2% — near the state average of 17.9%.
How we score · Weighted composite of test performance, growth, and school climate · Full weights on the methodology page
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
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 Strong All-Around | 41.3% | Strong 60/100 |
| 2 | Chapman Elementary Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 34.2% | Strong 54/100 |
| 3 | Denker Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 25.5% | Solid 43/100 |
| 4 | One Hundred Thirty-Fifth Street Elementary Los Angeles Unified On the Rise | 16.3% | Solid 42/100 |
| 5 | One Hundred Eighty-Sixth Street Elementary Los Angeles Unified On the Rise | 19.5% | Solid 41/100 |
| 6 | Amestoy Elementary Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 23.6% | Solid 39/100 |
| 7 | Gardena Elementary Los Angeles Unified On the Rise | 11.7% | Solid 38/100 |
| 8 | One Hundred Fifty-Third Street Los Angeles Unified On the Rise | 12.5% | Developing 35/100 |
| 9 | Purche Avenue Elementary Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 13.6% | Developing 27/100 |
Middle Schools (2)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Charter Middle - Gardena Los Angeles County Office of Education On the Rise | 12.4% | Solid 39/100 |
| 2 | Robert E. Peary Middle Los Angeles Unified On the Rise | 9.9% | Developing 32/100 |
High Schools (4)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Charter High - Gardena Los Angeles County Office of Education Building Momentum | 15.6% | Solid 53/100 |
| 2 | Gardena Senior High Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 13.5% | Developing 47/100 |
| 3 | New Millennium Secondary Los Angeles Unified Building Momentum | 5.0% | Needs Support 39/100 |
| 4 | Moneta Continuation Los Angeles Unified continuation high school | 0.0% | Needs Support 15/100 · 12th in class |
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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.
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