Local districts outperform county, state on California assessment tests - California assessment tests results

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by sagouaw

California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) results released last month show that San Diego County public school students made slight gains in meeting or exceeding statewide standardized expectations, yet remain below pre–COVID-19 levels. Nearly 54% met or exceeded English language arts standards and about 42% met or exceeded math. North County districts such as Solana Beach, Del Mar, Rancho Santa Fe, and the San Dieguito systems ranked among the top performers, with many schools reporting higher proficiency in ELA, math, and rising science scores.

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Local districts outperform county, state on California assessment tests

County and statewide CAASPP results

Top local districts and schools

How CAASPP scores are used and their limits

DEL MAR TIMES 􀀋 DEL MAR TIMES NEWS Local districts outperform county, state on California assessment tests Del Mar Union School District students collaborate and share perspectives during the school day. (Courtesy DMUSD) [By](By KAREN BILLING | KarenB@rsfreview.com | The)[ KAREN BILLING](By KAREN BILLING | KarenB@rsfreview.com | The)[ | KarenB@rsfreview.com | The](By KAREN BILLING | KarenB@rsfreview.com | The) San Diego UnionTribune and JEMMA STEPHENSON | [jemma.stephenson@sduniontribune.com | The](jemma.stephenson@sduniontribune.com | The) San Diego UnionTribune PUBLISHED: November 3, 2025 at 7:38 AM PST The percentage of San Diego County public school students who at least met expectations of statewide standardized tests rose slightly last year, but they’re still lower than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, new data released last month show. Nearly 54% of San Diego County students met or exceeded the standard for English language arts in the 2024-25 test results, and nearly 42% met or exceeded the standard for math. Passage rates in both subjects were up by roughly a percentage point since last year. Those outcomes are better than the statewide average, but they also showed less improvement than the statewide scores did. Statewide, almost 49% met or exceeded the English standard, and around 37% met or exceeded the math standard—both up by around two percentage points. Local North County school districts in Solana Beach, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe and the San Dieguito Union School District, well outperformed both the county and the state, placing among the top performing districts in the county. The top performing elementary school among the local schools was Ocean Air with 89% of students scoring proficient or advanced in English language arts (ELA) and 92% in math. At the middle school level, 86% of Pacific Trails students met or exceeded the standard in ELA and 91% in math. Canyon Crest Academy recorded some of the best high school results in the county with 93% of students meeting or exceeded the standards in ELA and 86% in math. Every spring, California public school students in third through eighth grade, as well as 11 th-graders, take comprehensive, end-of-year standardized tests in ELA and math as part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, or CAASPP. The state science tests are taken by fifth, seventh and 11 th graders. Private school students do not take the tests. CAASPP scores offer a consistent indicator of student academic performance that can be compared across the state and over time. But some educators have warned of limits to how useful they are in judging or improving academic performance. That’s partly because they’re a backward look: The test scores come out several months after students take the tests, when those students have generally moved on to the next grade. In the Solana Beach School District, 84% met or exceeded the standard in ELA and 82% in math. “Solana Beach School District students’ success reflects their curiosity, effort, and love of learning, as well as the collective dedication to educational excellence across our schools,” said Solana Beach Superintendent Jennifer Burks.“We are proud of our students and grateful for the commitment of the entire SBSD community that works together to support every learner’s growth and success. These results highlight our students’ perseverance, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, qualities that will continue to support their success in middle school, high school, and beyond.” Del Mar Union School District students showed growth from last year’s results, placing among the top of the county with 83% of students meeting or exceeding the standard in math and 82 percent in ELA. Science scores also rose by more than two percentage points, with 75% of students meeting or exceeding the standard, compared to the county average of 38 percent. According to the district, the scores reflect

FAQs

What do the 2024-25 CAASPP results say about San Diego County students overall?

Nearly 54% met or exceeded the English language arts standard and nearly 42% met or exceeded the math standard. Both passage rates were up by about one percentage point from the prior year, but still below pre-pandemic levels.

Which North County districts performed best compared with the county and the state?

Solana Beach, Del Mar and Rancho Santa Fe, along with the San Dieguito Union School District, outperformed both the county and the state and placed among the top performing districts.

What are the cautions educators raised about using CAASPP scores?

Educators noted the scores are a backward-looking measure because results arrive months after students take the tests and many have already moved on to the next grade. They questioned how useful the scores are for judging or improving performance.

Oct 3, 2026

Uploaded by sagouaw