Evergreen Middle, Cottonwood CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Evergreen Middle

Evergreen Middle is a mid-sized public school serving grades five through eight in Cottonwood, a small rural community in Shasta County nestled along Interstate 5 between Redding and Red Bluff. The school's location on Learning Way places it within a region with a strong ranching heritage and a historic downtown anchored by Front Street, though most residents commute to jobs in nearby Anderson or Redding.

The school's academic profile reflects mixed performance across subjects. In English language arts, students show slightly stronger results, with roughly half meeting proficiency standards across the grade band. Math proficiency is notably lower, with performance declining from the fifth grade through the seventh, where less than two in five students met standards. Science proficiency follows a similar downward trajectory: fifth graders show modest proficiency, but by eighth grade that drops considerably. A legacy social-studies measure from 2012-13 showed stronger results, though that assessment has since been discontinued in California. Compared to other districts in Tehama County, Evergreen Middle ranks in the top quartile on overall proficiency across tested subjects, a distinction worth noting in its regional context, though the proficiency rates themselves reveal substantial room for improvement across the board.

The student body is predominantly white, with smaller populations of Hispanic students and students of multiple races; just under one student in twenty identifies as American Indian or Alaska Native. Over half the enrollment qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, a meaningful indicator of economic need in the school community. The school enrolled about four hundred students across the four grades, with relatively even distribution by grade level. Data on special education enrollment and English learner populations were not available.

The Cottonwood area where Evergreen Middle sits has experienced rapid population growth over recent decades, outpacing state growth rates. New master-planned residential developments straddling the Tehama County line, including large active-adult communities, are reshaping the region, though municipal incorporation debates and county-line constraints complicate local planning and school-district service areas. The housing market reflects modest affordability; median home values in the zip code sit somewhat below the California benchmark, and rental costs consume roughly a quarter of median household income, making homeownership and stable residency more accessible than in many California regions, though still a meaningful family expense.

The school draws from a community with a solid employment base of small businesses, rodeo operations, and ranching activity, supplemented by regional jobs in lumber, healthcare, and retail within a short drive. The community library on Main Street and the rodeo grounds serve as civic anchors, and the historic downtown retains walkable character. Public transit in Cottonwood operates through a demand-response microtransit system rather than fixed routes, reflecting the area's rural character.

No recent parent-relevant policy changes, bond measures, or curriculum initiatives for Evergreen Union School District were documented in available sources, nor were data available on attendance, discipline, staffing, or course offerings at the school level. A parent considering Evergreen Middle may want to reach out directly to the school to understand current programs, supports, and any initiatives underway to address the proficiency gaps visible in state assessment results.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 548%

School 48% · District 46% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 24 pts above county median

Grade 647%

School 47% · District 45% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 16 pts above state median · ▲ 20 pts above county median

Grade 737%

School 37% · District 37% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 7 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 840%

School 40% · District 36% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 12 pts above state median · ▲ 25 pts above county median

English language arts

Grade 556%

School 56% · District 56%

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 18 pts above county median

Grade 650%

School 50% · District 51% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 6 pts above state median · ▲ 14 pts above county median

Grade 747%

School 47% · District 48% · ▼ 1 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 9 pts above county median

Grade 846%

School 46% · District 49% · ▼ 3 pts below district

▲ 2 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

Science

Grade 543%

School 43% · District 42% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 15 pts above state median · ▲ 12 pts above county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 40% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 10 pts above state median · ▲ 17 pts above county median

Social studies

Grade 867%

School 67% · District 66% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 18 pts above state median · ▲ 11 pts above county median

This schoolEvergreen Union, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 5Lower-income48%Higher-income67%18 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income46%Higher-income54%8 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income37%Higher-income61%24 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income33%Higher-income61%28 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 5Lower-income41%Higher-income60%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income35%Higher-income61%26 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income24%Higher-income54%29 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income30%Higher-income50%20 pp gap