Avalon K-12, Santa Catalina CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Avalon K-12

Avalon K-12 serves kindergarten through twelfth grade in Santa Catalina, operating as a traditional public school within Long Beach Unified. The school enrolls a small student body spanning all grade levels, with most students coming from Hispanic backgrounds and a substantial share qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting an economically challenged community. The student population is demographically concentrated, with nearly all students of color and limited racial diversity beyond the dominant group.

Academically, Avalon's state assessment results show persistent challenge across tested subjects and grades. In math, proficiency rates across elementary and middle grades range low, dipping sharply in sixth and seventh grades before rising modestly in eighth. In English language arts, results vary considerably by grade, with third grade performing relatively better and a notable jump in eighth grade, though overall proficiency remains modest across the band. In the science assessments offered, proficiency is similarly low. A single older social studies result from the prior state test system, now superseded, showed stronger performance at that time, but current testing data does not include social studies and so comparison over time is not possible. Overall, Avalon's proficiency index places it in the bottom quartile among Los Angeles County school districts, a positioning that reflects significant academic strain.

The school operates within Long Beach Unified, a large urban district navigating substantial enrollment decline over recent years. The district has approved the closure of Hudson Elementary and is consolidating attendance boundaries, a signal of possible further changes to school assignments. The district is also implementing state-mandated ethnic studies coursework, with dual-enrollment options now available to high school students seeking college credit. Additionally, voters approved Measure Q, a bond for campus repairs, safety upgrades, and facility modernization, financed through property tax increases that will extend through the mid-2030s.

The Santa Catalina area sits in a high-cost housing market, with home values well above state and national medians. Mortgage costs and rent-to-income ratios indicate housing affordability pressure even for households with solid incomes. Parents considering Avalon should recognize that the school serves a primarily low-income, non-white student body in a neighborhood with high real estate values, reflecting economic disparities common to coastal urban areas. The academic data shows meaningful gaps in foundational proficiency that families will want to explore further with the school itself, including what interventions or supports are in place and how the school is addressing proficiency trends. The district-level changes around enrollment and curriculum may also shape the school's instructional landscape and student pathways in coming years.

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Academic performance

State test results and graduation outcomes.

Graduation rate (ACGR)

80-89%Cohort of 40 students · Class of 2021

The federal source publishes a banded range instead of an exact rate when the graduating cohort is small enough that an exact number could risk identifying individual students.

How this school compares to all schools in this state

Each dot is one school’s SY 2020-21 graduation rate, binned by integer rate. Taller columns mean more schools at that rate. This school is highlighted.

2,394 schools plotted. 142 additional schools' rates are federally suppressed and not shown. Data: EDFacts SY 2020-21.

Math

Grade 317%

School 17% · District 49% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 26 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 419%

School 19% · District 45% · ▼ 27 pts below district

▼ 19 pts below state median · ▼ 22 pts below county median

Grade 513%

School 13% · District 41% · ▼ 28 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 67%

School 7% · District 35% · ▼ 29 pts below district

▼ 24 pts below state median · ▼ 24 pts below county median

Grade 73%

School 3% · District 37% · ▼ 34 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 27 pts below county median

Grade 822%

School 22% · District 35% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 6 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 324%

School 24% · District 48% · ▼ 24 pts below district

▼ 16 pts below state median · ▼ 18 pts below county median

Grade 415%

School 15% · District 50% · ▼ 35 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 29 pts below county median

Grade 519%

School 19% · District 55% · ▼ 36 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 617%

School 17% · District 49% · ▼ 32 pts below district

▼ 27 pts below state median · ▼ 28 pts below county median

Grade 713%

School 13% · District 54% · ▼ 42 pts below district

▼ 33 pts below state median · ▼ 33 pts below county median

Grade 836%

School 36% · District 53% · ▼ 17 pts below district

▼ 8 pts below state median · ▼ 10 pts below county median

Science

Grade 57%

School 7% · District 33% · ▼ 26 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 20 pts below county median

Grade 816%

School 16% · District 29% · ▼ 13 pts below district

▼ 10 pts below state median · ▼ 8 pts below county median

Social studies

Grade 872%

School 72% · District 52% · ▲ 20 pts above district

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

This schoolLong Beach Unified, 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 3Lower-income14%Higher-income33%19 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income12%Higher-income23%11 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income14%Higher-income9%5 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 3Lower-income7%Higher-income27%20 pp gap

Grade 6Lower-income6%Higher-income8%2 pp gap