Newcastle Charter, Newcastle CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Newcastle Charter

Newcastle Charter serves kindergarten through eighth grade as a public charter school located in the small foothill community of Newcastle, Placer County. The school operates under an open-enrollment model; any family can apply, with out-of-district students admitted through an annual charter request process alongside in-district enrollment. This structure is a defining feature for families considering the area: residency does not automatically guarantee a seat, and families moving to Newcastle for the school need to understand the application timeline and lottery mechanism.

The school enrolls a student body with substantial racial and ethnic diversity. The majority of students identify as multiracial, alongside meaningful populations of Hispanic and white students, with smaller Asian and Native American groups. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a modest but present economic-need indicator for a community where housing values run substantially above state and national medians.

Academic performance is mixed and shows volatility across grades. In English language arts, the school performs solidly in lower elementary and then reaches strong proficiency in grades four and five before dropping notably in grade six, then recovering again in grades seven and eight. Math proficiency is less consistent. The school performs respectably in grades three and four but declines sharply in grade five and reaches its lowest point in grade six, before recovering somewhat in grades seven and eight. Science proficiency in grade five sits at moderate levels, and grade eight science is similarly measured. Overall across tested subjects and grades, the school's proficiency index places it in the top quartile among Placer County school districts. However, the grade-six dip in both subjects is a tangible pattern and a parent may want to look into further with the school to understand what happens during that transition year.

The school's English language arts trajectory is stronger than math. Reading and writing proficiency runs above math across most grades, with some grades substantially outpacing the county pattern. Math weakness in the upper elementary range, particularly grade six, is the clearest soft spot in the data.

No data on graduation rate, chronic absenteeism, discipline, staffing, or attendance were available. This is consistent with the school's grade span; most of these metrics do not apply to elementary and middle schools. No information on special education or English learner identification rates was provided. A parent interested in these areas should contact the school directly. State testing data covers only recent years, so trend comparisons are not possible.

Newcastle itself is a rural foothill community known for mandarin orange farming and a historic town center along Main Street and Taylor Road. The landscape is car-dependent; most families rely on personal vehicles and winding, hilly residential streets. Auburn, about a short drive away, provides larger amenities and employment. Housing in the Newcastle zip code is expensive relative to income and to state and national benchmarks, reflecting demand for rural California living near Sacramento. The school building is located within the town itself, not on a separate campus.

For a family drawn to a small K-8 setting in a rural, agricultural foothill community with open-enrollment charter access, Newcastle Charter offers that environment alongside solid English language arts results. Math proficiency needs attention, especially around the grade-six transition. Parents should confirm details about English learner and special education services, and understand that admission is not guaranteed by residency.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 369%

School 69% · District 67% · ▲ 3 pts above district

▲ 26 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 472%

School 72% · District 71% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 554%

School 54% · District 53% · ▲ 1 pts above district

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

Grade 628%

School 28% · District 31% · ▼ 3 pts below district

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

Grade 762%

School 62% · District 68% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 32 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 859%

School 59% · District 60% · ▼ 1 pts below district

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

English language arts

Grade 364%

School 64% · District 59% · ▲ 5 pts above district

▲ 23 pts above state median · ▲ 8 pts above county median

Grade 479%

School 79% · District 78% · ▲ 2 pts above district

▲ 37 pts above state median · ▲ 19 pts above county median

Grade 581%

School 81% · District 72% · ▲ 8 pts above district

▲ 35 pts above state median · ▲ 22 pts above county median

Grade 656%

School 56% · District 63% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median · ▼ 7 pts below county median

Grade 781%

School 81% · District 80% · ▲ 1 pts above district

▲ 36 pts above state median · ▲ 13 pts above county median

Grade 873%

School 73% · District 74% · ▼ 2 pts below district

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

Science

Grade 561%

School 61% · District 59% · ▲ 2 pts above district

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

Grade 858%

School 58% · District 61% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Social studies

Grade 885%

School 85% · District 70% · ▲ 15 pts above district

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

This schoolNewcastle Elementary, 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.