Cypress Elementary, Highland CA - Test Scores & Data

Original Research by School Decision on Cypress Elementary

Cypress Elementary is a regular public school in Highland, California, serving kindergarten through sixth grade. It sits in the western portion of the city, within San Bernardino City Unified School District, in a residential neighborhood that reflects the broader Inland Empire pattern of auto-oriented suburban development mixed with older housing stock. The school serves a community with substantial economic need; a large majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, and the student body is predominantly Hispanic, with smaller shares of Black, Asian, and white students.

The school's recent state test results show proficiency levels that fall below the midpoint of performance among tested schools in San Bernardino County. In English language arts, overall proficiency across tested grades sits in the low-to-mid range, with third grade performing better than upper grades. In math, proficiency is notably lower, particularly in grades four through six, where only a small share of tested students met the state's standard. Fifth-grade science performance, measured on the state science test, was also low. The data reflects a pattern in which younger students are performing closer to grade-level expectations than students in the upper elementary grades, though proficiency rates across the board remain modest. These results represent the most recent assessment cycle available; prior-year comparisons are not yet available.

A parent weighing Cypress might want to look into further detail with the school about how it is responding to these performance levels, what interventions or support structures are in place for students in the upper grades, and what progress the school has seen recently. The school's enrollment is stable and manageable in size for an elementary school, with a full range of grade levels represented.

Highland itself is a foothill city in the northern part of San Bernardino County, primarily residential in character, with varied housing ranging from older ranch-style homes to newer master-planned developments. The city is car-dependent and does not have a dense downtown center; retail and community activity are dispersed along commercial corridors. The Yaamava' Resort & Casino at San Manuel is a major employer. The city is experiencing residential growth through multiple approved master-planned projects, which will add school-age population over the coming years.

San Bernardino City Unified has set multi-year direction through Vision 2030, a strategic plan adopted in 2024 that emphasizes academic expectations, student wellness, equity, and safe learning environments. The district has also structured its high schools around Linked Learning pathways, which combine college-prep academics with career-technical education and work-based learning; this is a lasting structural choice that shapes the high school experience for students who progress through the system. For elementary families, these district priorities provide the framework within which individual schools operate, though day-to-day school quality and classroom practice ultimately rest with the school itself.

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Academic performance

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

Math

Grade 355%

School 55% · District 31% · ▲ 23 pts above district

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

Grade 424%

School 24% · District 23%

▼ 14 pts below state median · ▼ 5 pts below county median

Grade 58%

School 8% · District 19% · ▼ 11 pts below district

▼ 22 pts below state median · ▼ 14 pts below county median

Grade 68%

School 8% · District 24% · ▼ 16 pts below district

▼ 23 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

English language arts

Grade 344%

School 44% · District 31% · ▲ 13 pts above district

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

Grade 428%

School 28% · District 32% · ▼ 4 pts below district

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

Grade 523%

School 23% · District 34% · ▼ 11 pts below district

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

Grade 623%

School 23% · District 38% · ▼ 15 pts below district

▼ 21 pts below state median · ▼ 15 pts below county median

Science

Grade 512%

School 12% · District 18% · ▼ 7 pts below district

▼ 17 pts below state median · ▼ 11 pts below county median

This schoolSan Bernardino City 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.