Thanks to the class of 2026, Miramonte has something to celebrate: a significant rise in CAASPP scores. Behind every test score is a student’s effort, a parent’s encouragement, and a teacher’s guidance. The real after-effects from the results aren’t just reflected in the schools’ state testing scores, but in the resilience and courage from the students. 

Before COVID, the average CAASPP scores from Miramonte students who succeeded or met the standard, which changes for each grade, was 87.58%, but from 2020-2024, the average was 84.3%. The 2024-2025 school year displayed a 90% success rate, higher than the average compared to many years prior.

“College admission [officers] look at a school’s overall rating, and state test scores are one of the measures. Nobody wants to work really hard during high school and come from a school with low test scores,” Associate Principal Jami Greer said. 

Among other reasons, such as graduation rates and AP exams, schools are ranked through CAASPP testing scores, so each class is motivated to do well so they can come from a high-ranking school. Outside of the school itself, if the district has a legacy of high state-testing scores, the housing prices around the area go up, 

There is not one right answer as to why the scores went up, and COVID definitely affected the scores for a few years, as seen in the results showing a decrease starting in 2021. The scores have been increasing in the past two to three years, due to students being fully back to in-person school and receiving the same education that for many years students before COVID received. From the scores of 2020 to the next year in 2021, the average score of students who exceeded or met the standard went down 10.7%. 

The class of 2026 has been the first class since COVID that has attended all four of their years in the strict testing environment of Miramonte, where classes prior had at least one year at home or half in person and half online. With all of high school in person, the class of 2026 has been able to build the good habits of authentically taking tests at this higher level, and the results of this are shown in the CAASPP scores. 

“Our grade specifically is very competitive, and we were very motivated to beat the other schools in our district,” senior Olivia Allaire said. 

The Science, English Language Arts, and the Math CAASPP tests are taken in the second semester, so the class of ‘26 have the two years prior in high school, as well as the first semester of junior year, to learn the material that could be in the tests. For example, the English portion always has an essay, and students are tested on a lot of geometry in the Math section which they learn years prior. 

“Miramonte has both a really good Math and English program, so I feel prepared for the tests this year,” junior Sierra Caragol said. 

Not only did the scores from last year’s testing go up significantly, but Miramonte also accomplished the highest scores in the district, ranking 32nd in schools statewide, followed closely by Campolindo at 40th statewide.

“As a collective, we are a great group. It reflects really well when grades and test scores say the same thing,” Greer said.