Is Merced County Special Education a good school?

Merced County Special Education ranks in the bottom 4.4% of California alternative schools.

How many students attend Merced County Special Education?

In the 2022-23 school year, 848 students attended Merced County Special Education.

What is the racial makeup of Merced County Special Education?

Students at Merced County Special Education are 70% Hispanic, 16% White, 5% African American, 5% Asian, 2% Two or more races.

Merced County Special Education

Summary:

Merced County Special Education is an alternative public school serving 848 students in grades K-12 in Merced, California. The school is part of the Merced County Office of Education district, which is ranked 1459 out of 1568 districts in the state and has a 0-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite the school's specialized focus on serving students with special needs, Merced County Special Education has struggled significantly in key areas. The school has had extremely low four-year graduation rates, ranging from 0% to 17.3% over the past 5 years, which is far below the state average of around 85% and the Merced County Office of Education district average of around 13%. Dropout rates have also been alarmingly high, ranging from 3.8% to 100% during the same period. Additionally, Merced County Special Education has grappled with very high chronic absenteeism rates, from 34.3% to 67.7%, compared to the state average of around 12% and the district average of around 15%. The school's test scores on Smarter Balanced Assessments and CAST Science exams have been dismal, with only 0-8.33% of students scoring proficient or better in math and ELA in the 2023-2024 school year, far below the state averages.

Interestingly, Merced County Special Education performs significantly worse than the other nearby alternative schools in the Merced County Office of Education district, including Floyd A. Schelby, Merced County Juvenile Court, Valley Merced Community, and Merced Scholars Charter. These schools have higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, better attendance, and higher test scores. While Merced County Special Education has a relatively low student-teacher ratio of around 11-12 students per teacher, this does not seem to be translating into better academic outcomes for the students. The data suggests that the school may need to re-evaluate its instructional approaches, support services, and overall strategy for helping these students succeed.

Detail:

Public, Alternative K-12

632 West 13th St.
Merced, CA 95341-5908

(209) 381-6711

District: Merced County Office of Education

SchoolDigger Rank:
2220^th of 2,323 California Alternative Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $38,763

Student/teacher ratio: 11.6

Number of students: 848

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

70.3%

White:

16.3%

African American:

5.1%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.6%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Merced County Special Education to nearby alternative schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Merced County Special Education is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2019 the calculated Average Standard Score was 2.17. (See more...)

Compare Details Merced County Special Education is not ranked due for the most recent year due to insufficient test score data. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 3.87. (See more...)

Compare Details Merced County Special Education ranks worse than 95.6% of high schools in California. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 7.39. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Merced County Special Education who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Merced County Special Education has the largest alternative school student body size in the Merced County Office of Education School District. Racial makeup is: Hispanic (70.3%), White (16.3%), African American (5.1%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.6% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Merced County Special Education is 11.6, which is the 2^nd best among 3 alternative schools in the Merced County Office of Education School District. (See more...)

Compare Merced County Special Education employs 72.6 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Merced County Special Education is $38,763, which is the highest among 5 alternative schools in the Merced County Office of Education School District!

Schooldigger Rankings:

Merced County Special Education was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Merced County Special Education 2220^th of 2323 California public high schools. (See Merced County Special Education in the ranking list.)

Merced County Office of Education:

SchoolDigger ranks Merced County Office of Education 1459^th of 1568 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Merced County Special Education

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Rank History for all elementary school students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	4.10	5642^nd	5662	0.4%
2019	2.17	5788^th	5789	0.0%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for elementary school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	2.08	5172^nd	5173	0.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for elementary school Disabled students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2019	19.15	2389^th	2585	7.6%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for elementary school Male students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Elementary Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2018	5.55	5403^rd	5431	0.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Merced County Special Education

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Rank History for all middle school students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	8.60	1702^nd	1769	3.8%
2005	6.38	1732^nd	1777	2.5%
2006	5.83	1763^rd	1804	2.3%
2023	3.87	2802^nd	2802	0.0%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for middle school Special Education students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked Middle Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	17.23	1517^th	1538	1.4%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Rank History for Merced County Special Education

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Rank History for all high school students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2005	7.55	1745^th	1901	8.2%
2006	7.45	1806^th	1968	8.2%
2007	4.83	1913^th	2063	7.3%
2008	4.77	1953^rd	2117	7.7%
2009	8.65	2060^th	2238	8.0%
2010	5.67	2093^rd	2281	8.2%
2011	7.25	2114^th	2367	10.7%
2012	7.46	2089^th	2354	11.3%
2013	4.99	2203^rd	2426	9.2%
2023	5.38	2313^th	2348	1.5%
2024	7.39	2220^th	2323	4.4%

See the entire list of California Alternative School Rankings!

Rank History for high school Special Education students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	18.46	1430^th	1547	7.6%
2024	24.59	1182^nd	1534	22.9%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for high school Low Socio Economic Status students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.45	2214^th	2247	1.5%
2024	7.55	2134^th	2235	4.5%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for high school Male students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	5.31	2185^th	2207	1.0%
2024	5.93	2132^nd	2172	1.8%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for high school Hispanic students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	4.29	2127^th	2142	0.7%
2024	4.48	2103^rd	2125	1.0%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for high school White students at Merced County Special Education

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	1.98	1420^th	1434	1.0%
2024	7.28	1256^th	1406	10.7%

See the entire list of Best California Alternative Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Merced County Special Education

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Total
1988	219	33	43	173	1	n/a	n/a	469
1989	194	32	44	152	1	n/a	n/a	423
1990	185	25	39	162	1	n/a	n/a	412
1991	192	28	43	177	2	n/a	n/a	442
1992	159	27	48	190	6	n/a	n/a	430
1993	95	18	31	101	0	n/a	n/a	245
1994	99	17	38	100	0	n/a	n/a	254
1995	114	34	30	157	0	n/a	n/a	335
1996	114	34	30	157	0	n/a	n/a	335
1997	121	23	36	156	0	n/a	n/a	336
1998	116	25	37	161	0	n/a	n/a	339
1999	118	30	35	164	1	n/a	n/a	348
2000	125	39	35	184	0	n/a	n/a	383
2001	134	33	38	181	0	n/a	n/a	386
2002	127	38	41	204	4	n/a	n/a	414
2003	127	38	41	204	4	n/a	n/a	414
2004	127	34	47	213	3	n/a	n/a	424
2005	140	48	45	240	3	n/a	n/a	476
2006	139	36	53	243	3	n/a	n/a	474
2007	112	25	32	199	1	n/a	n/a	369
2008	152	41	40	255	2	n/a	n/a	490
2009	114	28	33	236	3	0	0	414
2010	148	34	40	298	2	0	4	526
2011	148	30	38	331	2	1	4	554
2012	127	32	35	325	2	1	7	529
2013	142	35	35	337	2	1	6	558
2014	140	39	34	355	2	3	10	583
2015	134	37	34	337	1	5	11	559
2016	137	31	28	358	1	5	14	574
2017	137	23	27	366	0	3	12	568
2018	149	28	42	433	0	3	13	668
2019	150	34	37	443	3	5	18	690
2020	155	43	35	497	5	6	25	766
2021	163	44	30	529	8	5	30	809
2022	146	41	33	555	7	3	24	809
2023	138	43	41	596	7	3	20	848

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Merced County Special Education

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	469	56.3	8.3	n/a
1989	423	58.1	7.2	n/a
1990	412	70.0	5.8	n/a
1991	442	67.8	6.5	n/a
1992	430	68.9	6.2	n/a
1993	245	55.2	4.4	0
1994	254	70.1	3.6	0
1995	335	56.5	5.9	0
1996	335	56.5	5.9	0
1997	336	71.8	4.7	0
1998	339	70.3	4.8	0
1999	348	71.5	4.9	0
2000	383	71.1	5.4	0
2001	386	62.6	6.2	0
2002	414	62.2	6.7	0
2003	414	62.2	6.7	0
2004	424	61.9	6.8	0
2005	476	63.0	7.6	0
2006	474	65.0	7.3	67.5
2007	369	54.7	6.7	86.4
2008	490	84.2	5.8	77.1
2009	414	57.0	4.7	0
2010	526	56.9	9.2	79.1
2011	554	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	529	53.5	9.8	n/a
2013	558	59.0	9.4	25.1
2014	583	70.2	8.2	73.6
2015	559	53.0	10.5	75.3
2016	574	48.0	11.9	90.1
2017	568	52.0	10.9	95.2
2018	668	57.0	11.7	92.4
2019	690	62.0	11.1	78.7
2020	766	n/a	n/a	80.4
2021	809	66.6	12.1	64.6
2022	809	71.2	11.3	66.9
2023	848	72.6	11.6	60.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Merced County Special Education

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	469	56.3	8.3	n/a
1989	423	58.1	7.2	n/a
1990	412	70.0	5.8	n/a
1991	442	67.8	6.5	n/a
1992	430	68.9	6.2	n/a
1993	245	55.2	4.4	0
1994	254	70.1	3.6	0
1995	335	56.5	5.9	0
1996	335	56.5	5.9	0
1997	336	71.8	4.7	0
1998	339	70.3	4.8	0
1999	348	71.5	4.9	0
2000	383	71.1	5.4	0
2001	386	62.6	6.2	0
2002	414	62.2	6.7	0
2003	414	62.2	6.7	0
2004	424	61.9	6.8	0
2005	476	63.0	7.6	0
2006	474	65.0	7.3	67.5
2007	369	54.7	6.7	86.4
2008	490	84.2	5.8	77.1
2009	414	57.0	4.7	0
2010	526	56.9	9.2	79.1
2011	554	n/a	n/a	68.2
2012	529	53.5	9.8	n/a
2013	558	59.0	9.4	25.1
2014	583	70.2	8.2	73.6
2015	559	53.0	10.5	75.3
2016	574	48.0	11.9	90.1
2017	568	52.0	10.9	95.2
2018	668	57.0	11.7	92.4
2019	690	62.0	11.1	78.7
2020	766	n/a	n/a	80.4
2021	809	66.6	12.1	64.6
2022	809	71.2	11.3	66.9
2023	848	72.6	11.6	60.6

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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