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Best kept secret at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
822
Middle
DISTRICT 856 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·PALMDALE ELEMENTARY·NCES 062958008933
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy
3243 East Ave. R-8, Palmdale, CA 93550 · (661) 273-0847 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL822 STUDENTS
D
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 11% of California public middle schools
- DTest scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- C-Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- CThree-year trend Change in reading and math proficiency over the last three test years.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded California public middle schools
Student : Teacher
20.7:1
40 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.3:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
89%
734 students
DISTRICT 84% · STATE 65%
Community
6
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other middle schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 268 | 33% |
| Grade 7 | 297 | 36% |
| Grade 8 | 257 | 31% |
Student demographics
37%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 37% · STATE 62% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
Test scores
CAASPP 2024-25 . % met or exceeded standardEnglish Language Arts
27.8%
CA avg 49.1% . +0.8pp since 2014
Math
10.3%
CA avg 37.7% . +0.3pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 28 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 10 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2014, while math scores have held steady.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 6.8% | 21.0% | 27.7% | 44.6% |
| Math | 4.2% | 6.2% | 19.1% | 70.6% |
Share of tested students at each CAASPP level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
CAASPP results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 27.8% | 10.3% |
| 2023-24 | 24.5% | 9.0% |
| 2022-23 | 25.2% | 9.7% |
| 2021-22 | 29.4% | 7.4% |
| 2018-19 | 19.9% | 8.1% |
| 2017-18 | 22.2% | 10.0% |
| 2016-17 | 24.3% | 10.9% |
| 2015-16 | 24.0% | 11.0% |
| 2014-15 | 27.0% | 10.0% |
% met or exceeded standard, all students and all tested grades.
Source: CAASPP. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
17.8%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
27.2%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-9.4pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 18% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 27% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among California's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Schools most like Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy's state test result (17.8% proficient) is higher than 2 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy this school | 822 | 89.3% | 17.8% |
| Emerson Middle Bakersfield | 813 | 90.2% | 15.1% |
| Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet Acad Palmdale | 948 | 89.7% | 19.9% |
| Fred L. Thompson Junior High Bakersfield | 714 | 91.6% | 19.9% |
| Space Aeronautics Gateway to Exploration Magnet Academy Palmdale | 747 | 90.2% | 15.7% |
| March Middle Moreno Valley | 686 | 87.2% | 22.5% |
Matched among California middle schools on enrollment, the share of students from low-income families (eligible for free or reduced-price lunch), and racial and ethnic makeup. Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across all of the school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25, the same combined score our test-score rankings use. Online schools and schools serving specialized populations are not matched.
Where Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 17.8% | #1,099 of 1,224 | #235 of 248 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 10.3% | #1,135 of 1,227 ▲ 5 | #241 of 248 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 27.8% | #1,046 of 1,227 ▲ 20 | #227 of 248 ▲ 2 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +0.7pp | #783 of 1,214 | #188 of 247 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 822 | #407 of 1,377 | #97 of 317 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.7:1 | #567 of 1,279 | #131 of 301 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 36.5% | #867 of 1,278 | #149 of 301 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 89.3% | #303 of 1,329 | #125 of 312 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.9% | #833 of 930 | #195 of 213 |
Ranked against other public middle schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list. Arrows under a test-score rank show places moved since the prior test year, among schools tested both years.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
822
-44 (-5%) vs 2020
-24% since 1990-91, when it was 1,085
Student : Teacher
20.7:1
was 21.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 822 | 39.7 | 20.7:1 | 89% (734) |
| 2023-24 | 845 | 38.3 | 22.1:1 | 92% (781) |
| 2022-23 | 865 | 40.8 | 21.2:1 | 92% (792) |
| 2020-21 | 866 | 40 | 21.6:1 | 93% (806) |
| 2017-18 | 855 | 38.5 | 22.2:1 | 89% (765) |
| 2015-16 | 823 | 39 | 21.1:1 | 89% (733) |
| 2010-11 | 1,030 | N/A | N/A | 70% (718) |
| 2000-01 | 1,324 | 58 | 22.8:1 | 68% (899) |
| 1990-91 | 1,085 | 37 | 29.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy.
Since 2017-18: students down 4% (855 to 822); teachers up 3% (38.5 to 39.7).
About Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy
This page covers Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy, a medium-sized middle-grades school in Palmdale, California. It educates 822 students in grades 6 through 8. The typical figure for middle schools in California is about 659 students.
Palmdale Elementary, which runs Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy, has 29 schools and 17,941 students.
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is 78% Hispanic by enrollment. The remaining students are 14% Black and 4% White. Among people living in Los Angeles County, the Hispanic share is about 48%. Pick two students at random and there is a 37% chance they belong to different racial or ethnic groups; that figure is the school's diversity index.
Teachers at the school number 39.7 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 20.7:1. That matches the 20.7:1 average for middle schools in California fairly closely. Roughly 89% of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch. Across public schools in Los Angeles County, the average is 70%.
Measured against California public middle schools, Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy receives a D. The grade weighs proficiency most heavily, then how results compare with what the school's low-income share predicts, then the three-year change.
The BeatsExpectations prediction for Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is 27.2%, and its average proficiency rate on state tests is 17.8%.
Los Angeles County has these Census figures: the median household income is $90,112, roughly 36% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 10% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Los Angeles County is home to 2,244 public schools and about 1,265,907 public school students.
The school nearest to Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is Desert Rose Elementary, at a distance of about 0.6 miles. A five-mile radius around the school includes at least 8 other public schools. Of the 6 nearby schools with scores, including this one, Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is 6th on average proficiency.
Locale: Suburb: Large. In NCES terms, the school is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment has fallen by 44 students since 2020-21, to 822.
Topics for discussion here include science fairs, picture day, and bus routes. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
Los Angeles County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
9,808,667
Census ACS
Median income
$90,112
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
36%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
10%
Below federal line
Schools in county
2,244
1,265,907 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Palmdale Elementary
- Los Amigos - Dual ImmersionElementary · 1,027 students
- Palmdale Academy CharterCombined · 989 students
- David G. Millen Law and Government Magnet AcademyMiddle · 952 students
- Desert Willow Fine Arts Sci and Tech Magnet AcadMiddle · 948 students
- Dos Caminos Dual ImmersionElementary · 945 students
- Shadow Hills Engineering and Design Magnet AcademyMiddle · 813 students
Other schools in Palmdale
- Highland HighHigh · 2,706 students
- William J. (Pete) Knight HighHigh · 2,349 students
- Palmdale Aerospace AcademyCombined · 2,259 students
- Palmdale HighHigh · 2,208 students
- Hillview MiddleMiddle · 1,100 students
- Antelope Valley Learning AcademyCombined · 1,059 students
Nearby schools
- Desert Rose Elementary0.6 mi · 614
- Oak Tree Community Day0.7 mi · 63
- Palmdale Academy Charter0.7 mi · 989
- Innovations Academy of Palmdale0.7 mi · 409
- Palmdale Aerospace Academy0.9 mi · 2,259
- Joshua Hills Elementary1.0 mi · 581
Frequently asked questions
About Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet AcademyHow large is Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy?
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy enrolls approximately 822 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy serve?
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
How many teachers does Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy have?
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy employs 40 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 20.7:1.
What is the student diversity at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy?
Student demographics at Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy are roughly 4% White, 78% Hispanic, 14% Black, 1% Asian, 2% Two or more.
What district is Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy in?
Cactus Medical Health and Technology Magnet Academy is part of Palmdale Elementary.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.