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What's the most underrated thing about Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate that outsiders don't know?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
485
Middle
DISTRICT 550 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED·NCES 061488001856
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
10851 East Lampson Ave., Garden Grove, CA 92840 · (714) 663-6366 · Orange County
GRADES 07–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL485 STUDENTS
A-
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 82% of California public middle schools
- B+Test scores Share of students meeting the state standard in reading, math, and other tested subjects, 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- A+Beats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
- C+Three-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
22.6:1
21 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 23.5:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
82%
396 students
DISTRICT 79% · 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 7 | 241 | 50% |
| Grade 8 | 243 | 50% |
| Grade 10 | 1 | 0% |
Student demographics
57%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 58% · 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
59.8%
CA avg 49.1% . +0.8pp since 2014
Math
43.0%
CA avg 37.7% . +2.0pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 60 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 43 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 are up about 2 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 27.5% | 32.2% | 17.4% | 22.9% |
| Math | 23.7% | 19.3% | 22.3% | 34.8% |
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 | 59.8% | 43.0% |
| 2023-24 | 58.0% | 39.4% |
| 2022-23 | 61.3% | 36.4% |
| 2021-22 | 63.9% | 36.6% |
| 2018-19 | 64.9% | 45.2% |
| 2017-18 | 65.3% | 51.1% |
| 2016-17 | 63.6% | 48.7% |
| 2015-16 | 60.0% | 44.0% |
| 2014-15 | 59.0% | 41.0% |
% 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
OUTPERFORMING
Top 10% of CA schools after controlling for student poverty
Actual proficiency
50.0%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
31.7%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+18.4pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 50% of students here test proficient in math and reading, well above the roughly 32% typical for California schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations ranks schools against others at the same poverty level, not by raw scores, so a school can post high scores and still fall short of its prediction, or post lower scores and still beat it. This school clears its prediction by about 18 points, placing it in California's top 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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate's state test result (50.0% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate this school | 485 | 81.6% | 50.0% |
| Louis Lake Intermediate Garden Grove | 453 | 81.7% | 52.1% |
| James Irvine Intermediate Garden Grove | 532 | 88.3% | 56.5% |
| Alvarado Intermediate Rowland Heights | 624 | 79.8% | 43.6% |
| Alamitos Intermediate Garden Grove | 581 | 86.9% | 45.9% |
| Gordon H. Beatty Middle Buena Park | 641 | 73.8% | 46.8% |
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 Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Orange County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 50.0% | #351 of 1,224 | #50 of 85 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 43.0% | #359 of 1,227 ▲ 31 | #51 of 85 ▲ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 59.8% | #332 of 1,227 ▼ 4 | #47 of 85 no change |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.1pp | #732 of 1,214 | #52 of 84 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 485 | #947 of 1,377 | #78 of 88 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.6:1 | #918 of 1,279 | #52 of 87 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 57.1% | #497 of 1,278 | #42 of 87 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 81.6% | #502 of 1,329 | #33 of 88 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -20.5% | #325 of 930 | #43 of 74 |
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
485
-82 (-14%) vs 2020
-35% since 1990-91, when it was 749
Student : Teacher
22.6:1
was 25.8:1
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 | 485 | 21.5 | 22.6:1 | 82% (396) |
| 2023-24 | 506 | 23.1 | 21.9:1 | 83% (420) |
| 2022-23 | 552 | 22.7 | 24.3:1 | 82% (454) |
| 2020-21 | 567 | 22 | 25.8:1 | 69% (394) |
| 2017-18 | 610 | 24.7 | 24.7:1 | 73% (448) |
| 2015-16 | 642 | 24 | 26.8:1 | 70% (447) |
| 2010-11 | 632 | N/A | N/A | 62% (391) |
| 2000-01 | 775 | 26 | 29.8:1 | 46% (358) |
| 1990-91 | 749 | 30 | 25.0:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate.
Since 2017-18: students down 20% (610 to 485); teachers down 13% (24.7 to 21.5).
About Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is a low-enrollment middle-grades school in Garden Grove, California, administered by Garden Grove Unified. It enrolls 485 students in 2024-25. The grades offered are 7 through 8. That is 26% below the average of about 659 students for middle schools in California.
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is in Garden Grove Unified, a district with 36,994 students across 64 schools.
At Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate, 53% of students are Hispanic. Smaller groups are 38% Asian, 5% White, and 3% multiracial. In Orange County overall, about 34% of residents are Hispanic. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 57, compared with 70 nationally.
Its staff includes 21.5 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 22.6 students per teacher. Compared with the 20.7:1 average for middle schools in California, this school's ratio is higher. Roughly 82% of students at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate can receive free or reduced-price lunch. It compares with 55% for public schools in Orange County.
Among California public middle schools, Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate outscored 82%, which works out to an A- on the allk12 Grade.
Schools in California with a similar free or reduced-price lunch share are predicted to post an average proficiency rate across its state test results near 31.7%. Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate posts 50.0%, 18.4 points above that, which places it in the top 10% statewide on BeatsExpectations.
American Community Survey estimates for Orange County show that the median household earns about $116,289 a year, the share of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher is 44%, and roughly 7% of residents are in poverty. Across Orange County, 649 public schools serve about 430,458 students.
Among nearby public schools, Ethel M. Evans Elementary is closest at about 0.3 miles. Other public schools within five miles number at least 8. The nearest schools with test data average 49.7%, lower than Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate's 50.0%.
The school's locale code, Suburb: Large, means it is in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment in 2024-25 stood at 485, compared with 567 in 2020-21. In 2020-21, the student-to-teacher ratio was 25.8:1; by 2024-25 it was 22.6:1.
Use the discussion section to ask about special education services, counseling, and support programs at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate. You can also rate the school on this page.
Orange County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,165,820
Census ACS
Median income
$116,289
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
44%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
649
430,458 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Garden Grove Unified
- Garden Grove HighHigh · 2,148 students
- La Quinta HighHigh · 2,041 students
- Bolsa Grande HighHigh · 1,701 students
- Santiago HighHigh · 1,664 students
- Pacifica HighHigh · 1,634 students
- Rancho Alamitos HighHigh · 1,439 students
Other schools in Garden Grove
- Garden Grove HighHigh · 2,148 students
- Bolsa Grande HighHigh · 1,701 students
- Santiago HighHigh · 1,664 students
- Pacifica HighHigh · 1,634 students
- Rancho Alamitos HighHigh · 1,439 students
- Patton ElementaryElementary · 904 students
Nearby schools
- Ethel M. Evans Elementary0.3 mi · 410
- Agnes Ware Stanley Elementary0.4 mi · 354
- Garden Grove High0.4 mi · 2,148
- Mark Twain Special Center0.8 mi · 101
- Linton T. Simmons Elementary0.9 mi · 247
- Faylane Elementary0.9 mi · 466
Frequently asked questions
About Dr. Walter C. Ralston IntermediateHow many students attend Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate enrolls approximately 485 students in grades 07-08.
What grades does Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate serve?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate serves grades 07-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is approximately 22.6:1 (21 FTE teachers).
How diverse is Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate reports a student body of 5% White, 53% Hispanic, 1% Black, 38% Asian, 3% Two or more.
Who oversees Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate?
Dr. Walter C. Ralston Intermediate is overseen by Garden Grove Unified in Orange County.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.