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What's something Joe Walker Middle does better than most schools?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
781
Middle
DISTRICT 941 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·WESTSIDE UNION ELEMENTARY·NCES 064212006890
Joe Walker Middle
5632 West Ave. L-8, Lancaster, CA 93536 · (661) 943-3258 · Los Angeles County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE21-SUBURBTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL781 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
23.8:1
33 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 24.2:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
59%
462 students
DISTRICT 55% · 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 | 33 | 4% |
| Grade 7 | 369 | 47% |
| Grade 8 | 379 | 49% |
Student demographics
64%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 61% · 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
42.0%
CA avg 49.1% . -8.0pp since 2014
Math
25.1%
CA avg 37.7% . -5.9pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 42 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 25 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all California schools, those numbers are about 49 and 38. Reading and writing scores are down about 8 points since 2014, while math scores are down about 6 points.
Performance levels, 2024-25
| Subject | Standard Exceeded | Standard Met | Standard Nearly Met | Standard Not Met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Language Arts | 13.9% | 28.1% | 22.1% | 36.0% |
| Math | 11.3% | 13.8% | 24.0% | 50.9% |
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 | 42.0% | 25.1% |
| 2023-24 | 42.5% | 23.8% |
| 2022-23 | 50.5% | 24.2% |
| 2021-22 | 45.2% | 19.5% |
| 2018-19 | 57.0% | 27.0% |
| 2017-18 | 50.2% | 27.6% |
| 2016-17 | 55.8% | 32.5% |
| 2015-16 | 55.0% | 35.0% |
| 2014-15 | 50.0% | 31.0% |
% 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
45.7%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
44.9%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+0.8pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 46% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 45% 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 Joe Walker Middle
Joe Walker Middle's state test result (45.7% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Walker Middle this school | 781 | 59.2% | 45.7% |
| Mark Twain Middle Los Angeles | 974 | 57.6% | 49.3% |
| California Middle Sacramento | 782 | 62.4% | 39.5% |
| Roosevelt International Middle San Diego | 760 | 61.1% | 39.5% |
| W. E. Mitchell Middle Rancho Cordova | 755 | 62.8% | 28.2% |
| Amelia Earhart Middle Riverside | 743 | 56.1% | 52.1% |
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 Joe Walker Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 45.7% | #415 of 1,224 | #94 of 248 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 25.1% | #717 of 1,227 ▼ 29 | #158 of 248 ▼ 12 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 42.0% | #661 of 1,227 ▼ 64 | #144 of 248 ▼ 15 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +1.2pp | #730 of 1,214 | #181 of 247 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 781 | #456 of 1,377 | #107 of 317 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 23.8:1 | #1,052 of 1,279 | #223 of 301 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 64.3% | #305 of 1,278 | #41 of 301 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 59.2% | #841 of 1,329 | #237 of 312 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -18.5% | #385 of 930 | #111 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
781
-182 (-19%) vs 2020
-22% since 1990-91, when it was 1,007
Student : Teacher
23.8:1
was 24.7:1
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 | 781 | 32.8 | 23.8:1 | 59% (462) |
| 2023-24 | 818 | 34.5 | 23.7:1 | 61% (503) |
| 2022-23 | 736 | 31.1 | 23.7:1 | 60% (438) |
| 2020-21 | 963 | 39 | 24.7:1 | 48% (459) |
| 2017-18 | 958 | 37.8 | 25.3:1 | 47% (455) |
| 2015-16 | 931 | 35 | 26.6:1 | 43% (396) |
| 2010-11 | 838 | N/A | N/A | 39% (325) |
| 2000-01 | 988 | 38 | 26.0:1 | 26% (252) |
| 1990-91 | 1,007 | 40 | 25.2:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Joe Walker Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 18% (958 to 781); teachers down 13% (37.8 to 32.8).
About Joe Walker Middle
This page covers Joe Walker Middle, a mid-sized middle school in Lancaster, California. There are 781 students enrolled, covering grades 6 through 8.
Westside Union Elementary enrolls 9,078 students, and its 12 schools include Joe Walker Middle.
Federal enrollment data show Joe Walker Middle is 52% Hispanic. Other groups include 26% White, 12% Black, 7% multiracial, and 3% Asian. In Los Angeles County overall, the Hispanic share is about 48%. On a 0 to 100 scale, the school's diversity index is 64, compared with 70 nationally.
The school lists 32.8 full-time-equivalent teachers and a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.8:1. The average for middle schools in California, 20.7:1, is lower. A total of 462 students, or 59%, are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch. Across public schools in Los Angeles County, the average is 70%.
Joe Walker Middle sits between the top and bottom 10% of California schools on BeatsExpectations, with an actual average proficiency rate across its state test results of 45.7% and a predicted 44.9%.
American Community Survey estimates for Los Angeles County show that median household income comes to about $90,112, a bachelor's degree or higher is held by about 36% of adults, and the poverty rate is about 10%. The county's public schools total 2,244, with about 1,265,907 students.
The closest school to Joe Walker Middle is Quartz Hill High, located about 0.6 miles away. Joe Walker Middle is one of several public schools in the area, with at least 8 others within five miles. Joe Walker Middle's average proficiency of 45.7% compares with 34.5% for its nearest scored neighbors.
By NCES locale, the school is Suburb: Large, or in a suburban area outside a principal city, within an urbanized area with a population of 250,000 or more.
Enrollment decreased by 19% across 4 years, from 963 in 2020-21 to 781 in 2024-25.
Anyone can start a thread about athletics, class schedules, and weather closures at Joe Walker Middle. Teachers and staff are welcome to share updates too.
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 Westside Union Elementary
- Hillview MiddleMiddle · 1,100 students
- Esperanza ElementaryElementary · 962 students
- Sundown ElementaryElementary · 941 students
- Gregg Anderson AcademyElementary · 893 students
- Rancho Vista ElementaryElementary · 886 students
- Quartz Hill ElementaryElementary · 845 students
Other schools in Lancaster
- Assurance Learning AcademyHigh · 3,014 students
- Lancaster HighHigh · 2,688 students
- Eastside HighHigh · 2,631 students
- Antelope Valley HighHigh · 1,498 students
- Sundown ElementaryElementary · 941 students
- Amargosa Creek MiddleMiddle · 859 students
Nearby schools
- Quartz Hill High0.6 mi · 3,175
- Academies of the Antelope Valley0.9 mi · 677
- Quartz Hill Elementary1.0 mi · 845
- Gregg Anderson Academy1.9 mi · 893
- Endeavour Middle2.1 mi · 805
- Sundown Elementary2.2 mi · 941
Frequently asked questions
About Joe Walker MiddleHow many students attend Joe Walker Middle?
Joe Walker Middle enrolls approximately 781 students in grades 06-08.
Is Joe Walker Middle an elementary, middle, or high school?
Joe Walker Middle is a middle school covering grades 06-08.
How many teachers does Joe Walker Middle have?
Joe Walker Middle employs 33 FTE teachers, for a student-to-teacher ratio of 23.8:1.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Joe Walker Middle?
At Joe Walker Middle, the student body is approximately 26% White, 52% Hispanic, 12% Black, 3% Asian, 7% Two or more.
Is Joe Walker Middle public or private?
Joe Walker Middle is a public K-12 school, overseen by Westside Union Elementary.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.