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What's the biggest difference between Taft Middle and what you expected?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
410
Middle
DISTRICT 688 · STATE 659
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·SAN DIEGO UNIFIED·NCES 063432005558
Taft Middle
9191 Gramercy Dr., San Diego, CA 92123 · (858) 935-2650 · San Diego County
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL410 STUDENTS
C+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 37% 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.
- CBeats 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
20.7:1
20 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 21.6:1 · STATE 20.7:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
66%
269 students
DISTRICT 63% · STATE 65%
Community
5
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 | 146 | 36% |
| Grade 7 | 136 | 33% |
| Grade 8 | 128 | 31% |
Student demographics
74%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 71% · 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
40.3%
CA avg 49.1% . -0.7pp since 2014
Math
24.8%
CA avg 37.7% . -6.2pp since 2014
What this means: On the CAASPP, California's statewide test, about 40 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 have held steady 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 | 10.4% | 29.9% | 27.4% | 32.3% |
| Math | 10.6% | 14.3% | 25.3% | 49.9% |
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 | 40.3% | 24.8% |
| 2023-24 | 46.6% | 25.1% |
| 2022-23 | 44.6% | 30.1% |
| 2021-22 | 37.5% | 26.7% |
| 2018-19 | 42.5% | 36.5% |
| 2017-18 | 42.6% | 29.0% |
| 2016-17 | 43.2% | 27.5% |
| 2015-16 | 44.0% | 29.0% |
| 2014-15 | 41.0% | 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
34.3%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
41.1%
based on CA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
-6.8pp
below demographic expectation
What this means: About 34% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 41% 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 Taft Middle
Taft Middle's state test result (34.3% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taft Middle this school | 410 | 65.6% | 34.3% |
| Albert Einstein Middle Sacramento | 579 | 73.2% | 24.2% |
| Farb Middle San Diego | 443 | 67.7% | 43.2% |
| Emerson Community Charter Los Angeles | 454 | 57.9% | 48.2% |
| Betty Reid Soskin Middle El Sobrante | 372 | 55.4% | 15.6% |
| Bret Harte Middle Hayward | 465 | 76.6% | 28.3% |
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 Taft Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In California | In San Diego County |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 34.3% | #647 of 1,224 | #54 of 92 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 24.8% | #724 of 1,227 ▼ 67 | #61 of 92 ▼ 3 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 40.3% | #711 of 1,227 ▼ 201 | #56 of 92 ▼ 10 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +0.5pp | #803 of 1,214 | #49 of 91 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 410 | #1,071 of 1,377 | #83 of 104 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.7:1 | #563 of 1,279 | #46 of 100 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 74.4% | #25 of 1,278 | #1 of 100 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 65.6% | #772 of 1,329 | #41 of 102 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.1% | #861 of 930 | #68 of 73 |
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
410
-20 (-5%) vs 2020
-34% since 1990-91, when it was 621
Student : Teacher
20.7:1
was 17.9:1
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 | 410 | 19.8 | 20.7:1 | 66% (269) |
| 2023-24 | 375 | 19.8 | 18.9:1 | 62% (232) |
| 2022-23 | 384 | 21.4 | 18.0:1 | 52% (199) |
| 2020-21 | 430 | 24 | 17.9:1 | 59% (255) |
| 2017-18 | 423 | 23.8 | 17.8:1 | 63% (267) |
| 2015-16 | 508 | 27 | 18.8:1 | 67% (338) |
| 2010-11 | 625 | N/A | N/A | 78% (489) |
| 2000-01 | 933 | 41 | 22.8:1 | 62% (581) |
| 1990-91 | 621 | 24 | 25.9:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Taft Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (423 to 410); teachers down 17% (23.8 to 19.8).
About Taft Middle
Taft Middle is a small middle school located in San Diego, California. The school enrolls 410 students, from grades 6 through 8. An average school in this group (middle schools in California) has about 659 students.
San Diego Unified is the district for Taft Middle. It has 174 schools and 94,828 students.
At Taft Middle, the largest share of students is Hispanic, at 42%. It is also 15% White, 15% Black, 15% multiracial, and 11% Asian. Taft Middle's diversity index is 74%, against a US figure of 70%.
With 19.8 full-time-equivalent teachers in 2024-25, the ratio at Taft Middle was 20.7:1. That matches the 20.7:1 average for middle schools in California fairly closely. A measure often used for student poverty, free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, stands at 66%. Among public schools in San Diego County, the average eligibility rate is 54%.
The allk12 Grade for Taft Middle is C+. Compared with California public middle schools, the school scored higher than 37% on a mix of test scores, poverty-adjusted results, and recent trend.
After adjusting for student poverty, Taft Middle lands between the top and bottom 10% of California schools. Its average proficiency rate on state tests is 34.3%; the prediction is 41.1%.
San Diego County census figures show that the median household income is $106,268, roughly 43% of adults have a four-year degree or more, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. There are 766 public schools in San Diego County, enrolling about 467,437 students in all.
Cubberley Elementary is the public school closest to Taft Middle, about 0.2 miles away. There are at least 8 other public schools within five miles. Taft Middle's average proficiency of 34.3% compares with 44.7% for its nearest scored neighbors.
On the NCES locale scale, the school is City: Large.
Federal data show a 5% enrollment decrease, from 430 in 2020-21 to 410 in 2024-25. The student-to-teacher ratio went up from 17.9:1 to 20.7:1.
Families, students, and staff can use this page to discuss enrollment questions, class placement, and PTA news at Taft Middle. Anyone with firsthand experience at this school can post or comment.
San Diego County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
3,288,774
Census ACS
Median income
$106,268
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
43%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
766
467,437 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in San Diego Unified
- Henry HighHigh · 2,485 students
- Mira Mesa HighHigh · 2,187 students
- Hoover HighHigh · 2,011 students
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- Point Loma HighHigh · 1,724 students
- San Diego HighHigh · 1,602 students
Other schools in San Diego
- Del Norte HighHigh · 2,557 students
- Torrey Pines HighHigh · 2,536 students
- Henry HighHigh · 2,485 students
- Rancho Bernardo HighHigh · 2,210 students
- Mira Mesa HighHigh · 2,187 students
- Canyon Crest AcademyHigh · 2,147 students
Other Taft Middle schools
4 other US public schools in 5 states are named Taft Middle. Taft Middle is the 3rd largest of the 5.
- Taft Middle SchoolOklahoma City, OK · 1,096 students
- Taft Middle SchoolCedar Rapids, IA · 593 students
- TAFT MIDDLEALBUQUERQUE, NM · 243 students
- Taft Middle SchoolLincoln City, OR · 235 students
Nearby schools
- Cubberley Elementary0.2 mi · 199
- Wegeforth Elementary0.4 mi · 200
- Juarez Elementary0.7 mi · 264
- Jones Elementary0.8 mi · 257
- Angier Elementary0.9 mi · 398
- School for Entrepreneurship and Technology1.1 mi · 247
Frequently asked questions
About Taft MiddleHow many students attend Taft Middle?
Taft Middle enrolls approximately 410 students in grades 06-08.
What grades does Taft Middle serve?
Taft Middle serves grades 06-08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Taft Middle?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Taft Middle is approximately 20.7:1 (20 FTE teachers).
What is the racial breakdown of students at Taft Middle?
At Taft Middle, the student body is approximately 15% White, 42% Hispanic, 15% Black, 11% Asian, 15% Two or more.
Is Taft Middle public or private?
Taft Middle is a public K-12 school, overseen by San Diego Unified.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.