1
Teachers: what resource would make the biggest difference at INDEPENDENCE MIDDLE this year?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,193
Middle
DISTRICT 998 · STATE 750
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·VIRGINIA BEACH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS·NCES 510384001690
Independence Middle
1370 Dunstan Ln, Virginia Beach, VA 23455 · (757) 648-4600 · Virginia Beach city
GRADES 06–08MIDDLE11-CITYTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,193 STUDENTS
B+
allk12 Grade
Scored higher than 65% of Virginia 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.
- BBeats expectations How far test scores land above or below what the share of low-income students predicts for a school in this state.
Grades compare a school only with schools in the same state, because every state gives its own test. How grades work · Top-graded Virginia public middle schools
Student : Teacher
15.7:1
76 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 14.9:1 · STATE 13.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
47%
564 students
DISTRICT 55% · STATE 66%
Community
1
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 | 387 | 32% |
| Grade 7 | 408 | 34% |
| Grade 8 | 398 | 33% |
Student demographics
70%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 71% · STATE 71% · 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
SOL 2024-25 . % PassingEnglish Language Arts
80.0%
VA avg 74.2% . +0.0pp since 2022
Math
65.0%
VA avg 72.7% . -1.0pp since 2022
What this means: On the SOL, Virginia's statewide test, about 80 of every 100 students at this school read and write at grade level and about 65 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Virginia schools, those numbers are about 74 and 73. Reading and writing scores have held steady since 2022, while math scores are down about 1 points.
SOL results by year
| School year | English Language Arts | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 80.0% | 65.0% |
| 2023-24 | 80.0% | 70.0% |
| 2022-23 | 80.0% | 66.0% |
% Passing, all students and all tested grades.
Source: SOL. 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
77.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
75.2%
based on VA schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+2.1pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 77% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 75% typical for Virginia 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 Virginia'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 Independence Middle
Independence Middle's state test result (77.4% proficient) is higher than 3 of the 5 schools below with a result.
| School | Students | Low-income | Proficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independence Middle this school | 1,193 | 47.3% | 77.4% |
| Plaza Middle Virginia Beach | 1,033 | 44.6% | 83.5% |
| Corporate Landing Middle Virginia Beach | 995 | 44.9% | 76.5% |
| J.E.J. Moore Middle Disputanta | 1,387 | 39.6% | 69.4% |
| T. Benton Gayle Middle Fredericksburg | 939 | 41.1% | 69.9% |
| Landstown Middle Virginia Beach | 1,272 | 39.3% | 82.4% |
Matched among Virginia 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 Independence Middle ranks
Among middle schools| Measure | This school | In Virginia | In Virginia Beach city |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 77.4% | #93 of 337 | #8 of 15 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 65.0% | #205 of 342 ▼ 39 | #14 of 15 ▼ 2 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 80.0% | #101 of 342 ▼ 19 | #7 of 15 no change |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,193 | #39 of 343 | #5 of 15 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 15.7:1 | #291 of 327 | #7 of 15 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 69.9% | #60 of 333 | #6 of 15 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 47.3% | #231 of 340 | #7 of 15 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked steepest decline first | -3.1% | #201 of 224 | #13 of 13 |
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
1,193
-65 (-5%) vs 2020
-4% since 1990-91, when it was 1,242
Student : Teacher
15.7:1
was 16.1:1
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 | 1,193 | 76.2 | 15.7:1 | 47% (564) |
| 2023-24 | 1,208 | 73 | 16.6:1 | 48% (578) |
| 2022-23 | 1,189 | 76 | 15.6:1 | 48% (575) |
| 2020-21 | 1,258 | 78 | 16.1:1 | N/A |
| 2017-18 | 1,231 | 73.7 | 16.7:1 | 41% (505) |
| 2015-16 | 1,285 | 69 | 18.6:1 | 38% (486) |
| 2010-11 | 1,254 | 64 | 19.6:1 | 32% (398) |
| 2000-01 | 1,289 | 91 | 14.2:1 | 23% (298) |
| 1990-91 | 1,242 | 74 | 16.8:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Independence Middle.
Since 2017-18: students down 3% (1,231 to 1,193); teachers up 3% (73.7 to 76.2).
About Independence Middle
At 1370 Dunstan Ln in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Independence Middle operates as a large middle school. Enrollment totals 1,193 students across grades 6 through 8. Across middle schools in Virginia, the average enrollment is about 750.
Independence Middle reports to Virginia Beach City Public Schools, which has 82 schools and 64,731 students.
White students make up 45% of enrollment at Independence Middle, the largest share of any group. The next largest groups are 26% Black, 14% Hispanic, 11% multiracial, and 4% Asian. In Virginia Beach city overall, about 61% of residents are White. A diversity index of 70% means there is a 70% chance two randomly chosen students at Independence Middle are from different groups.
Its staff includes 76.2 full-time-equivalent teachers, for about 15.7 students per teacher. Across middle schools in Virginia, the average ratio is 13.1:1. Independence Middle has a free or reduced-price lunch rate of 47%. That is in line with the 49% average for public schools in Virginia Beach city.
Independence Middle holds a B+ allk12 Grade, placing it above 65% of Virginia public middle schools.
When test results are adjusted for free or reduced-price lunch eligibility, Independence Middle is 2.1 points above its prediction. Actual: 77.4%. Predicted: 75.2%.
In Virginia Beach city, home to about 456,349 people, median household income comes to about $92,968, 41% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Virginia Beach city's 89 public schools enroll about 64,731 students and include Independence Middle.
Thoroughgood Elementary is about 0.8 miles from Independence Middle, the shortest distance to any other public school. Counting only straight-line distance, at least 8 other public schools are within five miles. Independence Middle places 6th of 9 on proficiency among the closest schools that report scores.
Independence Middle is coded as City: Large in federal locale data.
Enrollment decreased 5% over 4 years, reaching 1,193 in 2024-25.
This page collects posts and questions about Independence Middle, such as open houses, carpools, and field trips. Current and former families are welcome to add their experience.
Virginia Beach city at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
456,349
Census ACS
Median income
$92,968
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
41%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
7%
Below federal line
Schools in county
89
64,731 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in Virginia Beach City Public Schools
- Landstown HighHigh · 2,152 students
- Kempsville HighHigh · 2,046 students
- Bayside HighHigh · 1,984 students
- Tallwood HighHigh · 1,890 students
- Floyd Kellam HighHigh · 1,842 students
- Ocean Lakes HighHigh · 1,834 students
Other schools in Virginia Beach
- Landstown HighHigh · 2,152 students
- Kempsville HighHigh · 2,046 students
- Bayside HighHigh · 1,984 students
- Tallwood HighHigh · 1,890 students
- Floyd Kellam HighHigh · 1,842 students
- Ocean Lakes HighHigh · 1,834 students
Other Independence Middle schools
7 other US public schools in 7 states are named Independence Middle. Independence Middle is the 2nd largest of the 8.
- Independence MiddleIndependence, VA · 280 students
- INDEPENDENCE MIDDLE SCHOOLJUPITER, FL · 1,236 students
- Independence Middle SchoolBethel Park, PA · 602 students
- Independence Middle SchoolCoal City, WV · 401 students
- Independence MiddleIndependence, KS · 376 students
Nearby schools
- Thoroughgood Elementary0.8 mi · 767
- Old Donation School0.9 mi · 1,377
- Pembroke Meadows Elementary1.1 mi · 485
- Luxford Elementary1.2 mi · 476
- Hermitage Elementary1.4 mi · 552
- Bayside High1.6 mi · 1,984
Frequently asked questions
About Independence MiddleHow large is Independence Middle?
Independence Middle enrolls approximately 1,193 students in grades 06-08.
What age range does Independence Middle serve?
Independence Middle serves students from grade 06 through grade 08.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Independence Middle?
The student-to-teacher ratio at Independence Middle is approximately 15.7:1 (76 FTE teachers).
What is the student diversity at Independence Middle?
Student demographics at Independence Middle are roughly 45% White, 14% Hispanic, 26% Black, 4% Asian, 11% Two or more.
What district is Independence Middle in?
Independence Middle is part of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.