School Profile · Lancaster
Amargosa Creek Middle: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Amargosa Creek posts low test scores — and scores are climbing 6.2pp from grade 6 to grade 8. If this is your zoned school, the numbers below are where to start a conversation, not where to end one.
44333 27th Street, West, 93536·Lancaster Elementary·Lancaster·Grades 6-8·859 students·86% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(661) 729-6064·Website
Scope Score
23
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,449 statewide · #4 of 8 in Lancaster Elementary
Amargosa Creek Middle scores 23 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 15th percentile of 1,714 California middle schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “20% proficient” and call it done. Amargosa Creek deserves a closer read. The school sits in Lancaster, where four in five students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
Test scores are one lens, and at this school they're a rough one right now. The sections below show the fuller picture — including the parts that are working.
The story this school is actually telling
The school, grade by grade
ELA · CAASPP 2024–25Different students, same year — each bar is one grade's proficiency mix.
18%
80%
Grade 6 · 20% proficient
29%
64%
Grade 7 · 36% proficient
9%
21%
70%
Grade 8 · 30% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
4.9%
State 17.3%
12.4pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
20.1%
State 39.5%
19.4pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+6.2pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
33.3%
State 19.1%
14.2pp above state avg
Suspension rate
11.2%
State 4.2%
7.0pp above state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0%
State 17.7%
2.3pp above state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what changed in the last two years, and what the school is asking families for. Growth shows up in these numbers a year or two after it shows up in classrooms.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
Middle
Amargosa Creek Middle
23/100
This school
▼
High School
No feeder data available for this level
Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 10
Endeavour Middle
Lancaster Elementary · 1.9 mi
Needs Support
17/100
RISE
Lancaster Elementary · 2.1 mi
Needs Support
3/100
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 38
Lancaster Alternative and Virtual Academies
Lancaster Elementary · 1.4 mi
Developing
45/100
West Wind Elementary
Lancaster Elementary · 0.9 mi
Developing
34/100
Nancy Cory Elementary
Lancaster Elementary · 1.4 mi
Developing
34/100
Nearby High Schools
2 within ~3 mi · avg 56
SOAR High (Students On Academic Rise)
Antelope Valley Union High · 0.9 mi
Solid
64/100
Lancaster High
Antelope Valley Union High · 0.7 mi
Developing
48/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
Empowered Church International/ Learning Academy
E Ave J · Nonsectarian · Grades Pre-K-6 · 25 students
10:1Private3.6 mi
Grace Lutheran Christian School
W Newgrove St · Greek Orthodox · Grades Pre-K-8 · 124 students
13:1Private1.9 mi
Antelope Valley Adventist School
Fern Ave · Pentecostal · Grades Pre-K-8 · 61 students
15:1Private2.2 mi
Calvary Chapel Christian School
W Ave J · Brethren · Grades Pre-K-11 · 27 students
2:1Private0.8 mi
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic56.5%
White9.2%
Asian1.2%
Black25.5%
Other7.7%
GenderFemale 47.6%Male 52.1%Non-binary 0.2%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
859
Near CA avg (~860)
Free/Reduced Lunch
86%
22pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
2 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$24,887
District avg: $14,005 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
20.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$58,890 – $129,672
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Amargosa Creek Middle in Lancaster, 26.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 22.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Amargosa Creek Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 752 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Black+12.9pp
46.2% vs 33.3% overall · n=253
Suspension · Black+12.2pp
23.4% vs 11.2% overall · n=265
ELA · English Learner−26.5pp
2.9% vs 29.4% overall · n=67
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−6.5pp
0.0% vs 6.5% overall · n=140
Math · English Learner−9.7pp
1.4% vs 11.1% overall · n=69
Math Exceeded · Two or More Races−3.6pp
0.0% vs 3.6% overall · n=18
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income752 tested
ELA 26.9%·Math 9.9%· +4.3pp vs district
Hispanic483 tested
ELA 32.3%·Math 11.8%· +5.4pp vs district
Black227 tested
ELA 18.5%·Math 6.2%· +3.5pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Subgroup Growth by Grade
Change in proficiency from lowest tested grade. Shows which groups are gaining ground.
Low-income student ELA proficiency rises by 8.7pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: +2.0pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$107K
$22K above CA median
Median Home Value
$534K
$125K below CA median
Bachelor's+
26%
9pp below CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
14.2 years avg experience
50 teachers · 10% first-year · 14% second-year
Teacher Credentials
88% fully credentialed
Source: CDE SARC, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
For the data nerds
Every number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Exceeded standard · 43%
4.9%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 37th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
20.1%
↓ vs CA 39.5% · 35th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+6.2pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 51th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
33.3%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 30th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
11.2%
↓ vs CA 4.2% · 23th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 17.7% · 54th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 219 | 2% | 18% | 27% | 52% | 21% | −26 |
| Grade 7 | 297 | 7% | 29% | 21% | 42% | 37% | −11 |
| Grade 8 | 353 | 9% | 21% | 26% | 44% | 30% | −16 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 218 | 1% | 6% | 19% | 74% | 6% | −29 |
| Grade 7 | 295 | 5% | 13% | 26% | 57% | 18% | −16 |
| Grade 8 | 354 | 5% | 4% | 15% | 76% | 9% | −23 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 355 | 4% | 12% | 62% | 22% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 752 | 26.9% | +4 | −11 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 483 | 32.3% | +5 | −7 |
| Black/African American | 227 | 18.5% | +4 | −14 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amargosa Creek Middle ← | — | 23 | 4.9% | 20.1% | +6.2 | 11.2% |
| Endeavour Middle | 1.9 mi | 17 | 1.8% | 11.6% | −0.6 | 10.6% |
| RISE | 2.1 mi | 3 | 0.0% | 0.0% | — | 19.4% |
| California average | — | 40 | 17.3% | 39.5% | +0.8 | 4.2% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1149 → #1221 → #1380 → #1448 → #1449
What we can't show
- — Low-income students here trail the state average for their group by 11 points in ELA — worth asking how the school is closing that gap.
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,714 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
A low score doesn't tell the whole story. Read: Your School Scored Low — Here's What That Actually Means
Frequently asked questions
Is Amargosa Creek Middle a good middle school?
Amargosa Creek Middle has a Scope Score of 23 out of 100, placing it in the 15th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,449 statewide. 4.9% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 12.4 percentage points below the California average of 17.3%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for middle schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are Amargosa Creek Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 20.1% of students at Amargosa Creek Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 4.9% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 15.2% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 4.9% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 1,736 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Amargosa Creek Middle rank in California?
Amargosa Creek Middle ranks #1,449 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 15th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), grade-level growth (Grade 6 to grade 8 growth), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.
Is Amargosa Creek Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Amargosa Creek Middle increases by 6.2 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth. This upward trajectory suggests the school is adding measurable value — students leave with higher proficiency rates than they entered with. Growth trajectory is weighted at 15% in the middle Scope Score because it measures what the school does, not just who walks in the door.
What is the attendance and school culture like at Amargosa Creek Middle?
33.3% of students at Amargosa Creek Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 11.2%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.
How does Amargosa Creek Middle compare to other schools in Lancaster?
Amargosa Creek Middle scores 23/100 (15th percentile) among California middle schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 859 students. Use the schools in Lancaster page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Amargosa Creek Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Amargosa Creek Middle in Lancaster, 26.9% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 22.6% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Amargosa Creek Middle outperforms its district average for low-income students by 4.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (9.9% Math proficient); Hispanic students (32.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 26.5 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 752 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.