School Profile · Los Angeles
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle: No single number tells this school's story. Here's the honest picture.
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter posts 31% meeting the standard and 9.2% exceeding it, against 39% and 16.8% statewide. The gaps and the bright spots below are the real read.
8255 Beach Street, 90001 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Los Angeles·Grades 6-8·437 students·97% low-income·Charter·2024–25 CAASPP·(323) 565-3280·Website
Charter school — publicly funded, independently operated, open enrollment via lottery. Learn more
Scope Score
39
📈 On the Rise · Developing
ranked #1,067 statewide · #93 of 226 in Los Angeles Unified
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle scores 39 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 52nd percentile of 2,238 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 “31% proficient” and call it done. Animo Florence-Firestone Charter deserves a closer read. The school sits in Los Angeles, where nearly all students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
As a charter, Animo Florence-Firestone Charter enrolls by application, not address — the score reads the same, the enrollment path doesn't.
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.
20%
75%
Grade 6 · 25% proficient
13%
30%
57%
Grade 7 · 43% proficient
10%
30%
60%
Grade 8 · 40% proficient
The honest read: the share exceeding rises 5.0pp across grades; the floor rises 15.4pp. The state average falls 0.5pp over the same span. Kids here gain ground the longer they stay — the pattern you want to see. A school visit and conversation with teachers will tell you more than this number.
The 5 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
9.2%
State 16.8%
7.6pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
31.3%
State 39.3%
8.0pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+15.8pp
State +1.5pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
14.2%
State 18.5%
4.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
0.8%
State 3.7%
2.9pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
Estimated path based on proximity within the same district. Contact your school district for official feeder information.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 40
Alliance Kory Hunter Middle
Los Angeles Unified · 1.7 mi
Developing
41/100
Walnut Park Middle A School of Social Justice and
Los Angeles Unified · 0.9 mi
Developing
40/100
Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4
Los Angeles Unified · 2.1 mi
Developing
40/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic97.9%
White0.7%
Black1.1%
Other0.2%
GenderFemale 48.3%Male 51.7%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 97.3% (33pp above CA avg)
Resources & Access
Enrollment
437
423 below CA avg (~860)
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$18,180
CA avg: $14,815 · District avg · NCES F-33
Teacher Salary Range
$60,420 – $122,706
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle in Los Angeles, 35.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 418 students tested.
Equity Gaps
ELA · English Learner−30.6pp
5.0% vs 35.6% overall · n=85
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Disabilities−9.0pp
0.0% vs 9.0% overall · n=39
Math · English Learner−25.4pp
1.8% vs 27.1% overall · n=84
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−9.6pp
0.0% vs 9.6% overall · n=38
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income418 tested
ELA 35.2%·Math 27.1%· -5.7pp vs district
Hispanic421 tested
ELA 36.3%·Math 27.6%· -4.7pp vs district
English Learner85 tested
ELA 4.7%·Math 1.2%· -2.3pp 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 14.9pp from grade 6 to grade 8 at this school. District average: -0.3pp.
Subgroups with fewer than 10 tested students per grade are not shown.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$61K
$24K below CA median
Median Home Value
$560K
$99K below CA median
Bachelor's+
7%
28pp 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
8.6 years avg experience
21 teachers · 5% second-year
Teacher Credentials
86% fully credentialed
5.2% on intern/emergency permit
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%
9.2%
↓ vs CA 16.8% · 42th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
31.3%
↓ vs CA 39.3% · 44th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+15.8pp
↑ vs CA +1.5pp · 69th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
14.2%
↑ vs CA 18.5% · 56th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.8%
↑ vs CA 3.7% · 62th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 133 | 5% | 20% | 35% | 41% | 24% | −22 |
| Grade 7 | 149 | 13% | 30% | 19% | 38% | 43% | −5 |
| Grade 8 | 147 | 10% | 30% | 34% | 27% | 39% | −7 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 132 | 5% | 14% | 26% | 56% | 18% | −17 |
| Grade 7 | 147 | 10% | 18% | 29% | 43% | 29% | −5 |
| Grade 8 | 145 | 14% | 21% | 26% | 40% | 34% | +2 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 147 | 3% | 14% | 69% | 14% |
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 | 418 | 35.2% | −6 | −3 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 421 | 36.3% | −5 | −3 |
| English Learners | 85 | 4.7% | −2 | −6 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle ← | — | 39 | 9.2% | 31.3% | +15.8 | 0.8% |
| Alliance Kory Hunter Middle | 1.7 mi | 41 | 11.1% | 35.5% | +5.7 | 2.9% |
| Walnut Park Middle A School of Social Justice and | 0.9 mi | 40 | 14.7% | 38.5% | +0.4 | 0.1% |
| Alliance College-Ready Middle Academy 4 | 2.1 mi | 40 | 12.3% | 38.1% | −4.0 | 4.1% |
| California average | — | 40 | 16.8% | 39.3% | +1.5 | 3.7% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #1282 → #1246 → #1095 → #813 → #1067
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,238 middle schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle a good middle school?
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle has a Scope Score of 39 out of 100, placing it in the 52nd percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,067 statewide. 9.2% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 7.6 percentage points below the California average of 16.8%. 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 Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 31.3% of students at Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 9.2% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 22.1% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 9.2% 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. 853 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle rank in California?
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle ranks #1,067 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 52nd 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 Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle increases by 15.8 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 Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle?
14.2% of students at Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 18.5%. The suspension rate is 0.8%, indicating a low-discipline-incident environment. 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 Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle compare to other schools in Los Angeles?
Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle scores 39/100 (52nd 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 437 students. Use the schools in Los Angeles page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle in Los Angeles, 35.2% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Animo Florence-Firestone Charter Middle trails its district average for low-income students by 5.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (27.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (36.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 30.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 418 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.