School Profile · Los Angeles
Benjamin Franklin Senior High: The scores are below where anyone wants them. Here's what they don't tell you.
Benjamin Franklin posts low test scores — and scores are climbing 11.0pp 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.
820 North Avenue 54, 90042 (opens in new tab)·Los Angeles Unified·Los Angeles·Grades 6-12·1,284 students·87% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(323) 550-2000·Website
Scope Score
20
📈 On the Rise · Needs Support
ranked #1,546 statewide · #127 of 129 in Los Angeles Unified
Benjamin Franklin Senior High scores 20 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 10th 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 “15% proficient” and call it done. Benjamin Franklin deserves a closer read. The school sits in Los Angeles, 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.
92%
Grade 6 · 8% proficient
21%
76%
Grade 7 · 24% proficient
20%
75%
Grade 8 · 25% proficient
The 6 things our score weighs
Exceeded standard
3.5%
State 17.3%
13.9pp below state avg
Met or exceeded
14.9%
State 39.5%
24.6pp below state avg
Growth (G6→G8)
+11.0pp
State +0.8pp
Scores improve across grades
Chronic absenteeism
29.1%
State 19.1%
10.0pp above state avg
Suspension rate
0.7%
State 4.2%
3.5pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
9.9%
State 18.0%
8.1pp below 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 Path
Benjamin Franklin Senior High serves grades K-12 — students can complete their entire K-12 education here.
Your other options
Nearby Middle Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 45
Woodrow Wilson Middle
Glendale Unified · 3.5 mi
Developing
47/100
Luther Burbank Middle
Los Angeles Unified · 0.9 mi
Developing
46/100
Florence Nightingale Middle
Los Angeles Unified · 2.3 mi
Developing
42/100
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
Hispanic90.5%
White4.1%
Asian1.4%
Black1.2%
Other2.8%
GenderFemale 45.9%Male 54.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,284
Near CA avg (~1,200)
Transitional Kindergarten
No TK reported, 2025-26
California requires the district to offer TK, but not every site has a room — ask the district which campuses do.
Free/Reduced Lunch
87%
24pp above CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
18:1
3 fewer students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$23,554
District avg: $18,180 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
9.9% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$60,420 – $122,706
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At Benjamin Franklin Senior High in Los Angeles, 46.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Benjamin Franklin Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 5.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (45.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 317 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Homeless+48.7pp
77.8% vs 29.1% overall · n=27
ELA · Hispanic−6.0pp
26.7% vs 32.7% overall · n=338
2 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · Hispanic−3.8pp
7.8% vs 11.6% overall · n=338
Math · Disabilities−4.2pp
12.8% vs 17.1% overall · n=39
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income317 tested
ELA 46.1%·Math 22.1%· +5.1pp vs district
Hispanic338 tested
ELA 45.3%·Math 22.5%· +4.2pp vs district
Disabilities39 tested
ELA 33.3%·Math 12.8%· +17.2pp 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 8.3pp 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
$95K
$10K above CA median
Median Home Value
$976K
$317K above CA median
Bachelor's+
43%
8pp above 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
13.6 years avg experience
72 teachers · 3% first-year · 6% second-year
Teacher Credentials
89% fully credentialed
1.5% 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%
3.5%
↓ vs CA 17.3% · 35th pctile
Met or exceeded · 22%
14.9%
↓ vs CA 39.5% · 31th pctile
Growth (G6→G8) · 15%
+11.0pp
↑ vs CA +0.8pp · 30th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 10%
29.1%
↓ vs CA 19.1% · 36th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
0.7%
↑ vs CA 4.2% · 63th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
9.9%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 52th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 23 | 4% | 4% | 17% | 74% | 9% | −38 |
| Grade 7 | 34 | 3% | 21% | 24% | 53% | 24% | −24 |
| Grade 8 | 40 | 5% | 20% | 28% | 48% | 25% | −21 |
| Grade 11 | 269 | 26% | 32% | 26% | 16% | 58% | +11 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 6 | 23 | 0% | 4% | 13% | 83% | 4% | −31 |
| Grade 7 | 34 | 6% | 12% | 32% | 50% | 18% | −16 |
| Grade 8 | 40 | 3% | 8% | 15% | 75% | 10% | −22 |
| Grade 11 | 269 | 13% | 16% | 25% | 46% | 29% | +6 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 314 | 4% | 20% | 63% | 12% |
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 | 317 | 46.1% | +5 | +8 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 338 | 45.3% | +4 | +6 |
| Students with Disabilities | 39 | 33.3% | +17 | +16 |
03Peer comparison · nearest middle schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benjamin Franklin Senior High ← | — | 20 | 3.5% | 14.9% | +11.0 | 0.7% |
| Woodrow Wilson Middle | 3.5 mi | 47 | 19.0% | 45.3% | +8.1 | 5.5% |
| Luther Burbank Middle | 0.9 mi | 46 | 17.6% | 43.3% | +15.4 | 1.6% |
| Florence Nightingale Middle | 2.3 mi | 42 | 18.4% | 39.5% | +3.2 | 0.3% |
| 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 #407 → #653 → #957 → #1249 → #1546
What we can't show
- — Scored here as a middle school — other grade spans appear in the data appendix.
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 Benjamin Franklin Senior High a good middle school?
Benjamin Franklin Senior High has a Scope Score of 20 out of 100, placing it in the 10th percentile of California middle schools and ranked #1,546 statewide. 3.5% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 13.9 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 Benjamin Franklin Senior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 14.9% of students at Benjamin Franklin Senior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 3.5% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 11.4% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 3.5% 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. 194 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does Benjamin Franklin Senior High rank in California?
Benjamin Franklin Senior High ranks #1,546 among California middle schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 10th 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 Benjamin Franklin Senior High getting better or worse?
Based on 2025 CAASPP data, proficiency at Benjamin Franklin Senior High increases by 11.0 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 Benjamin Franklin Senior High?
29.1% of students at Benjamin Franklin Senior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), compared to the California average of 19.1%. The suspension rate is 0.7%, 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 Benjamin Franklin Senior High compare to other schools in Los Angeles?
Benjamin Franklin Senior High scores 20/100 (10th 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 1,284 students. Use the schools in Los Angeles page or the map view to compare all middle schools nearby.
How does Benjamin Franklin Senior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At Benjamin Franklin Senior High in Los Angeles, 46.1% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 40.9% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. Benjamin Franklin Senior High outperforms its district average for low-income students by 5.1 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (22.1% Math proficient); Hispanic students (45.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 6.0 percentage points for hispanic students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 317 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.