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Scope Score
out of 100
State Rank
of 1,714 California middle schools
📈
On the Rise

On an upward trajectory — scores are improving faster than average. Worth a closer look.

Scope Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data from the California Dept. of Education (CAASPP, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates). They are not official CDE ratings and should not be the sole basis for school decisions. See methodology.

School overview

Enrollment
638 students
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
Free/Reduced Lunch
87%
Teachers
30 full-time

Dashboard indicators

How this school's scores changed from last year to this year

ELA Year-over-Year
Declined
-8.2 pts DFS change
Math Year-over-Year
Increased
+14.0 pts DFS change
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
24.9%
English learners at Level 4 (Well Developed) · 205 tested

Data source: California School Dashboard 2025, ELPAC 2024

Student demographics

Hispanic80.7%
White4.1%
Asian4.1%
Black3.9%
Other7.2%

Performance breakdown

Performance breakdown for Buena Park Middle
CategoryPercentage
Exceeded Standard7.4%
Met Standard18.1%
Below Standard74.5%

Score Factors

Helping
Growth (G6→G8): +7.8pp
Scores improve across grades (state avg +0.8pp)
15% weight
Suspension rate: 2.1%
2.0pp below state avg (state avg 4.1%)
10% weight
Holding Back
Exceeded standard: 7.4%
9.9pp below state avg (state avg 17.3%)
30% weight
Met or exceeded: 25.5%
14.0pp below state avg (state avg 39.5%)
20% weight
Chronic absenteeism: 20.6%
1.3pp above state avg (state avg 19.3%)
15% weight
Baseline proficiency: 25.5%
Below state baseline (state avg 39.5%)
10% weight
Unlike traditional school ratings, we show our work. Every factor, its weight, and how this school compares to the state average — so you can decide what matters most to your family. The middle school Scope Score is weighted across 6 dimensions. See full methodology →

What other rankings don't show you

Most rating sites report "25% proficient" for Buena Park Middle and stop there. Here's what that number hides:

7.4% of students exceeded standard while 18.1% met it. That exceeded rate is 9.9 points below the state average of 17.3%. That's 11.4 points below the Buena Park Elementary district average of 18.8%. The 1 nearby schools within ~3 miles average 28.5% exceeded — 21.1 points higher. The gap between "met" and "exceeded" can reveal how much a school's curriculum challenges students beyond proficiency.

Students here improve by 7.8 percentage points from Grade 6 to grade 8 growth, suggesting the school is adding value beyond what students arrive with.

California's Dashboard shows ELA performance declined and Math increased year-over-year. 24.9% of English learners reached Level 4 (Well Developed) on ELPAC.

Chronic absenteeism is 20.6%, above the state average of 19.3%.

Why the exceeded vs. met split matters →

Key metrics

% Exceeded Standard
7.4%
Students scoring above proficient
% Met or Above
25.5%
Students meeting standard
Growth (G6→G8)
+7.8pp
Change in proficiency rate
Chronic Absenteeism
20.6%
Students missing 10%+ of days
Suspension Rate
2.1%
Students suspended at least once
Total Tested
1,211
Across all grades & subjects

Grade trajectory

How proficiency compares across grade levels this year (different students, same test year)

ELA Trajectory
G6 → G7 → G8
Math Trajectory
G6 → G7 → G8

ELA scores by grade

GradeTestedExceededMetNearly MetNot MetMet+Above
6th1964.1%21.4%28.1%46.4%25.5%
7th1906.8%28.9%25.3%39.0%35.8%
8th21612.0%24.5%26.9%36.6%36.6%

Math scores by grade

GradeTestedExceededMetNearly MetNot MetMet+Above
6th1965.6%9.2%27.6%57.6%14.8%
7th1966.1%14.8%28.1%51.0%20.9%
8th2179.7%9.7%21.2%59.5%19.4%
K-12 Feeder PathBoundary data

Feeder patterns derived from 2015-16 NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries may have changed. Contact your school district for current information.

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

Speech & Language Development Center
Holder St · Nonsectarian · Grades 1-12 · 155 students
10:1Private1.6 mi
Acaciawood Preparatory Academy
W La Palma Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades 1-12 · 94 students
7:1Private2.4 mi
Primanti Montessori Academy
Valley Home Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades PK-6 · 79 students
12:1Private5.5 mi
Montessori Greenhouse School
Belgrave Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades PK-6 · 64 students
9:1Private5.2 mi
Del Sol School, Inc
Myra Ave · Nonsectarian · Grades 3-12 · 34 students
7:1Private3.5 mi

Data source: California Department of Education (2025 test year) · How we score · Explore all schools · Blog